Senator Beck Should Be Removed From the Redistricting Task Force

Senate Committee on Committees

Vermont State House

115 State Street

Montpelier, VT 05633

Dear Members of the Senate Committee on Committees,

The Board of Directors of Friends of Vermont Public Education (FVPE) writes to express our serious concern regarding Senator Scott Beck’s conduct and to formally request his public censure and immediate removal from the School District Redistricting Task Force.

In August, Senator Beck contacted the Cabot and Danville School Boards and urged them to close their public high schools, citing speculative and unsubstantiated legislative changes. He claimed that if they did not act quickly, they might lose access to unlimited school choice, and that any future legislative changes would likely be made retroactive to January 1, 2026. These statements introduced urgency and fear into already sensitive local discussions, despite no such legislation being proposed.

Senator Beck is employed by St. Johnsbury Academy, an approved independent school located near both towns, and one that stands to gain significant public tuition dollars if their high schools close. His outreach was not part of any public process or task force assignment. It did not include Twinfield, the third small high school in the same supervisory union, only the two most likely to send students to his employer. Cabot is not in his district.

The fallout in both communities has been substantial. In Danville, a petition circulated by a local parent has triggered a formal process for a townwide vote on school closure. The school board has announced it will hold a referendum on December 6, 2025, pending certification of signatures. In Cabot, the school board had prepared a survey on potential closure following Beck’s outreach, but shelved it after significant public pushback.

These events have caused real disruption in communities that were not actively pursuing school closure prior to Senator Beck’s intervention. His actions introduced uncertainty, undermined local governance, and gave the appearance of advancing a course of action that would benefit his private employer.

This conduct is incompatible with service on a task force charged with reshaping Vermont’s public school governance structure. Regardless of intent, it creates the unmistakable appearance that Senator Beck used his public position to influence decisions with clear implications for his own professional context. His continued presence on the Task Force undermines its credibility and calls into question the impartiality of its work.

We therefore respectfully request that the Senate take the following actions: 

• Publicly censure Senator Scott Beck for conduct that compromised public trust in Vermont’s democratic processes 

• Remove him from the School District Redistricting Task Force effective immediately to preserve the integrity and neutrality of its recommendations

Vermont families deserve confidence that decisions about their public schools are made in the public interest, not shaped by private affiliations or informal pressure. We urge you to act swiftly to restore that confidence.

Sincerely,

Geo Honigford

Ken Fredette

Adrienne Raymond

Greg Hughes

Krista Huling

Neil Odell

Board of Directors

Friends of Vermont Public Education

CC: Senator Martine Gulick, Co-Chair, School District Redistricting Task Force

  Representative Edye Graning, Co-Chair, School District Redistricting Task Force