The state of Vermont is spending more than it should on education. That’s the conclusion reached by The Ethan Allen Institute in a report released yesterday.
The Vermont think-thank, which advocates free markets and limited government, says the state is spending $250 to $300 million dollars more than it should.
The institute says the state can cut education costs by offering public school choice, charter schools, virtual learning and other cost saving measures.
The institute also says the best way to reduce costs is to create a free market for schools so they have to compete for tax dollars by allowing parents to choose which schools their children attend.
Darren Allen is a spokesman for the Vermont chapter of the National Education Association. He says the teachers’ union finds the idea repugnant at a time when the free market has destroyed the economy.