Citizen Portal News Vermont

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1 hour ago

House Education reviews Ways and Means changes to H.955, flags data and implementation tasks The House Education committee on April 14 reviewed Ways and Means’ eight-part amendment to H.955, clarifying funding sources, adding pre-K reporting and monitoring requirements, restricting tuition/fee charges above the foundation formula, and assigning new rulemaking and reporting duties to AOE and the State Board; no formal votes were taken.

The House Education committee just unveiled crucial amendments to H.955 that could reshape funding and reporting for pre-K education in Vermont!

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#VT #DataCollection #FundingTransparency #CitizenPortal #EducationReform #VermontEducation

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3 hours ago

House Appropriations Committee advances education bill “age 9 55” on 7-4 vote The House Appropriations Committee voted 7-4 on April 14, 2026, to move favorably an education measure identified in the transcript as “age 9 55,” as amended by House Education and House Ways and Means; Representative Nigro was named reporter and the bill is scheduled for floor consideration later this week.

The House Appropriations Committee has just passed the pivotal education bill "age 9 55" with a narrow 7-4 vote, setting the stage for crucial discussions ahead!

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#VT #CivicAccountability #CitizenPortal #EducationReform #VermontEducation #LegislativeProcess

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7 hours ago

Joint Fiscal Office tells committee contractor will recommend how Vermont should fund CTE; report due Dec. 2026 Joint Fiscal Office staff updated the House Committee on Commerce & Economic Development that a contractor (American Institutes for Research) is studying how career and technical education should be counted and funded under Act 73; staff said the report is due to the General Assembly in December 2026 and offered enrollment, tuition and governance data to inform that work.

Vermont is set to redefine how career and technical education is funded, with a crucial report due by December 2026 that could reshape the future of CTE in the state.

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#VT #FundingReform #CitizenPortal #VermontEducation #EducationAccess #CareerTechnicalEducation

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2 days ago

House Education reviews draft 7.1 to convert BOCES into statutory "seesaws," sets facilitator and study-committee rules The House Education committee examined draft 7.1, which would replace voluntary BOCES with statutorily required "seesaws," require seesaw bylaws, direct the Vermont Learning Collaborative to contract facilitators, set an ADM guideline for study committees and establish calendar-driven deadlines for reports and agency review.

Vermont's House Education committee is transforming regional BOCES into mandatory "seesaws," setting the stage for a major shift in educational governance!

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#VT #CivicAccountability #CitizenPortal #EducationalReform #VermontEducation #CommunityGovernance

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3 days ago

House Education reviews draft pre-K language that would require licensed teachers and regional planning The House Education Committee reviewed language from the House Human Services Committee that would add a legislative-intent clause, require licensed/endorsed teachers for publicly funded pre-K, mandate regional capacity planning if providers are insufficient, and require state studies on funding and readiness tied to the foundation-formula timeline.

Vermont's House Education Committee is reevaluating pre-K education, pushing for licensed teachers and regional planning to ensure every child gets the quality education they deserve!

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#VT #CitizenPortal #EducationReform #EarlyChildhood #VermontEducation #CommunityPlanning

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3 days ago

Ways & Means reviews Draft 2.1 of H.955; debates pre-K funding, school construction aid and ballot language At an April 9 markup, the Ways & Means Committee examined draft 2.1 of amendments to H.955, focusing on a proposed prekindergarten funding structure, new data-reporting duties for Building Bright Futures and state agencies, school transportation reporting, Title 16 definitions, and options for state support of school construction including legacy debt and supplemental district spending ballot language.

The Ways & Means Committee is crafting a groundbreaking funding structure for prekindergarten education while tackling crucial issues like school construction aid and transportation!

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#VT #CitizenPortal #SchoolConstruction #PreKFunding #VermontEducation #DataReporting

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4 days ago

House Government Operations & Military Affairs hears competing testimony on S.206 licensure for early childhood educators On April 10 the House Government Operations & Military Affairs committee continued hearings on S.206, which would create tiered licensure for early childhood educators. Testimony from Community College of Vermont emphasized training pathways and prior-learning credit; the Vermont Chamber warned of labor-market risks; the Vermont AEYC urged passage citing workforce-designed reforms.

The debate over S.206 has heated up as educators and business leaders clash over whether tiered licensure for early childhood educators will strengthen the workforce or deepen existing shortages.

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#VT #CitizenPortal #VermontEducation #LicensureReform #EarlyChildhood

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5 days ago

Senate Education Committee considers bill to register education-technology providers and commission study On April 8 the Senate Education Committee heard a bill that would require education-technology providers used in Vermont schools to register with the Secretary of State and charge the Agency of Education with studying whether a formal product-certification process is needed; members raised concerns about the law's broad definition, overlap with upcoming child-data protections and practical implementation.

