An act relating to transforming Vermont’s education governance, quality, and finance systems
H.454 establishes the Commission on the Future of Public Education to study Vermont's education system and develop recommendations for a statewide vision ensuring all students have substantially equal opportunities. The bill mandates creating new, larger school district boundaries effective July 1, 2027, and requires updates to career and technical education governance by 2026. It also plans for a full transition to these new districts by July 1, 2029, with funding and guidance to support the change. This directly affects Vermont’s 119 current school districts, students, teachers, and local communities by restructuring governance and resource allocation. The law, signed by the governor in July 2025, aims to address declining enrollment and unequal educational quality.
Bill status
signed
all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
Jun 2025
House Passage
Jun 2025
Senate Passage
Jun 2025
Signed into Law
Jun 2025
Introduced Feb 28, 2025
Signed Jun 16, 2025
Floor votes · Senate Jun 16, 2025 · House Apr 11, 2025
How they voted
27–3
Passed · 1 other
Total votes 31
Jun 16, 2025
D
Democratic17
82% Yea
R
Republican14
92% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
100
Key actions
24
Committee
18
Amendments
26
Jun 16, 2025
Signed into law
Signed by Governor on July 1, 2025
executive
Jun 16, 2025
Lower · Passed
Delivered to the Governor on June 25, 2025
lower
Jun 16, 2025
Upper · Passed
House message: House adopted Conference Committee report
upper
Jun 16, 2025
Lower · Passed
Which was agreed to on a Roll Call Passed -- Needed 71 of 141 to Pass -- Yeas = 96, Nays = 45
lower
Jun 16, 2025
Lower · Passed
Committee of Conference report adopted (House bill)
lower
Jun 16, 2025
Lower · Passed
Rep. Houghton of Essex Junction moved to suspend rules to permit consideration of an objectionable committee of conference report
lower
Jun 16, 2025
Lower · Passed
Committee of Conference report ruled out of order on point of order raised by Rep. McCann of Montpelier
lower
Jun 16, 2025
Lower · Passed
Senate Message: Report of Committee of Conference adopted
lower
Jun 16, 2025
Upper · Passed
Rules suspended & messaged to House forthwith, on motion of Senator Baruth
upper
Jun 16, 2025
Upper · Passed
Committee of Conference report adopted on roll call Passed -- Needed 15 of 29 to Pass -- Yeas = 17, Nays = 12
upper
Jun 16, 2025
Upper · Passed
Rules suspended to permit consideration of an objectionable report of Committee of Conference, on Roll Call 26-3.
upper
Jun 16, 2025
Upper · Passed
Roll Call, requested by Senator Gulick, Passed -- Needed 22 of 29 to Pass -- Yeas = 26, Nays = 3
upper
Jun 16, 2025
Upper · Passed
Point of order raised by Senator Vyhovsky on ground Conference Committee breached Sec. 771.2 of Mason's Manual of Legislative Procedure
upper
Jun 16, 2025
Upper · Passed
Committee of Conference report submitted by Senator Bongartz for Committee, text
upper
May 28, 2025
Lower · Passed
Senate Message: Committee of Conference members appointed
lower
May 27, 2025
Upper · Passed
Committee of Conference appointed: Senators Bongartz, Cummings, and Beck
upper
May 27, 2025
Introduced
House message: House refused to concur in Senate proposal of amendment & requested Conference Committee; House Conference Committee members appointed
upper
May 27, 2025
Lower · Passed
Speaker appointed Reps. Conlon of Cornwall, Kornheiser of Brattleboro, and Taylor of Milton as members of the Committee of Conference on the part of the House
lower
May 27, 2025
Introduced
Senate proposal of amendment not concurred in and Committee of Conference requested upon motion of Rep. Conlon of Cornwall
lower
May 23, 2025
Introduced
