Education (Testing & Assessment)

This bill (S 244) proposes to repeal most provisions of 2025 Acts and Resolves No. 73, which was a comprehensive education and tax reform package. It specifically retains changes to tuition eligibility for approved independent schools (16 V.S.A. § 828), State Board of Education appointment rules (16 V.S.A. §§ 161-162), and the creation of regional assessment districts. The bill also creates new property tax classifications for second homes/short-term rentals and seasonal residential properties, taxing them like nonhomestead nonresidential properties. These changes affect Vermont school districts, taxpayers, and education funding structures by undoing prior legislative actions while maintaining specific education governance and tax provisions.

H 480 requires all Vermont public school districts and independent schools to establish behavioral threat assessment teams by July 1, 2025, with full implementation of threat assessment programs by October 1, 2025. This includes training staff (with bias training), adopting policies, updating emergency plans, and educating school communities. The bill also creates a new framework for virtual learning, allowing Vermont public school students to enroll in supervised online courses that meet state standards, with districts counting these students in enrollment totals. Additionally, it exempts specific accredited colleges from certain education law requirements and clarifies that school nutrition contracts do not require public bidding.