Vermont's S.259 allows the classroom portion of driver education to be completed through approved online courses. It directly affects Vermont students aged 15+ enrolled in public or independent high schools. The bill requires online courses to meet specific standards: using rotating exams, verifying student identity, tracking study time, ensuring data security, and providing technical support. Courses must align with the state's Novice Teen Driver Education standards and will be approved by the Agency of Education and DMV. The law takes effect July 1, 2026.
S.265 requires Vermont school counselors to spend at least 80% of their time providing direct or indirect student services, such as academic, career, or social-emotional counseling, rather than administrative tasks. The bill defines "direct services" as face-to-face or virtual counseling with students and "indirect services" as counselor actions on behalf of students, while limiting "school support services" (like substitute teaching or testing coordination) to no more than 20% of their time. It applies to licensed school counselors or those with a master’s degree in counseling, as defined in the bill. The requirement takes effect July 1, 2026, aligning with the ASCA National Model recommendations.
H.835 requires Vermont school districts to immediately enroll homeless students and provide transportation assistance to their school of origin if parents or guardians relocate to a different district. Each district must also designate a homeless education liaison to help with enrollment, transportation, and support services. The bill creates the Educational Stability Grant Program, providing state funding to schools for academic and social-emotional services aimed at improving attendance, graduation rates, and reducing disciplinary incidents for highly mobile students. These changes directly affect homeless students, school districts, and public education providers.
This bill requires Vermont school districts to adopt a mental health and substance misuse literacy curriculum for students, covering topics like mental health connections to physical well-being, warning signs, available resources, and how to seek help. It also establishes a four-year state-funded pilot program for peer-to-peer mental health support in schools, where trained student volunteers provide support under professional oversight, with priority given to schools in high-suicide areas or those including suicide prevention. School staff involved in the program must complete specific training on empathetic listening, recognizing risk factors, and connecting students to professional services. The bill affects all Vermont public and approved independent schools, with implementation beginning July 2026 and a final evaluation report due by 2030.
H.794 creates new tax rates for higher earners and modifies property taxes to fund school construction. It imposes a 2% surcharge on individual income above $250,000 and a 6% surcharge above $500,000, plus a wealth proceeds tax on individuals (with taxable income over $200,000 single/$250,000 married) and estates/trusts (over $15,200). It also doubles property tax rates for nonhomestead residential properties compared to homesteads. All new revenues will flow into the newly created School Construction Aid Special Fund.
H.799 creates the Free Degree Promise Program to provide tuition-free associate's degrees at Vermont's Community College of Vermont (CCV) for eligible high school graduates. It directly affects Vermont students who complete CCV's Early College program (earning 20+ credits) and submit financial aid applications. The program covers tuition/fees after other aid, provides stipends for books and transportation, and includes career advising. Funding comes annually from the Vermont Education Endowment Trust Fund (5% of assets), with the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation designated as a recipient. This codifies an existing initiative to reduce student debt and expand access to postsecondary education.
This bill adjusts Vermont's special education funding to keep pace with inflation. It requires the state to calculate annual funding for each supervisory union (school district group) using a base amount adjusted each year by the official inflation rate for government spending. Starting in fiscal year 2027, funding will be determined by multiplying this inflation-adjusted base amount by the union's long-term student enrollment average. The change ensures special education funding maintains its real value over time, directly affecting all Vermont school districts providing federally mandated special education services.
This bill requires Vermont school districts to pay full tuition to the state-maintained virtual learning provider for any student enrolled full-time in virtual education, upon request by a parent or legal guardian. It directly affects families seeking virtual learning options, regardless of whether virtual education is included in the student's personalized learning plan. The key provision amends school funding laws (16 V.S.A. §§821 and 822) to mandate this tuition payment for both elementary and high school students. The virtual learning provider is overseen by the Agency of Education under 16 V.S.A. §948. The law takes effect July 1, 2026.
This bill requires Vermont's Agency of Education to create guidance and training for schools to distinguish between protected political speech and unlawful harassment targeting protected groups. It adds new members to the Harassment, Hazing, and Bullying Prevention Advisory Council and mandates a new freedom of expression curriculum for public K-12 schools. The curriculum will teach students age-appropriate basics about First Amendment protections under both federal and Vermont constitutions. The bill directly affects Vermont public schools, students, educators, and school districts by setting standards for handling political expression and harassment claims. It aims to ensure schools remain safe while preventing censorship of lawful political discourse, particularly regarding issues like Palestinian human rights advocacy.
S.271 requires Vermont's Agency of Education to create guidance and training for school districts to distinguish between protected political expression (like advocacy for Palestinian rights) and unlawful harassment targeting protected groups. It also expands the Harassment, Hazing, and Bullying Prevention Advisory Council with new member categories and mandates the development of a First Amendment curriculum for public K-12 schools, teaching age-appropriate constitutional protections under both the U.S. Constitution and Vermont's Chapter I, Article 13. The bill directly affects Vermont public schools, staff, and students by setting new standards for handling speech-related incidents and integrating free expression education into curricula. Key provisions include requiring schools to use context-based evaluations of speech (e.g., differentiating targeted harassment from political critique) and ensuring training avoids chilling student expression. The bill aims to align school policies with constitutional standards while addressing concerns about vague antisemitism definitions suppressing lawful discourse.
