March 26, 2026
Agenda:
• Welcome
• Discussion of education proposal through a rural lens
Sen. Seth Bongartz - Senate Education, Chair
Rep. Peter Conlon - House Education, Chair
Minutes:
Welcome
Discussion of education proposal through a rural lens
Rep. Peter Conlon - House Education, Chair
Rep. Conlon mentioned that the House education bill, H.454, has shared goals with the administration of addressing demographic shifts, building scale to address costs and opportunities for students, and providing Vermont’s children with a top notch education while reducing disparities. H.454 is a strike all amendment to the Governor’s bill with the main differences being class size minimums and the development and size of districts. Class size minimums can provide impactful benefits and difficulties. It can be easier on teachers and students to learn in larger groups, however the bill looks at smaller class size minimums than the Governor’s recommendation. Rep. Conlon mentioned that size and scale of districts can impact quality of education. The bill directs stakeholders who truly understand the Vermont school system to draw and propose district lines. This is also something they feel should not be done quickly to reduce unintended consequences. Rep. Conlon emphasized that doing this work requires time, expertise, and resources - and then the difficult decisions will be put forth to the Legislature. Aspects of school construction will be included in this bill, but it will be mostly addressed in a separate bill as this is a large need across the state.
Questions/Discussion
What if the student population starts to grow after closing schools?
House Education did not deeply look into this, however birth rates alone show that there is no indication that we will be growing our population.
Did the committee discuss a student/teacher ratio rather than a class size minimum?
The challenge of a student/teacher ratio is defining what is a teacher and who counts (ie student teacher, paraeducator).
Does the committee have plans to address school size?
There is not language within the bill that discusses school size minimums, especially with no current school construction program/funding. If class size minimums cannot be met, the school will not be shut down. There aims to be a procedure for the school to work with the Agency of Education (AOE).
General Discussion
Rep. Chapin asked if there would be interest in a future conversation on the future and transition of school buildings for community purposes.
Rep. Brady mentioned that there is AOE data on the status of school buildings.
Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) to be a future resource to continue this discussion.
