MortimerProctor
MortimerProctor t1_jadxo7u wrote
Reply to comment by RetiscentSun in School choice bills aim to deny private schools public money by casewood123
Still less than a million a year that it costs the state. So in terms of Vermont’s total budget (~8.3 billion dollars) it is minuscule.
MortimerProctor t1_jadvcca wrote
Reply to comment by RetiscentSun in School choice bills aim to deny private schools public money by casewood123
Per VTDigger’s Deeper Dig podcast from the Fall of 2022…but I’ve found more recent information increasing that number to 70.
MortimerProctor t1_jach08z wrote
~6000 students were eligible to attend schools outside of their small, rural town using state appropriations in FY 2020-2021.
It was about half and half in terms of student enrollment. Half went to public schools and half went to private schools (roughly) and it cost the state approximately $50 million dollars to send kids to private schools (religious and non-sectarian).
Out of the 3000 students who chose to attend private schools, only 12 students chose to attend religious schools as of FY 20-21. This expense cost taxpayers $150,000 dollars. This is not a burden to the state. The State Senate is making a mountain out of an ant hill with this proposed legislation, and in fact are becoming discriminatory in the process. They are selecting institutions that are well off financially (SJA in particular).
Furthermore, the recent decision of Carson v. Makin is clear. The state has to pay for this if they want to continue the historic model of private independent schools in some of Vermont’s towns. You cannot pick and choose your favorite schools.
Legislators need to stop avoiding this obligation to the people of this state. They need to stop wasting their time and our money trying to create loopholes to stop/prolong this process. Instead, the legislation this session and in future sessions should focus on empowering parents in the decision making process of school selection.
S.66 is unconstitutional.
MortimerProctor t1_jawdznw wrote
Reply to What’s going on with the Winooski schools? Looked at a house there and saw they all had 1/10 ratings and below 20% proficiency rates with terrible graduation rates? by vermont4runner
High percentage of students are English learners. Most students are from Nepal, Somalia, Bhutan, Congo, etc. Winooski is Vermont’s largest refugee community per capita.