Vermont Public posts education reform episode

Vermont Public posted a May 23 episode of “The Frequency” centered on the education reform negotiations that have dominated the final stretch of Vermont’s legislative session. The episode, titled “Education reform deal in sight,” was published at 5 a.m. EDT and runs 4 minutes and 52 seconds. Vermont Public described it as that week’s edition of “Capitol Recap,” featuring the latest from Montpelier from reporters Lola Duffort and Peter Hirschfeld. The episode sits inside Vermont Public’s weekday news podcast feed, which the outlet says is available every weekday morning by 6 a.m. and is designed to get listeners up to speed in under 15 minutes. The May 23 posting credits Liam Elder-Connors, Mark Davis, Adiah Gholston and Peter Engisch. Vermont Public’s site offers the episode for streaming and download through its podcast page, with links out to Apple Podcasts, Spotify and RSS. (vermontpublic.org) ### What was in the episode Vermont Public posted on May 23? The May 23 podcast entry says the segment was the week’s “Capitol Recap” and focused on the latest education reform developments in Montpelier. Vermont Public identified Duffort and Hirschfeld as the reporters heard in the segment. The posting itself does not include a full transcript in the search snippets available, but it frames the item as a recap of the pending legislative deal. (vermontpublic.org) The same day, Vermont Public’s homepage listed “Education reform deal in sight” among the latest episodes of “The Frequency.” The homepage also placed the episode alongside a separate local-news report by Hirschfeld on the same issue, tying the podcast to the outlet’s broader Statehouse coverage. ### What deal were Duffort and Hirschfeld discussing? Peter Hirschfeld reported on May 22 that a concession by Republican Gov. (vermontpublic.org) Phil Scott had helped clear a path toward bipartisan compromise on a sweeping education reform package. The dispute had centered on whether school districts would be forced to merge into larger governance units, a major element of Act 73, the 2025 law that set out to remake how Vermont governs and funds public schools. (vermontpublic.org) Jason Maulucci, Scott’s director of policy, told Vermont Public that the governor had withdrawn his demand for mandatory consolidation after previously saying he would veto any bill that did not include it. Vermont Public reported that Democratic lawmakers had opposed forced mergers, and that Scott’s shift opened the way for a possible compromise in the closing days of the session. (vermontpublic.org) ### Why was mandatory consolidation the sticking point? Act 73 called for an overhaul of Vermont’s school governance and funding system, and forced district mergers had been one of its central early steps. Vermont Public’s earlier coverage said lawmakers had increasingly backed away from that provision after hearing opposition from communities concerned about losing local control. (vermontpublic.org) House Speaker Jill Krowinski said in an April 17 Vermont Public report that voters wanted property tax relief but were not willing to give up control of local schools to get it. By mid-May, Hirschfeld reported that the standoff over forced mergers had become serious enough that Scott was threatening to keep lawmakers in Montpelier through the summer if they did not approve consolidation. (vermontpublic.org) ### Where does the podcast fit in Vermont Public’s coverage? “The Frequency” is Vermont Public’s daily news podcast, and the May 23 item appears to function as a short audio companion to the outlet’s written Statehouse reporting. The podcast page says the show is a weekday product, while the local-news page carried the fuller May 22 article under the headline “Capitol Recap: Education reform deal in sight after Scott bends on forced school district mergers.” (vermontpublic.org) As of May 24, the episode remained available on Vermont Public’s site in the show feed and on the homepage’s list of latest episodes. Listeners looking for the next step can find both the May 23 podcast and Hirschfeld’s May 22 article on Vermont Public’s website as lawmakers continue work on the education bill in Montpelier. (vermontpublic.org 1) (vermontpublic.org 2)