Rising Health Costs and Federal Uncertainty Push Vermont Schools to the Brink

As Vermonters head to the polls this Town Meeting Day, the stakes could not be higher for local communities. School districts across the state are grappling with ballooning budgets driven by skyrocketing health care costs, relentless inflation, and unpredictable federal funding. The result? Taxpayers see education property taxes surge over 40% in five years while many small rural schools teeter on the edge of closure. Who Pays When Costs Spiral Out of Control? The Champlain Valley School District illustrates a harsh reality faced statewide: health care expenses for faculty and staff now consume nearly 15% of an already stretched $107...