School Board GRN Representative:

You are (may be) the only person on your board receiving this.  Please share this information with you fellow board members.

Many thanks to those of you who contacted your representatives yesterday to urge support for the repeal of the two-vote requirement of Act 82. The vote has been postponed until next Thursday, February 28.  The vote was postponed because the House Education Committee indicated that it is working on other cost containment measures that may be more workable than the two-vote requirement. 

The discussion in the House Education Committee today centered on the excess spending threshold, and potential modifications to it, as an alternative to the two-vote requirement.  You may recall that the House supported a reduction in the excess penalty threshold last year, but finally relented and agreed to the think twice provisions in Act 82.

There is clearly a long road to travel on this issue, but the discussion has been opened up because of the obvious flaws in the two vote requirement and because of the work that board members and local school officials have done over the last several months with legislators.  There is no doubt in my mind that we would not now be talking about a possible repeal of the two-vote requirement if rank and file legislators had not reported to the leadership that the level of dissatisfaction at home was untenable. Now is the time to keep the pressure on by asking your representatives where they stand at this point on repeal of the two-vote requirement.

Thanks again for your work.  I will let you know how things develop next week.

John A. Nelson, Executive Director

Vermont School Boards Association

2 Prospect Street

Montpelier, VT 05602

802-223-3580