Vermont's Senate Education Committee is tackling the booming EdTech industry with a proposed bill that could reshape how education technology is regulated in schools.

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#VT #EdTechTransparency #ConsumerProtection #CitizenPortal #VermontEducation #StudentPrivacy

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6 days ago

Senate Education briefing examines proposal to inflate Act 73 base; JFO says first‑two‑year change would raise the permanent trajectory Lawmakers reviewed Joint Fiscal Office modeling showing Senate Education language that inflates the Act 73 base for the first two years would raise the permanent foundation formula base (example: ~ $16,575 vs $15,936 if NIPA were used), which — all else equal — would increase education funding obligations and likely require higher property tax revenue.

The Senate's proposal to inflate the Act 73 funding base could permanently boost education funding by nearly $700 per student, altering Vermont's fiscal landscape for years to come.

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#VT #PolicyReform #CitizenPortal #FiscalAccountability #VermontEducation #EducationFunding

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6 days ago

Joint Fiscal Office: education fund uses rising while pupil counts fall, increasing pressure on property taxes At an April 7 Senate Education Committee briefing, Joint Fiscal Office analyst Julia Richter told lawmakers statewide education fund uses rose from under $1.5 billion in 2009 to about $2.5 billion projected for FY27 while pupil counts declined, a combination that drives up per‑pupil costs and places more pressure on property tax revenue.

Vermont's education fund is skyrocketing while student enrollment drops, putting unprecedented pressure on property taxpayers—what does this mean for the future of education funding?

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#VT #CitizenPortal #PropertyTaxPressure #VermontEducation #EducationFunding

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1 week ago

House Education Committee advances bill to standardize response to chronic absenteeism The House Education Committee on April 7 advanced an Agency of Education bill (reported out of committee 11–0) that would add statutory definitions for chronic absenteeism, require a state model policy and encourage nonpunitive, intervention‑focused approaches while preserving local control.

Vermont's House Education Committee just took a bold step to tackle the rising crisis of chronic absenteeism with a revolutionary bill focused on support over punishment!

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#VT #ChronicAbsenteeism #CitizenPortal #EducationPolicy #VermontEducation #NonpunitiveApproaches

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1 week ago

Vermont State Colleges seeks $54 million in FY27; highlights workforce training and allied‑health needs Chancellor Beth Moutz told the Appropriations Committee the system's FY27 request is $54,042,753, that the system will not seek bridge funding, and that allied‑health and micro‑credential investments are priorities despite the governor not recommending some items.

Vermont State Colleges is making a bold $54 million request to enhance workforce training and allied health programs, but will the legislature support these vital initiatives?

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#VT #CitizenPortal #HealthCareAccess #VermontEducation #MicrocredentialInitiatives

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1 month ago

House Education reviews miscellaneous education bill; considers moratorium exemption, compact readoption and pause on class-size enforcement The House Education committee reviewed a miscellaneous education bill that would exempt ownership changes at therapeutic approved independent schools from the 2023 moratorium, readopt the interstate education compact, rename BOCES references to cooperative educational service areas, delay class-size enforcement until rules or 07/01/2027, and consider background-check authority and an early-college study. No votes were taken.

The House Education committee is shaking things up by proposing key changes to school ownership rules, class-size enforcement, and more—could this reshape Vermont's education landscape?

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#VT #CivicAccountability #CitizenPortal #EducationReform #PublicSafety #VermontEducation

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1 month ago

JFO tells Vermont lawmakers pre-K, child-care subsidies overlap and create incentives that shape family and district choices The Joint Fiscal Office told the House Human Services and Education Committees that universal pre-K, Head Start and the Child Care Financial Assistance Program overlap in ways that affect family costs, school budgets and private providers, and offered policy options under Act 73 while flagging major data gaps.

Vermont's latest report reveals how universal pre-K, Head Start, and child care subsidies are intertwined, influencing family choices and school budgets in unexpected ways.

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#VT #UniversalPreK #CitizenPortal #FiscalPolicyOptions #ChildCareSupport #VermontEducation

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1 month ago

House Education advances draft chronic‑absenteeism bill; AOE to draft model policy and templates The House Education Committee continued work on a committee bill to define absence, chronic absenteeism and truancy, heard testimony from the Vermont Independent Schools Association about technical drafting changes for independent schools, and directed the Agency of Education to publish a model policy with templates by mid‑2027; legislative counsel will clarify penalty and notification language.

