"Vermont Voters Grapple with School Budget Rejections and Rising Property Taxes"

Vermonters rejected nearly one-third of school budgets on Town Meeting Day, the highest proportion in at least a decade, due to concerns about anticipated increases in education property taxes. The rejection prompted a joint statement from the superintendents association and the Vermont School Boards Association, calling for state and local collaboration. School boards have until July 1 to rework budgets and pass them, with the potential to borrow funds if necessary. Lawmakers passed legislation allowing districts to postpone their budget votes to next month amid concerns about property tax hikes and the impact of the state’s revamped education financing formula.