Body
Investing in Early Care and Learning
- In FY23, Governor Scott again proposed to increase funding for the Child Care Financial Assistance Program (CCFAP), raising the subsidy to cover more costs and give parents and providers more options to cover vacation days and other closures.
- In his first two years in office, Governor Scott proposed and secured a 30% increase in funding for early care in learning since he took office. This included an additional $2.5 million to expand the CCFAP in the FY18 budget and an additional $7.4 million in the FY20 budget. Increased investment in this area makes childcare more affordable for working families and supports the early-developmental needs of our kids.
- In total, Governor Scott has increased the base (annual) funding for child care by nearly $18 million, and made over $100 million in one time investments to support child care providers during the pandemic, cover transportation and other services, and more.
- STILL NEED SUPPORT FROM THE LEGISLATURE – Governor Scott has repeatedly proposed permanent funding sources to make childcare more affordable, but the Legislature has not adopted these proposals. In 2019, Governor Scott proposed modernizing online sales tax and dedicating those revenues as a permanent funding source – which has grown annually – for the Child Care Financial Assistance Program (CCFAP). The Legislature passed the modernization initiatives but did not dedicate the funds exclusively to childcare. In 2020, the Governor proposed allowing for Keno sports betting and to dedicate those funds to CCFAP. The Legislature did not pursue this initiative.
Supporting Pre-K - 12 Education
- Afterschool and Summer Programming –
- Dedicated $8.5 million in State ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) funds to expand afterschool and summer programs (FY22).
- In 2019, Governor Scott proposed and worked with the Legislature to create a task force to recommend a framework to provide universal access to after school programming for kids. In 2021, the Governor created, by Executive Order, the Vermont Interagency Afterschool Youth Task Force to continue this planning work.
- Student Recovery and Pandemic Relief and for Schools – Vermont schools received nearly $400 million in new federal funding to help them respond to and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Much of this money went directly to schools to allocate at the local level, but the State had discretion over $44 million of this funding. The Scott Administration, working with the Legislature, focused state dollars on immediate pandemic response and recovery strategies, including:
- Address social emotional learning and well being;
- Strengthen student engagement;
- Increase afterschool programs;
- Provide tools to help reverse learning loss; and
- Fund grants for indoor air quality improvements.
- Funding approximately $2 billion for education annually – The State has increased support for our preK-12 school system annually by fully funding locally passed school budgets each year.
- Career Technical Education (CTE) – Governor Scott has championed CTE and trades training, highlighting the value of trades careers, critical need to grow this workforce, and investing in more opportunities, including:
- $15 million to purchase delipidated homes, for high school and adult CTE students to rehab as part of their training. (FY23)
- $500,000 to initiate a trial CTE program for electrical transportation (aviation and vehicle) sector training. (FY23)
- $1.4 million in federal education aid for a CTE recruitment campaign, encouraging more students to seek this important training. (FY23)
- Governor Scott proposed investing $45 million in Education Fund surplus to strengthen the CTE system. The Legislature did not support this initiative.
- Beginning the work to, and building support for, changes in the funding and governance systems for CTE to strengthen the experience for both high school students and CTE students, and to address the current competitive nature of funding CTE programs.
- $1.7 million to CTE centers to offset pandemic-related costs. (FY22)
- Beginning the work to allow students to attend a state-designated virtual high school as their sending school for academics, which will give students more time for work-based learning and CTE courses. (FY23)
- Invested $275,000 to expand apprenticeships, training and post-secondary career and technical education for Vermont workers. (FY20)
- Proposed and passed a $400,000 investment to purchase training equipment, fit up new space and expand adult career and technical education training opportunities at centers across Vermont. (FY19)
Higher Education
- Governor Scott has proposed historic increases to the Vermont State Colleges system, with a focus on affordability for students and emphasis on retaining students for Vermont jobs. Since coming to office, the State has significantly increased its investment in VSC and in FY23 increased the base budget for the University of Vermont for the first time in years, adding $10 million to the University.
- Governor Scott has repeatedly increased investment in the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC) with a focus on helping adult learners gain skills for new careers that move them up the economic ladder.
- For more career training and adult education initiatives, visit the Workers initiative page.
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