I'll be at Brooks Memorial Library at 10:30am on July 6th if you would like to join me and talk about the future of our education system, and how we pay for it.

I've been talking with folks about property taxes a lot lately. We've also been talking about our schools, our kids, our strong and struggling communities, and the future. We are in a difficult moment– a moment with no perfect path forward– I want Vermont, I want Brattleboro to work for all of us– and unexpectedly high property taxes make that hard, for most of us. These problems are a long time in the making and I'm hoping with some clarity, we can figure them out together. I'm hosting a conversation at Brooks Memorial Library on Saturday at 10:30am if you would like to come discuss this issue.

We have a funny education funding system in Vermont. We vote locally on our budgets, add up all those budgets, and then the legislature raises property taxes to cover the costs for our schools and kids. We do this each year, often without much attention. This year those locally voted school budgets came in much higher than usual. Budgets were higher because of a "perfect storm" of real costs– healthcare costs, increased student need, loss of federal funding, compensation for our hard working school staff, inflation, and delayed maintenance. These unexpectedly high budgets resulted in increased property taxes for many of us.

This is a tough time and a tough conversation. We can't afford rising taxes like this and I think most of us really support our schools and are willing to vote for responsible budgets that give our teachers and students and families the resources they need. The hard part is balancing the two, and I hope you can be part of a conversation about figuring this out. If you can't attend the library conversation, there will be more public opportunities over the next year or you can be in touch anytime at http://emiliekornheiser.org.

Event Info

Jul 9, 2024, 4 to 5:30 PM

Jul 10, 2024, 9:30 to 10:30 AM

Jul 10, 2024, 5 PM