Vermont H 955: An act relating to next steps in transforming Vermont’s education system

Bill Text

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No. 170. An act relating to next steps in transforming Vermont’s
education system.
(H.955)
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont:
* * * Legislative Intent * * *
Sec. 1. FINDINGS; LEGISLATIVE INTENT
(a) Findings. The General Assembly finds that:
(1) Implementation of school district consolidation under 2015 Acts and
Resolves No. 46 (Act 46) resulted in the creation of larger supervisory unions,
supervisory districts, and unified union school districts, which have achieved
measurable administrative efficiencies, including reductions in per-pupil
central office costs and the elimination of duplicative governance structures,
while maintaining or improving student opportunities in many regions.
(2) Regional high schools serving broader geographic areas provide
expanded and more equitable access to academic programming, career and
technical education, co-curricular opportunities, and specialized staff, which
are often not sustainable at smaller scales.
(3) Research demonstrates that closing small elementary schools often
yields limited or inconsistent cost savings once transportation, capital
adjustments, and community impacts are considered, and may negatively affect
student outcomes and family engagement, particularly in rural areas.
(4) In rural states, school district design must account not only for
enrollment but also for geographic size, as districts are often measured in

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square miles. Larger geographic areas can present barriers to equitable access
to educational opportunity, requiring careful balancing of efficiency,
transportation time, community connection, and student access to high-quality
programming.
(5) Approximately 40 percent of Vermont high school graduates enroll
in a two- or four-year degree program. This outcome does not reflect a lack of
academic engagement but rather underscores the importance of ensuring that
all students graduate with a clear and supported pathway, including high-
quality career and technical education, workforce entry, or further education
aligned with individual goals and regional economic needs.
(b) Legislative intent.
(1) To ensure each student is provided substantially equal opportunities
for an excellent education that will prepare the student to thrive in a 21st-
century world, it is the intent of the General Assembly to work strategically,
intentionally, and thoughtfully to ensure that each incremental change made to
Vermont’s public education system provides strength and support to its only
constitutionally required governmental service.
(2) The General Assembly recognizes that Vermont’s schools anchor
local economies and community identity, connecting young persons to their
homes while supporting workforce development and long-term stability, and
that different regions of Vermont have different needs, challenges, and
opportunities. Further, it is the intent of the General Assembly to ensure that

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local voice and community input retain an important role in Vermont’s
evolving education landscape.
(3) It is the intent of the General Assembly to create a statewide
education system that encourages and supports local elementary schools,
central middle schools, and comprehensive, regional high schools that provide
each student with universal access to career technical education.
(4) It is the policy of the State to provide substantially equal educational
opportunities for all children in Vermont by authorizing two or more school
districts, including an existing union school district, to form a union school
district for the purpose of providing for the education of its resident students.
It is therefore the intent of the General Assembly that the formation of union
school districts shall be designed to encourage and support local decisions and
actions that provide substantial equity of educational opportunities statewide,
lead students to achieve or exceed the State’s Education Quality Standards,
maximize operational efficiencies, promote transparency and accountability,
and be delivered at a cost that parents, voters, and taxpayers value.
(5) It is further the intent of the General Assembly in the upcoming
legislative sessions to leverage the insights of the foundation formula report
submitted pursuant to 2025 Acts and Resolves No. 73, Sec. 45a; the
prekindergarten education funding reports submitted pursuant to Sec. 21 of this
act; and the school transportation report submitted pursuant to Sec. 27b of this

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act to update the foundation formula enacted in 2025 Acts and Resolves No. 73
to account for the funding of all components of Vermont’s education system.
* * * Cooperative Educational Service Areas * * *
Sec. 2. 16 V.S.A. chapter 10 is amended to read:
CHAPTER 10. BOARDS OF COOPERATIVE EDUCATION SERVICES
EDUCATIONAL SERVICE AREAS
§ 601. POLICY
It i