Vermont Senate Education Committee Chair Sen. Seth Bongartz, D-Bennington, last month described the state’s financial position as having “very little debt” while discussing potential education reforms.
The comment, made during a legislative session, came as lawmakers continue to grapple with the implementation of Act 73, a wide-ranging education bill signed into law last July by Gov. Phil Scott. The bill, the result of months of negotiations between the House and Senate, sets new limits on public funding for independent schools.
Bongartz and Senate Minority Leader Scott Beck, R-Caledonia, faced ethics complaints last summer alleging they improperly used their positions on the conference committee tasked with finalizing the education bill to benefit private schools with which they are affiliated. Beck is a teacher at St. Johnsbury Academy and Bongartz previously served for almost two decades on the board of Burr and Burton Academy.
Geo Honigford, a board member of Friends of Vermont Public Education, filed the complaints, arguing that the senators “used their positions to advance provisions that directly benefited the schools they are associated with.” The Vermont Senate Ethics Panel subsequently dismissed the complaints in January, finding no unethical conduct under Senate rules.
The passage of Act 73 followed a period of intense debate over the future of Vermont’s education system. The legislation addressed concerns about rising tuition costs and equitable access to educational opportunities. The bill’s provisions regarding independent school funding were particularly contentious, with public education advocates arguing that the state’s town tuitioning system unfairly diverts resources from public schools.
Bongartz has since unveiled a “conversation starter” plan aimed at further transforming Vermont’s education landscape, seeking to spur discussion and progress on ongoing challenges. The plan, presented earlier this year, proposes a model of consolidation over three years.
The Senate Education Committee continues to meet and discuss potential adjustments to Act 73 and further reforms to the state’s education system. No further action on the ethics complaints is anticipated following the panel’s dismissal of the charges.
