This bill requires all Vermont public high schools to teach civics as a mandatory subject in either 11th or 12th grade, starting with the 2027-2028 school year. It defines civics broadly to include understanding government history, developing skills like analyzing information, fostering respectful dialogue, and practicing civic behaviors like voting. Schools must provide dedicated class time for civics (at least one quarter-semester), and the state will fund this through existing education resources. The law aims to prepare students for active citizenship by building knowledge, skills, and engagement with democratic processes.
This bill (H.698) revises Vermont's 2025 education funding and policy framework. It removes provisions requiring schools to maintain minimum class sizes, eliminates a rule allowing receiving districts to charge sending districts extra fees for high school students, and reverts unused funds from a school district voting group back to the state General Fund. The bill also updates the state's education funding formula to add a "secondary student weight" for high school students and removes recent changes to property tax classifications affecting schools. These changes directly impact school districts, state education funding calculations, and the administration of public school tuition payments.
This bill requires school districts without their own elementary or high schools to designate up to three eligible schools to serve as their public schools. Eligible schools include Vermont public schools, out-of-state public schools, or recognized independent schools meeting specific criteria (e.g., regional career training centers or historically designated schools). It repeals the "approved independent school" definition and process while maintaining the "recognized independent school" enrollment system, and adds a new definition for "therapeutic schools" with related special education tuition changes. The bill directly affects small school districts lacking their own K-12 facilities, altering how they access state education funding for student placements.
This bill requires all Vermont public schools and approved independent schools receiving public funding to provide supplemental reading instruction to students in kindergarten through third grade whose reading skills fall below grade-level standards or hinder their academic progress. It mandates evidence-based reading instruction for all K-3 students and additional targeted support for those needing it, based on valid assessments. Schools must also share each student’s reading proficiency level with parents or guardians. The law aims to address early reading challenges by ensuring schools systematically identify and support struggling readers.
H.310 requires Vermont public schools (K-12) to address antisemitism through updated policies and education. It amends the harassment definition to explicitly include antisemitic harassment - covering slurs, stereotypes, and threats targeting Jewish heritage - and mandates the Secretary of Education to develop a curriculum on antisemitism's evolution, effects, and legal consequences. The bill also requires training for school staff, age-appropriate teaching materials, and technical assistance for implementation. This affects all Vermont public school students and educators, aiming to prevent antisemitic incidents amid rising national hate crime statistics cited in the bill. The proposed curriculum would be developed in coordination with Shalom Alliance of Vermont.
H.122 requires Vermont to merge all existing school districts as of July 1, 2025 into no more than 25 new unified school districts by July 1, 2030. It sets minimum size requirements for schools (450 students and 18 students per class for elementary, 600 students and 25 students per class for high school) and allows districts to designate limited independent schools for students with commutes exceeding 45 minutes (elementary) or 75 minutes (high school). The bill creates a Commission of retired superintendents to review the Secretary of Education’s merger plan and finalize the realignment by November 2029. This directly affects all Vermont public school students and districts, particularly those in smaller or geographically isolated communities.
This bill would allow all Vermont students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade to attend any public or approved independent school of their choice, regardless of where they live. It establishes a "School Choice Grant" funded by redirecting existing education funds that would have gone to the student's home school district to the chosen school. Schools must accept students unless they lack capacity (using lotteries for oversubscription), and cannot deny enrollment based on protected characteristics. The bill also requires a report by the Joint Fiscal Office by 2026 on integrating this program into Vermont's overall education funding system.
