Vermont H 100: An act relating to assessing the environmental health and safety of school buildings

Bill Text

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VT LEG #378669 v.1
H.100 1
Introduced by Representative Graning of Jericho 2
Referred to Committee on 3
Date: 4
Subject: Education; Agency of Education; Department of Education; 5
Commissioner; Secretary; State Board of Education 6
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to transform the 7
Agency of Education to the Department of Education, which shall be 8
supervised and managed by the State Board of Education. This bill would 9
eliminate the position of Secretary of Education and create the position of 10
Commissioner of Education who shall be employed by the State Board as the 11
chief executive officer and secretary of the Board, subject to approval of the 12
Governor. 13
An act relating to creating a Department and Commissioner of Education 14
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 15
Sec. 1. 16 V.S.A. § 164 is amended to read: 16
§ 164. STATE BOARD; GENERAL POWERS AND DUTIES 17
The State Board shall engage local school board members and the broader 18
education community and, consistent with the provisions of this title, its own 19
rules, and rules adopted by the Secretary, establish and regularly update a long-20

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VT LEG #378669 v.1
term strategic vision for the delivery of educational services in Vermont; 1
advise the General Assembly, the Governor, and the Secretary of Education on 2
high-priority educational policies and issues as they arise; and act in 3
accordance with legislative mandates, including the adoption of rules and 4
executing special assignments. In addition to other specified duties, the Board 5
shall have supervision over and management of the Department of Education 6
and the public school system, except as otherwise provided, and shall: 7
* * * 8
(4) Biennially cause to be prepared a recommended budget for all 9
money to be expended by the Department of Education. 10
* * * 11
(10) Establish an information clearinghouse and accessible database to 12
help districts share information about educational programs and practices that 13
improve student performance and well-being. Educational programs and 14
practices include those designed to create and sustain a safe learning 15
environment. 16
* * * 17
(17) Report annually on the condition of education statewide and on a 18
supervisory union and school district basis. The report shall include 19
information on attainment of standards for student performance adopted under 20
subdivision (9) of this section,; number and types of complaints of hazing, 21

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harassment, or bullying made pursuant to chapter 9, subchapter 5 of this title 1
and responses to the complaints,; financial resources and expenditures,; and 2
community social indicators. The report shall be organized and presented in a 3
way that is easily understandable by the general public and that enables each 4
school, school district, and supervisory union to determine its strengths and 5
weaknesses. To the extent consistent with State and federal privacy laws and 6
regulations, data on hazing, harassment, or bullying incidents shall be 7
disaggregated by incident type, including disaggregation by ethnic groups, 8
racial groups, religious groups, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, 9
disability status, and English language learner status. The Secretary 10
Commissioner shall use the information in the report to determine whether 11
students in each school, school district, and supervisory union are provided 12
educational opportunities substantially equal to those provided in other 13
schools, school districts, and supervisory unions pursuant to subsection 165(b) 14
of this title. 15
* * * 16
(19) Develop, in consultation with the Secretary of State, and make 17
available to school boards, sample ballot language for items that may be voted 18
on by Australian ballot and for which no statutory language exists. 19
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(21) Report annually to the Governor and the General Assembly on the 1
progress the Board has made on the development of education policy for the 2
State. [Repealed.] 3
Sec. 2. 16 V.S.A. § 163 is amended to read: 4
§ 163. STAFF; MEETINGS 5
(a) The office of the Board shall be supported by adequate staff, who shall 6
report to the Board the office of the Commissioner of Education. 7
* * * 8
Sec. 3. 16 V.S.A. chapter 5 is amended to read: 9
CHAPTER 5. SECRETARY COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION 10
Subchapter 1. Secretary Commissioner of Education 11
§ 211. APPOINTMENT; REPORTS 12
(a) Subject to the approval of the Governor, the State Board shall employ a 13
competent chief executive officer and secretary of the Board who shall have 14
had special training and experience in educational work and who shall be 15
called the Commissioner of Education. The Commissioner shall be appointed 16
for an indefinite te