This bill sets specific property tax rates and funding levels for Vermont's 2027 fiscal year, including a nonhomestead property tax rate of $1.698 per $100 of value and specific dollar yields for homestead and income calculations. It also reserves $52.45 million in the Education Fund to help offset potential property tax rate increases in 2028, while correcting a definition related to statewide education tax calculations. The legislation refunds $150,576 to the City of Barre for overpaid education taxes from 2021-2024 and adjusts special education funding grants for inflation starting in 2027. Additionally, it updates how special education census grants are calculated to account for inflation over time.
S.233 allocates $250,000 to establish a two-year pilot program providing neutral advocates for families of K-12 students with disabilities during Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings. The program will award grants to school districts, parent child centers, and nonprofits to train advocates and offer parent education, aiming to improve school-family collaboration and prevent costly disputes. It requires grantees to provide in-person IEP meeting support and develop strategies for early issue resolution. The Agency of Human Services must report on the pilot's effectiveness by November 2027.
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 counselors to spend at least 80% of their time providing direct or indirect student services, such as academic/career counseling or social-emotional support, rather than administrative or non-counseling tasks. It directly affects all licensed or master’s-degree-holding school counselors in Vermont public schools, as defined by the bill. The law mandates that counselors dedicate no more than 20% of their time to "school support services" like substitute teaching or coordinating special education plans, which the bill cites as common distractions. This aligns with the American School Counselors Association’s recommendation to prioritize student-facing work, based on findings that 39% of counselors reported being overwhelmed by inappropriate duties. The requirement takes effect July 1, 2026.
This Vermont bill (H 568) requires school districts to provide comparable special education services within 30 days for military-connected students transferring due to relocation, including transferring records and evaluations. It also allows children of active-duty military members to stay in their "school of origin" (previous school) through the end of the school year - or an extra year for 11th graders - during a parent's military reassignment outside the district. The bill applies to all Vermont school districts enrolling military-connected students and eliminates immediate residency proof requirements for remote enrollment. It takes effect July 1, 2026.
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.
H.148 requires Vermont's Secretary of Education to develop a proposal for transitioning the state to a single statewide school district by fiscal year 2028, modeled after Hawaii's system. The bill cites Vermont's unusually small school districts (averaging 315 students each, compared to the national average of 3,382) and aims to reduce administrative costs while improving educational equity for Vermont's declining student population. The Secretary must consider Hawaii's experience with this model, including impacts on special education funding, and submit a detailed plan with a timeline to the legislature by January 2026. This proposal would address Vermont's complex local school governance and funding system, which currently ties district tax rates to per-pupil spending. The bill does not implement the transition but mandates the planning process to begin.
