Vermont S 273: An act relating to creating incentives for schools and establishing a goal for correctional facilities to purchase locally produced foods

Bill Text

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VT LEG #385517 v.2
S.273 1
Introduced by Senators Gulick, Clarkson, Hardy, Vyhovsky, Watson and 2
White 3
Referred to Committee on 4
Date: 5
Subject: Education; maintenance of public schools; public funds; designation; 6
tuition; education finance; independent schools 7
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to (1) require a 8
school district that does not maintain an elementary school or a high school to 9
designate eligible schools to serve as the public school of the district; (2) repeal 10
the definition of approved independent school and the approved independent 11
school approval process, while maintaining the recognized independent school 12
enrollment process; (3) create a definition of therapeutic schools and make 13
amendments to special education independent school tuition provisions; (4) 14
make conforming changes throughout Title 16 regarding the school 15
designation process; and (5) make conforming changes throughout the 16
Vermont Statutes Annotated based on the repeal of the approved independent 17
school definition and approval process. 18
An act relating to the provision of State-funded education in school districts 19
that do not maintain an elementary school or a high school 20

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VT LEG #385517 v.2
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 1
* * * Elementary and High School Designation * * * 2
Sec. 1. 16 V.S.A. § 820 is added to read: 3
§ 820. SCHOOLS ELIGIBLE FOR DESIGNATION 4
Under this chapter, a school district that does not maintain a school for the 5
grades for which it is organized to provide education shall designate up to three 6
schools to serve as the public school or schools of the district. A school 7
eligible for designation shall be: 8
(1) a public school in Vermont; 9
(2) a public school located outside Vermont in a different state; or 10
(3) an independent school recognized under section 166 of this title that 11
meets at least three of the following four criteria: 12
(A) The recognized independent school serves as a regional CTE 13
center as defined in section 1522 of this title. 14
(B) The recognized independent school was established through the 15
granting of a charter by the Vermont General Assembly. 16
(C) The recognized independent school qualified as a public school 17
under the definition of “public school” in effect on June 30, 1991, under 18
subdivision 11(a)(7) of this title. 19

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VT LEG #385517 v.2
(D) The recognized independent school is designated under section 1
1935 of this title as an employer of teachers within the meaning of chapter 55 2
of this title (State Teachers’ Retirement System of Vermont). 3
Sec. 2. 16 V.S.A. § 821 is amended to read: 4
§ 821. SCHOOL DISTRICT TO MAINTAIN PUBLIC ELEMENTARY 5
SCHOOLS OR PAY TUITION TO DESIGNATED SCHOOLS 6
(a) Each school district shall maintain one or more approved schools within 7
the district in which elementary education for its resident students in 8
kindergarten through grade six is provided unless: 9
(1) the electorate authorizes the school board to provide for the 10
elementary education of the students by paying tuition in accordance with law 11
to one or more public three or fewer elementary schools in one or more school 12
districts that qualify for designation under section 820 of this title; 13
(2) the school district is organized to provide only high school education 14
for its students; or 15
(3) the General Assembly provides otherwise. 16
(b) [Repealed.] 17
(c) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, without previous 18
authorization by the electorate, a school board in a district that operates an 19
elementary school may pay tuition for elementary students who reside near a 20
public elementary school in an adjacent district upon request of the student’s 21

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VT LEG #385517 v.2
parent or guardian, if in the board’s judgment the student’s education can be 1
more conveniently furnished there due to geographic considerations. Within 2
30 days of following the board’s decision, a parent or guardian who is 3
dissatisfied with the decision of the board under this subsection may request a 4
determination by the Secretary, who shall have authority to direct the school 5
board to pay all, some, or none of the student’s tuition and whose decision 6
shall be final. 7
(d) Notwithstanding subdivision (a)(1) of this section, the electorate of a 8
school district that does not maintain an elementary school may grant general 9
authority to the school board to pay tuition for an elementary student at an 10
approved independent elementary school or an independent school meeting 11
education quality standards pursuant to sections 823 and 828 of this chapter 12
upon notice given by the student’s parent or legal guardian before April 15 for 13
the next academic year. [Repealed.] 14
Sec.