What is Act 46?
Vermont’s General Assembly passed Act 46 in 2015 in response to a substantial change in the State’s demographics and other related factors. The Legislature created three phases of voluntary school district merger and one, non-voluntary phase to be mandated by the State Board of Education and effective on July 1, 2019.
Many more districts chose to take advantage of the voluntary merger phases than were originally expected. Since 2014, a total of 157 districts in 146 towns came together to create 39 new unified districts, for a net reduction of 118 districts and at least 4 fewer supervisory unions.
Why is this proposed plan being issued?
This proposal is being issued in accordance with Section 10 of Act 46 of 2015, which states: “[i]n order to provide educational opportunities through sustainable governance structures” designed to meet the goals of Act 46, a proposed plan must be both published on the Agency of Education’s website and presented to the State Board of Education. The proposed plan must, to the extent necessary, possible, and practicable, move districts into the more sustainable, preferred model of governance identified by the Legislature.
Read the entire Frequently Asked Questions: Secretary's Proposed Plan under Act 46, Sec. 10.