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LAWS & REGULATIONS:
SCHOOL CHOICE IN VERMONT: ACT 150 & OTHER LAWS
(Updated 4/9/08)

   

Act 150 is designed to foster choice for public high school students in grades 9-12. Each school must join with at least one other school to form a choice region. Schools are allowed to limit the number of students who may transfer out in a given year (five percent or 10 students, whichever is smaller), but they may set higher limits. Schools are required to determine their capacity to receive students, but there are no specific numerical or percentage figures. If more students want to transfer out of, or into, a school than there are places available, nondiscriminatory lotteries are to be used. The law provides no funding for transportation, and, unless regions agree otherwise, no tuition changes hands.

In addition, other laws provide school choice options in Vermont, the most common of which are those allowing that tuition be paid by towns of residence if they do not have schools at certain grade levels and if they are not part of supervisory unions.

   
ACT 150: SCHOOL CHOICE RESOURCES
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  2008 Report on Act 150 of 2000: An Act Relating to Public School Choice in Grades 9-12Clicking this link will open a PDF document
This document provides information on how schools have implemented Act 150, Public High School Choice, and the extent to which students have participated, focusing chiefly on the current school year, 2007-2008, and providing comparative participation data for earlier years. The report supplements the quantitative information about students who sought to take part in school choice during the first five years of the law's implementation.
   
 
   
  Summary of Act 150: Public High School Choice in Vermont (February 2008)Clicking this link will open a PDF document. Adobe Reader is required. To download a FREE version of Adobe Reader, click on the yellow Get Acrobat Reader icon toward the bottom of page.
This document highlights the requirements of schools and supervisory unions/districts under the Act.
   
  Complete Text of Act 150 of 2000Clicking this link will open a new browser window and take you off the department's Web site.
Use this link to view the complete text of Act 150 of 2000 on the Vermont Legislature's Web site.
NOTE: In the 2006 session, the legislature repealed the July 2007 sunset provision. Unless further action is taken, therefore, Act 150 will remain in effect indefinitely.
   
   
OTHER LAWS & RESOURCES (Updated 4/9/08)
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  Summary of School Choice Options in Vermont (November 2007)Clicking this link will open a PDF document. Adobe Reader is required. To download a FREE version of Adobe Reader, click on the yellow Get Acrobat Reader icon toward the bottom of page. (Added 4/9/08)
In addition to Act 150, other laws provide school choice options in Vermont, the most common of which are those allowing that tuition be paid by towns of residence if they do not have schools at certain grade levels and if they are not part of supervisory unions.
   
  Public School Choice in Vermont - A Report to the Vermont General Assembly by the Vermont State Board of Education (January 19, 1999)Clicking this link will open a PDF document. Adobe Reader is required. To download a FREE version of Adobe Reader, click on the yellow Get Acrobat Reader icon toward the bottom of page.
To support its intent to institute a statewide program of public school choice in grades 9-12 by the year 2000-2001, the General Assembly asked the State Board of Education to work with interested groups and individuals to produce implementation plans for consideration by future legislatures and policy makers. Legislators acknowledged a number of "complexities" to be addressed, and stated a number of "policies" to be considered.
   
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ACT 150 & OTHER SCHOOL CHOICE OPTIONS . . .
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  For more information or for questions about the report or about school choice options in Vermont, contact Peter Thoms, Policy Analyst, at (802) 828-5104 or peter.thoms@state.vt.us.
   
   

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