H 246 requires all postsecondary schools in Vermont to designate a Student Liaison Officer to assist students experiencing homelessness and those exiting the foster care system with financial aid, housing, and academic resources. Schools must implement policies providing these students priority access to class enrollment, on-campus housing (with a half-time enrollment requirement), and housing during breaks. The bill also mandates fee waivers for registration and laboratory costs for eligible students. These requirements will take effect on July 1, 2025.
S 136 adds two faculty or staff trustees to the boards of trustees for both the Vermont State Colleges Corporation and the University of Vermont. This increases the Vermont State Colleges board from 15 to 17 members and the UVM board from 25 to 27 members. The new trustees will be elected by the faculty and staff of each institution, with the Vermont State Colleges board required to elect its new faculty/staff trustee by August 1, 2025. The bill aims to enhance representation from academic staff on these governing bodies.
This bill (S 92) allows retired Vermont teachers (Group A or C members) to work as interim school educators for up to one school year while continuing to receive their retirement allowance. To qualify, retirees must have received benefits for at least six months, and their school employer must pay required contributions to the retirement fund. The law requires school districts to certify they exhausted all options for hiring active teachers before hiring a retired educator. The provision expires on June 30, 2031, and does not allow multiple renewals for the same position. It directly affects retired teachers seeking temporary interim roles and their school employers.
This bill allows Vermont schools to maintain a stock supply of epinephrine auto-injectors (like EpiPens) for emergency use. It authorizes trained school staff, not just nurses, to administer the medication during severe allergic reactions - regardless of whether the individual has a personal prescription - following established protocols. Schools must develop written allergy management plans with parents, train staff on recognizing and responding to reactions, and adopt policies for allergen prevention and emergency procedures. The law provides legal immunity for staff administering epinephrine in good faith, and it takes effect July 1, 2025.
H 441 amends Vermont's school harassment law to remove the requirement that harassment must be "severe or pervasive" to be unlawful. It defines harassment as conduct based on protected characteristics (like race, gender identity, or disability) that objectively undermines a student's education or creates a hostile environment - even from a single incident. The law specifies that schools must consider all incidents together (not in isolation) and clarifies that factors like a student continuing school or not suffering physical injury no longer prevent harassment claims. This directly affects students experiencing harassment and school districts' policies for investigating and addressing such incidents.
This bill prohibits discharging a firearm within 500 feet of school property or an open child care facility. It defines "child care facility" to include centers regulated under Vermont law (like licensed providers or prekindergarten programs) and "school property" as land owned by a school. Violators face up to one year in jail or a $1,000 fine, but law enforcement officers acting in their official duties are exempt. The law directly affects anyone discharging a firearm near schools or child care centers during operating hours.
This bill (H 497) requires all approved independent schools and postsecondary schools in Vermont to comply with existing student freedom of expression rights for school-sponsored media, as defined in Vermont law. Specifically, it mandates that independent schools follow 16 V.S.A. § 1623 and postsecondary schools follow 16 V.S.A. § 180. The law ensures students can express views through school publications and media without censorship by school authorities. It directly affects students and school administrators at these institutions by requiring adherence to established media rights protections. The bill is currently in the Education Committee after its first reading on April 1, 2025.
This bill allows retired Vermont teachers (Group A or C members) who have received retirement benefits for at least six months to work as interim school educators for up to one year while continuing to receive their full retirement allowance. It requires school districts to confirm they exhausted all options for hiring active teachers before hiring a retired beneficiary. The provision, extending an existing 2022 law, expires on June 30, 2031. It applies specifically to interim educators in Vermont public schools who are already retired and receiving benefits.
This bill creates multiple financial and employment incentives for AmeriCorps members serving in Vermont. It requires state colleges to offer in-state tuition to AmeriCorps members, exempts them from state taxes on both the federal Segal AmeriCorps Education Award and their living allowance, and gives them hiring preference for state jobs. Additionally, it provides a Vermont state education award matching the federal Segal award for Vermont students who completed AmeriCorps service in-state and are enrolled at Vermont colleges. The bill also dedicates state funds to support AmeriCorps program development.
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.
