This bill is a ceremonial resolution that congratulates the 2026 Brattleboro Union High School mock trial team for winning first place at the Vermont Mock Trial Competition. It recognizes the students' success in a simulated courtroom exercise where they practiced legal skills such as drafting arguments and questioning witnesses based on a fictional criminal case. The resolution lists the names of the participating students, coaches, and advisors to formally acknowledge their achievement. Finally, it directs the Secretary of State to send a copy of this congratulatory message to the high school.
This bill is a formal resolution that congratulates Linda Alvarez on being named the 2026 Vermont Teacher of the Year and honors the two finalists, Jason Raymond and Erin Randall. Linda Alvarez, a career and technical education instructor at Windham Regional Career Center, is recognized as the first CTE teacher to receive this award. The resolution highlights her background in business and education, her commitment to student success, and her additional roles advising student organizations and serving on advisory councils. It directs the Secretary of State to send copies of the resolution to the three educators as an official acknowledgment of their achievements.
This legislative bill is a House concurrent resolution that formally honors Patricia Gibbons for her nearly 50-year teaching career in the Town of Bennington. The document recognizes her service at the Village School of North Bennington, where she taught reading and inspired students from third through sixth grade. It directs the Secretary of State to send a copy of the resolution to Ms. Gibbons, the school, and the local village board of trustees.
This bill outlines steps to reorganize Vermont's education system by renaming Boards of Cooperative Education Services to Cooperative Educational Service Areas and assigning each supervisory union to a specific regional area. It requires all school districts to join a study committee to evaluate creating unified union school districts and directs the Joint Finance Officer to hire a contractor to analyze how prekindergarten education should be funded. Additionally, the bill amends previous legislation to adjust its effective dates. These changes aim to improve resource sharing and equalize educational opportunities across different regions of the state.
This bill is a ceremonial resolution that formally acknowledges the fifth anniversary of a partnership between Middlebury Language Schools and Bennington College. It recognizes the agreement signed in 2019, which moved three language programs to the Bennington campus to foster academic excellence and cultural exchange. The text highlights the history of the language schools and the shared commitment of both institutions to immersive education. Finally, it directs the Secretary of State to send copies of this recognition to the two colleges involved.
This bill is a ceremonial resolution that congratulates Terese Black on being named the 2026 Vermont Mother of the Year. It recognizes her extensive community service, including her work as a former teacher and director of a program helping formerly incarcerated individuals reintegrate into society. The text highlights her dedication to various volunteer roles and her faith as reasons for receiving this honor. Finally, it directs the Secretary of State to send a copy of the resolution to Ms. Black.
This bill sets specific property tax rates and funding levels for Vermont's 2027 fiscal year, including a nonhomestead property tax rate of $1.698 per $100 of value and specific dollar yields for homestead and income calculations. It also reserves $52.45 million in the Education Fund to help offset potential property tax rate increases in 2028, while correcting a definition related to statewide education tax calculations. The legislation refunds $150,576 to the City of Barre for overpaid education taxes from 2021-2024 and adjusts special education funding grants for inflation starting in 2027. Additionally, it updates how special education census grants are calculated to account for inflation over time.
This bill urges the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association to reconsider its opposition to the Rapid Prompting Method, a communication teaching approach used for students with apraxia of speech or autism. The resolution does not change any laws or funding but asks the professional association to review its stance on this instructional method. It highlights that while the ASHA currently rejects RPM's scientific validity, many parents report positive outcomes for their children using this technique. The bill directs the Secretary of State to send a copy of the resolution to the ASHA to prompt this reconsideration.
This bill defines chronic absenteeism as students missing 10 percent or more of their school attendance days in a year, regardless of whether those absences are excused or unexcused, and requires Vermont's Agency of Education to create a model policy to address the issue. It also clarifies definitions for terms like "absence," "truancy," and "excused absence," while expanding who counts as a parent or guardian to include older students, independent students, and unaccompanied homeless youth. The changes directly affect public schools, approved independent schools, and families by establishing clearer standards for tracking attendance and determining when absences are justified.
This bill is a ceremonial resolution that honors the federal TRIO programs in Vermont, which provide educational support to financially disadvantaged students. The TRIO programs, established by Congress in the 1960s, offer assistance to students who are the first in their families to attend college and lack sufficient funds. The resolution recognizes the work of these programs across seven Vermont colleges and the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation. It directs the Secretary of State to send a copy of the resolution to the Board of Directors of the Vermont Educational Opportunity Programs.
