Education

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 makes several changes to Vermont's education laws, including creating an exception to the current moratorium on new independent schools when a therapeutic school changes ownership, and allowing Vermont to join the Interstate Compact for Education to facilitate cooperation among states on education policy. It also renames cooperative educational service areas, temporarily excludes class size violations from counting toward potential state intervention for three years, and requires the Agency of Education to conduct criminal background checks on new employees or contractors who may have unsupervised contact with students. These provisions directly affect school administrators, independent school operators, the State Board of Education, and the Agency of Education.

This bill (H 657) enables unaccompanied homeless youth aged 16+ to access key services without parental consent. It creates a certification process where youth verified as homeless by school liaisons, shelter directors, or homeless service providers receive a standardized form from the Department for Children and Families. This certification allows youth to obtain medical/dental care, mental health services, driver’s licenses, housing, school enrollment, banking services, and vital records - without needing parental permission. The bill clarifies that parental consent is not required if parents forced the youth out, neglected them, or refused support, with the Department acting in place of a guardian.