Education: Facts & Ratios
Equalized Grand List per Pupil Non Residential Grand List per Pupil School Tax as a % of Total AGI School Tax Per Capita Equalized School Tax Rate
FY85 FY95 FY85 FY95 FY84 FY94 FY84 FY94 FY84 FY94
Maximum $76,116 $116,805 $73,833 $114,469 21.5% 21.5% $954 $1,867 $1.88 $2.20
Median $1,547 $3,147 $594 $1,182 5.4% 6.4% $345 $771 $1.14 $1.17
Minimum $578 $1,182 $73 $197 1.4% 1.2% $104 $251 $0.08 $0.08
Federal Range Ratio 588% 481% 1865% 2021% 276% 247% 192% 269% 226% 212%

Note: The "Federal Range Ratio" (FRR) measures equity by listing all the towns from highest to lowest and comparing the 95th and the 5th percentile towns. A FRR of 0% means perfect equity- no variation at all.
Source: A Scorecard for School Finance Update FY95 by the Vermont Dept. Of Education; Vermont Tax Department Statistics.
Pupil - Teacher Ratio Fall 1987 Fall 1988 Fall 1989 Fall 1990 Fall 1991 Fall 1992 Fall 1993
Vermont na 13.6 13.8 13.2 13.8 13.1 12.7
US Average na 17.3 17.2 17.2 17.3 17.4 17.4
Pupil - Staff Ratio Fall 1987 Fall 1988 Fall 1989 Fall 1990 Fall 1991 Fall 1992 Fall 1993
Vermont 7.5 7.8 7.9 7.1 7.0 6.6 6.4
US Average 9.3 9.3 9.1 9.2 9.2 9.1 9.1

Source: Digest of Education Statistics 1995.

Major Components of State Aid to Education: FY 1997

• General State Aid = $144.9 million.

No statute determines what "full funding" should be — however, general state aid has decreased from FY91 through FY97.

• Special Education Aid = $36.5 million.

Although set by statute at 50% of all special education costs, this portion of state aid has been underfunded in recent years.

• Technical Education Aid = $7.1 million.

Set by statute at 20-50%; underfunded in recent years.

• Capital Construction Aid = $17 million.

Set by statute at 0-30%; underfunded in FY97.

Additional Indirect Support for Education:

  • Teachers’ retirement = $18 million

  • Property tax rebates (support school and municipal taxes) = $35 million

    Education Funding Trends from FY83 to FY95:

  • State share declined from 35.1-28.9%;

  • Local share increased from 59.4-66.4%;

  • Federal share declined from 5.5-4.7%.

    Source: Summary of the Annual Statistical Report of Schools, FY95

    Current Expense per Student

    FY75 FY90 FY95 FY75-FY95 Avg Annual Growth Rates FY90-FY95 Avg Annual Growth Rates
    Maximum 1,912 6,421 7,726 7.23% 3.77%
    Median 1,056 3,767 4,584 7.62% 4.00%
    Minimum 614 2,695 2,961 8.18% 1.90%

    Note: "Current Expense per Student" does not include costs of school construction, capital debt service, transportation and special education.

    Source: Scorecard FY95