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Bill Shouldice breaks down where our tax dollars come from, where they end up, and how those calculations might change.

The story of Vermont’s schools these days is largely defined by a declining number of school-aged kids. But the state’s 17 career and technical education centers are beating the odds � and seeing an increase in applicants.

Since the beginning of the 2025 legislative session, lawmakers in both the House and Senate have been working on their counterproposal to Gov. Phil Scott’s sweeping plan to overhaul public education. But it’s become clear that the two chambers are moving in very different directions.

This will likely come as welcome news to property taxpayers, who saw bills rise an average of almost 14% this year. But the use of $118 million one-time funds to buy down rates is a risky move � and one that could set schools and taxpayers up for a financial cliff in the following year.

The Trump administration has already moved to cut the department's staff by nearly half.

The effect of the Trump administration's cuts to The Department of Education is causing a lot of uncertainty among educators.

Thursday’s vote was 22 to 8 in favor of her confirmation. All 13 Republicans and nine of 16 Democrats voted for Saunders.

The USDA sent a letter to the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets last week informing them that about $1.7 million that was supposed to go toward purchasing local food in schools and food shelves would be withheld. The programs won’t be able to continue without the federal funds.

Teacher unions and some parent groups condemned the cuts, while school choice advocates celebrated them.

The most recent edition of the state’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey, which is conducted in partnership with the state and the federal government, saw about a fifth of all high school students report bullying in 2023, and about one in seven make a suicide plan.