Senate Message: Passed in concurrence with proposal of amendment
lower
May 23, 2025
Upper · Passed
Rules suspended & messaged to House forthwith, on motion of Senator Baruth
upper
May 23, 2025
Introduced
Read 3rd time & passed in concurrence with proposal of amendment
upper
May 23, 2025
Introduced
Proposal of amendment by Senator(s) Beck; text
upper
May 23, 2025
Introduced
Proposal of amendment not agreed to
upper
May 23, 2025
Introduced
Proposal of amendment by Senator(s) Vyhovsky; text
upper
May 23, 2025
Introduced
Proposal of amendment by Senator(s) Hardy, Bongartz, Baruth, and Ram Hinsdale agreed to
upper
May 23, 2025
Introduced
Proposal of amendment by Senator(s) Hardy, Bongartz, Baruth, and Ram Hinsdale; text
upper
May 22, 2025
Upper · Passed
Committee on Education relieved of further consideration of the bill on motion of Senator Baruth
upper
May 22, 2025
Upper · Passed
Committed to Committee on Education on motion of Senator Baruth
upper
May 22, 2025
Introduced
Favorable report with proposal of amendment by Committee on Appropriations
upper
May 22, 2025
Introduced
Favorable report with proposal of amendment by Committee on Finance
upper
May 22, 2025
Introduced
Favorable report with proposal of amendment by Committee on Education
upper
May 21, 2025
Introduced
Favorable report with proposal of amendment by Committee on Appropriations
upper
May 21, 2025
Introduced
Favorable report with proposal of amendment by Committee on Finance
upper
May 21, 2025
Introduced
Favorable report with proposal of amendment by Committee on Education
upper
May 20, 2025
Introduced
Favorable report with proposal of amendment by Committee on Appropriations
upper
May 20, 2025
Introduced
Favorable report with proposal of amendment by Committee on Finance
upper
May 20, 2025
Introduced
Favorable report with proposal of amendment by Committee on Education
upper
May 16, 2025
Committee
Referred to Committee on Appropriations per Senate Rule 31
upper
May 16, 2025
Introduced
Favorable report with proposal of amendment by Committee on Finance
upper
May 16, 2025
Introduced
Favorable report with proposal of amendment by Committee on Education
upper
May 6, 2025
Committee
Referred to Committee on Finance per Senate Rule 31
upper
May 6, 2025
Introduced
Favorable report with proposal of amendment by Committee on Education
upper
Apr 16, 2025
Committee
Referred to Committee on Education per Temporary Senate Rule 44A
upper
Apr 16, 2025
Introduced
Read 1st time
upper
Apr 11, 2025
Lower · Passed
Which was agreed to on a Roll Call Passed -- Needed 71 of 142 to Pass -- Yeas = 87, Nays = 55
lower
Apr 11, 2025
Lower · Passed
Passed
lower
Apr 11, 2025
Introduced
Rep. Donahue of Northfield moved to amend the bill
lower
Apr 11, 2025
Introduced
Rep. Wood of Waterbury, Kornheiser of Brattleboro, Bishop of Colchester, Cole of Hartford, Donahue of Northfield, Eastes of Guilford, Garofano of Essex, Maguire of Rutland City, McGill of Bridport, and Noyes of Wolcott moved to amend the bill, which was agreed to
lower
Apr 11, 2025
Introduced
Rep. Galfetti of Barre Town moved to amend the bill
lower
Apr 11, 2025
Introduced
Rep. Toof of St. Albans Town and Houghton of Essex Junction moved to amend the bill, which was agreed to
lower
Apr 11, 2025
Introduced
Rep. Greer of Bennington moved to amend the bill
lower
Apr 10, 2025
Lower · Passed
Report of Committee on Education, as amended, agreed to
lower
Apr 10, 2025
Lower · Passed
Report of the Committee on Education amended as recommended by the Committee on Ways and Means, as amended
lower
5 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Beth Quimby
RRepublican
P
Casey Toof
RRepublican
P
Chris Taylor
RRepublican
P
Josh Dobrovich
RRepublican
P
Pattie McCoy
RRepublican
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