This commentary is Zoie Saunders is Vermont’s secretary of education.  Education transformation in Vermont is not just about property taxes. It is about building and sustaining the best education system in America. At a moment when nearly every other state is diverting dollars away fro m public education, Vermont has chosen a different path.  Last year, a bipartisan coalition passed Act 73—a bill that doubles down on public education as the great equalizer, the pathway out of poverty and the engine that fuels our economy. Having the best education system in America is not just about test scores. It is about giving every student the opportunity to succeed, regardless of economic disadvantage, language status, or the town they call home. But this requires us to ask why these opportunities remain so uneven.  Why do some students not have access to the same course offerings as their peers in other districts? Why do some students attend districts with nearly half the per-pupil spending as others?  Why do rural and economically disadvantaged areas struggle to offer competitive teacher salaries on par with wealthier pockets of the state? Why are there persistent achievement gaps between students from historically marginalized backgrounds and their peers? The root cause of our inequities is a simple but hard truth: we are not organizing or operating our statewide education system well. Because of that, we are not directing resources to the places where they can make the greatest difference: supporting students and paying teachers competitively. The good news is that we have a plan. During the 2025 legislative session, the governor, the Agency of Education and the General Assembly worked together to develop a roadmap that positions Vermont as a national leader in education. Given the magnitude of the change proposed, Vermonters have questions, as they should.  Will this plan save money? Will this plan actually give kids more opportunities? Will it better support teachers? Will it result in a more predictable and equitable approach to funding our education system? Supporters say the answer is yes. Extensive cost modeling was conducted before and throughout the legislative process, demonstrating the ability to provide an excellent education at a cost that Vermonters can afford.  We built budgets, including sample budgets for the five districts originally proposed: Champlain Valley Region, Southwest Region, Southeast Region, Winooski Valley Region, and Northeast Region. We adapted the plan based on educator input, and we engaged independent school finance experts. Their review, based on research, data and best practices, confirmed that the plan does what Vermonters expect. It puts teaching and learning first, aligns with education and management best practices, directs more resources to students and staff, and strengthens Vermont’s statewide commitment to equity. The resulting bipartisan bill, Act 73, represents one of the largest education investments in the country. Vermont is on the cusp of something special. A generational investment combined with generational change means we can maintain smaller elementary schools through thoughtful staffing while shifting resources to create more robust middle and high schools.  We can expand mental health and behavioral supports, enhance electives and special programs, and create new, innovative pathways for high school students. It all sounds good, right? Yes, and it is possible—but only if we are willing to change. That change requires moving to larger districts in Vermont to ensure the generational investment of Act 73 reaches all students. Let’s be clear: larger districts create economies of scale that can determine whether a school can offer advanced courses, hire a reading coach, or afford a strong continuum of supports. Ultimately, education transformation is about Vermonters coming together to acknowledge our challenges and tackle them collectively. Right now, local communities are fending for themselves. The status quo has put local school boards and districts in a difficult position where staffing and programming cuts are being made and schools are being closed, all while property taxes continue to rise and families continue to be priced out of local communities. We cannot ask local communities to fend for themselves. We cannot ask local communities—on their own—to boost educational outcomes while bending the cost curve of funding education. We cannot ask a fragmented structure to deliver world-class results. We have to do this together. Change is hard, but Vermonters have shown we can do hard things by coming together. Let’s come together to follow through on the bipartisan plan to build the best education system in America—a plan that puts students before politics, raises teacher pay, and creates opportunities and programs that rival every other state in the country.  Our kids deserve nothing less. Read the story on VTDigger here: It’s not all about taxes, stupid. ...read more read less