Vermont H 122: An act relating to the sustainable realignment of Vermont’s school districts

Bill Text

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VT LEG #379058 v.3
H.122 1
Introduced by Representatives Birong of Vergennes and Graning of Jericho 2
Referred to Committee on 3
Date: 4
Subject: Education; Agency of Education; State Board of Education; 5
governance; school districts; class size; school facilities; independent 6
schools; designation 7
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to: 8
(1) require the State to provide educational opportunities through the 9
merger of the school districts in existence on July 1, 2025 into not more than 10
25 newly formed unified union school districts; 11
(2) provide a process for review by the Secretary of Education and 12
create the Commission on the Sustainable Realignment of Vermont School 13
Districts to create a final plan for district realignment, if necessary; 14
(3) allow school districts to designate independent schools that meet 15
certain criteria to provide education for students residing in the district who 16
would have to travel more than certain periods of time to attend a public school 17
within the district; and 18
(4) eliminate the independent school approval process. 19

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VT LEG #379058 v.3
An act relating to the sustainable realignment of Vermont’s school districts 1
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 2
* * * Governance Structures * * * 3
Sec. 1. GOVERNANCE STRUCTURES; POLICY 4
In order to provide substantially equal educational opportunities in an 5
efficient, sustainable, and stable education system that enables students to 6
achieve or exceed the State’s Education Quality Standards, while also 7
maximizing operational efficiencies, the State shall provide for the education 8
of its students across not more than 25 separate school districts. 9
Sec. 2. SUSTAINABLE GOVERNANCE STRUCTURES 10
(a) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, on or before July 11
1, 2030, the State shall provide educational opportunities through the merger of 12
the school districts in existence on July 1, 2025 into not more than 25 newly 13
formed unified union school districts. Each of the newly formed school 14
districts shall: 15
(1) be responsible for the education of its resident prekindergarten 16
through grade 12 students; 17
(2) be its own supervisory district; and 18
(3) be organized and operate schools for all grades, prekindergarten 19
through grade 12, subject to the following provisions: 20

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VT LEG #379058 v.3
(A) A school district may choose to designate, pursuant to 16 V.S.A. 1
§§ 820 and 827, not more than three schools that are eligible for designation to 2
provide education for resident students of the district who would spend: 3
(i) more than 45 minutes being transported from the resident’s 4
home to a public elementary school located within the district; or 5
(ii) more than 75 minutes being transported from the resident’s 6
home to a public high school located within the district. 7
(B) An elementary school operated by a school district shall have a 8
minimum: 9
(i) average daily membership of 450 students; and 10
(ii) average class size of 18 students. 11
(C) A high school operated by a school district shall have a 12
minimum: 13
(i) average daily membership of 600 students; and 14
(ii) average class size of 25 students. 15
(D) The provisions of this subdivision (3) regarding minimum 16
average daily membership and average class sizes shall not apply to a public 17
school, public school program, or a therapeutic school, if all students in the 18
school or program are enrolled in the class or school either as a documented 19
part of the student’s IEP or Section 504 plan or pursuant to a written agreement 20
between the local education agency and the school, as applicable. 21

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VT LEG #379058 v.3
(b) School districts that meet the requirements of subsection (a) of this 1
section shall be formed by merging the governance structures of all member 2
districts into a single unified union school district pursuant to the processes and 3
requirements of 16 V.S.A. chapter 11. Newly formed school districts shall 4
obtain an affirmative vote of all “necessary” districts not later than July 1, 5
2029 and shall be operational on or before July 1, 2030. The study committee 6
report presented to the State Board and district voters pursuant to 16 V.S.A. 7
chapter 11 shall indicate how the proposed unified union school district will 8
meet the requirements of subsection (a) of this section. 9
(c) In addition to making the findings required under 16 V.S.A. § 709 and 10
considering whether the proposed unified union school district will meet the 11
requirements of subsection (a) of this section, when evaluating the study 12
committee report, the State Board shall also be mindful of any other district in 13
the region that may become geographically isolated. The State Board m