Vermont's House Education Committee is tackling chronic absenteeism and truancy with a new bill that could reshape how schools define and handle student absences.

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#VT #ChronicAbsenteeism #CitizenPortal #TruancyPolicy #VermontEducation #EducationalAccess

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1 month ago

Vermont educators urge lawmakers to boost school funding, oppose spending caps and expand career-technical capacity Dozens of Vermont teachers, paraeducators and school staff told an education committee on Feb. 25 that funding shortfalls, healthcare costs and facility limits are harming students; speakers urged repeal or review of early college (H.779), lifting construction moratoria for CTE expansion, and rejecting Act 73 spending caps.

Vermont educators are sounding the alarm as they plead with lawmakers to increase school funding and address the crisis impacting students and staff alike.

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#VT #HealthcareAccess #CitizenPortal #VermontEducation #SchoolFunding #CareerTechnicalEducation

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1 month ago

Teachers urge Senate to reconsider early college program, cite lost senior-year leadership Multiple teachers told the Senate Education Committee that full-time early college enrollment can hollow out the senior year and disadvantage lower-income students; witnesses asked lawmakers to repeal or rework early college and expand dual enrollment, citing H.779 as a possible vehicle.

Teachers warn that early college enrollment is stripping high school seniors of crucial leadership experiences and may be leaving lower-income students behind.

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#VT #CommunityEngagement #CitizenPortal #EducationReform #StudentSupport #VermontEducation

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1 month ago

Ways & Means reviews Ed Fund outlook after $30M downward revision and models $10M tax shift Agency staff reported a $30 million downward revision to education spending compared with the Dec. 1 projection, and modeled a governor-proposed $10 million reallocation of purchase-and-use tax to the Transportation Fund with several options for using a one-time $104.9M general-fund transfer to reduce FY27 property-tax impacts.

A $30 million downward revision to Vermont's education spending could drastically reshape property tax impacts for FY27—are you ready for the changes ahead?

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#VT #CitizenPortal #VermontEducation #EducationFunding #TaxPolicyAnalysis #PropertyTaxReform

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1 month ago

Ways & Means presses for clarity on school-reserve guidance, timeline for rulemaking Committee members and legal staff discussed proposed reserve-account rules to reduce statewide variation in district reserve practices, debated enforceability and exceptions for construction or legal liabilities, and asked the Agency of Education for more precise definitions and a realistic rulemaking timeline.

Vermont's education leaders are pushing for standardized reserve-account rules to tackle financial inconsistencies among school districts—will this reshape how funds are managed statewide?

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#VT #FinancialManagement #CitizenPortal #EquityInEducation #VermontEducation

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1 month ago

Committee hears short‑form bill to study regional cost adjustments to school funding formula Representatives and witnesses told the Ways & Means committee a short‑form bill (H80EZ6) is intended to start analysis of regional labor‑cost and housing differences as the state develops the foundation funding formula under Act 73; more expert testimony was scheduled for later sessions.

Vermont's Ways & Means committee is on the verge of a groundbreaking shift in educational funding, debating how regional living costs could reshape the future of schools.

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#VT #EducationalChange #CitizenPortal #VermontEducation #LaborCosts #FundingFormula

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1 month ago

Senate education panel debates foundation‑formula, regionalization and single‑district ideas; committee asks for cost analysis After driver‑education testimony senators moved to a broad discussion of Act 73, the foundation formula and several regionalization options including voluntary mergers, a single statewide district, and school‑choice models; members requested JFO analysis and further stakeholder feedback.

Vermont's Senate education panel is exploring bold new paths for regionalization, including a controversial single statewide district—what could this mean for your local schools?

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#VT #RegionalizationModels #CitizenPortal #EducationPolicy #CommunityControl #VermontEducation

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1 month ago

Officials propose model policies, broadened "law-enforcement access" language for S.227 in Education Committee Presenters from the Vermont School Boards Association and Vermont Superintendents Association told the Education Committee that much of S.227’s operational detail should live in model administrative procedures; one presenter urged broadening references from immigration authorities to 'law enforcement' to avoid potential legal challenges.

Vermont officials are advocating for broader "law enforcement access" language in schools to ensure safe and flexible responses to immigration and policing issues.

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#VT #CitizenPortal #EducationPolicy #VermontEducation #DataManagement #LawEnforcementAccess

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1 month ago

Students, rabbis and ADL urge Vermont to require Holocaust and antisemitism education At a Feb. 19 Senate Education listening session, students, clergy and advocacy groups described repeated antisemitic incidents in Vermont schools and urged the committee to introduce statewide Holocaust and contemporary antisemitism education, stronger teacher training and clear response protocols.

Students and community leaders in Vermont are calling for urgent action to mandate Holocaust and antisemitism education in schools after alarming testimonies of bias and harassment have emerged.

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#VT #CitizenPortal #HolocaustEducation #AntisemitismAwareness #VermontEducation

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1 month ago

Students, foundation urge lawmakers to sustain Vermont's Free Degree Promise Students who used Early College at Community College of Vermont told the Senate Education Committee the McClure Foundation'funded Free Degree Promise reduces debt and improves access; agency and advocates urged lawmakers to fund the program after foundation support ends.

Vermont students are rallying for the Free Degree Promise, a lifeline that cuts costs and opens doors to higher education!

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#VT #CitizenPortal #StudentSupport #HigherEducation #VermontEducation #FinancialAccess

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1 month ago

Students, foundation and CCV describe 'Free Degree Promise' as low‑cost route to debt‑free associate degrees Students and the Macquarie Foundation told the House Education Committee Feb. 20 that the Free Degree Promise—an expansion of Vermont's early college program routed through the Community College of Vermont (CCV)—has raised low‑income early college enrollment, produced strong course success rates and costs an estimated $775,000 a year to operate at scale.

The Free Degree Promise is transforming the lives of low-income students in Vermont by tripling early college enrollment and paving the way for debt-free degrees!

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#VT #AccessToEducation #CitizenPortal #DebtFreeDegrees #VermontEducation #StudentSupports

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1 month ago

Students tell Vermont committee Early College and Free Degree Promise expand access, ease cost barriers Students and CCV staff testified to the Vermont House Committee on Commerce & Economic Development that the Early College program and the McClure Foundation–backed Free Degree Promise offer affordable, accelerated pathways: CCV reported ~240 participants, 47% low-income, and representation from 60 of Vermont's 72 high schools.

Students in Vermont are seizing new opportunities through the Early College program and Free Degree Promise, paving the way for affordable higher education and career exploration.

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#VT #AccessToEducation #CitizenPortal #AffordablePathways #CareerReadiness #VermontEducation

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1 month ago

Students, advocates tell senators early‑college programs expand access; advocates push sustainable funding Advocates and students described how early‑college (Act 77) and the '3‑degree promise' reduce debt and smooth transition to college; sponsors urged a sustainable Higher Education Trust Fund to continue the McClure Foundation‑funded promise.

Vermont's early-college programs are transforming lives by easing college transitions and slashing student debt—advocates urge lawmakers to ensure their future with stable funding!

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#VT #CitizenPortal #EconomicDevelopment #HigherEducation #VermontEducation #StudentAccess

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1 month ago

Agency of Education seeks $700,000 reappropriation to continue Read Vermont literacy work The Agency of Education told state senators it seeks a $700,000 reversion and reappropriation in the Budget Adjustment Act to sustain the Read Vermont literacy initiative through June 2026; officials said the funds are carryover federal COVID-era dollars converted to general fund and that failing to secure the BAA action could pause services until the FY2027 budget.

Vermont's literacy initiative is at a critical juncture, with a $700,000 funding request on the table to prevent a service gap—will state senators step up to secure the future of Read Vermont?

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#VT #CitizenPortal #FederalFunding #LiteracyInitiative #VermontEducation

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1 month ago

House Appropriations hears plan to shift purchase-and-use tax from education to transportation Joint Fiscal Office explained the motor-vehicle purchase-and-use tax and the governor’s plan to redirect $10 million per year from the education fund to the transportation fund, prompting committee concerns that the change would raise property taxes unless offset by general-fund dollars.

A proposed shift of $10 million from Vermont's education fund to the transportation fund has lawmakers worried about rising property taxes and budget shortfalls.

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#VT #PropertyTaxIssues #CitizenPortal #FiscalPolicy #VermontEducation #TransportationFunding

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1 month ago

Vermont House Education hears pleas for steady school construction aid as districts cite urgent repairs and workforce ties Two superintendents told the House Education Committee on Feb. 18 that Vermont needs a phased, prioritized school construction-aid program tied to facility condition assessments and teacher-recruitment supports; lawmakers questioned whether modest funding (e.g., $20M/year) would be effective or whether larger sustained funding is necessary.

Vermont superintendents are sounding the alarm on crumbling schools, urging lawmakers for a prioritized funding plan to attract and retain teachers.

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#VT #TeacherRecruitment #CitizenPortal #FacilityCondition #VermontEducation #SchoolConstruction