Guidance

• Commonly Confused Terms & Clarifications
• Operation of Schools and Payment of Tuition
• Small Schools
• Exploratory and Study Committee Grants
• Merger 101 – Creating a Union School District
• Membership on a Merged Board of School Directors
• Closing Schools After Merger
• Withdrawal from / Dissolution of / Addition to a Union School District
• Understanding Your District

Commonly Confused Terms & Clarifications

• School, School District, Union School District, Supervisory Union, etc.
• ADM vs Enrollment
• Clarification of Act 46 Size Requirements
• Roles & Responsibilities in Vermont School Systems

Operation of Schools and Payment of Tuition

• In General
  • Operation of Schools and Tuition Payment
  • Memo to State Board: Overview: Issues Regarding School Operation and Tuition Payment
  • Memo to State Board: Analysis: Multi-town district providing different opportunities based on town of residence (including analysis under the Common Benefits Clause)
• Designation 
• Independent Schools
  • Independent Schools – Definitions and Distinctions; Designation
  • Elementary Schools; Town Academies

Small Schools

Small School Support Grants & Merger Support Grants

Exploratory and Study Committee Grants

• Study Grants – Instructions
• Study Grants – Application
• Study Grants – Generic Scope of Work
• Study Grants – Enabling Legislation
• Multiple Grants / Multiple Studies

Merger 101 – Creating a Union School District

All voluntary mergers contemplated by Act 46 (2015) and the incorporated Act 153 (2010) and Act 156 (2012) are formed pursuant to the decades-old statutory process for the creation of union school districts found in 16 VSA chapter 11. Links to some individual statutes are included below under pertinent headings. All statutory sections in chapter 11 can be found at:  Process to create union school districts - 16 V.S.A. §§ 701-724

Study Committees

• Statutes
  • 16 VSA § 706 - Proposal to Form Study Committee
  • 16 VSA § 706a - Approval of Study Budget; Appointment of Study Committee 
  • 16 VSA § 706b - Study Committee; Contents of Study Committee Report & Articles of Agreement 
• Frequently Asked Questions
  • § 706b Study Committees; Necessary & Advisable Districts
  • Study Committee / School Board Relationship

Report and Articles of Agreement

16 VSA § 706b - Study Committee; Contents of Study Committee Report & Articles of Agreement

Review by Secretary and State Board of Education

• 16 VSA § 706c - Review by Local School Boards & Approval by State Board of Ed
• State Board of Education’s Guidance re: Phase 2 and 3 Mergers

Vote of the Electorate

• Reconsideration (Re-Vote) of Merger Vote
• 16 VSA § 706d - Vote to Establish Union School District
• 16 VSA § 706f - Contents of Warning on Vote to Establish a Union

Organization Meeting 

• 16 VSA § 706g - Designation of Districts as Union School District
• 16 VSA § 706i - Organization Meeting; Notice
• 16 VSA § 706j - Organization Meeting; Business Transacted

Membership on a Merged Board of School Directors

• Board Membership: Proportionality & Nominating/Voting Process
• Table Comparing Common Models
• 16 VSA § 706e - Election of Initial Directors
• 16 VSA § 706k - Election of District Officers
• 16 VSA § 707 - Union School District Boards; Quorum & Voting
• See also 16 VSA § 706b(b)(9)

Closing Schools After Merger

Closing of a School After a Merger

Withdrawal from / Dissolution of / Addition to a Union School District

• Guidance:  Withdrawal from an Existing Union (HS or Elementary) School District
• 16 VSA § 721a - Withdrawal from / Dissolution of a Union (HS or Elementary) School District
• 16 VSA § 724 - Withdrawal from / Dissolution of a Unified Union (PK-12) School District
• 16 VSA § 721 - Inclusion of Additional Districts

Understanding Your District

• District Data Profile, a fiscal snapshot of each school district in Vermont
• Cost Containment Per Pupil Threshold Amounts for FY17

Baseline Data and Financial Data Sets

• Data Sets – by Town
• Data Sets – by District
• Data Sets – Town by District Membership

Student Assessments

• Interactive ELA and Math Assessment Results
  Please note that these reports render best on computers with Internet Explorer on Windows or Safari on Macs. If you use Firefox or Chrome, the report will not render well.
• 2016 English Language Arts and Math State and School-Level Data (Smarter Balanced)
• 2015 English Language Arts and Math State and School-Level Data (Smarter Balanced)
• 2015 Science State and School-Level Data (NECAP)
• 2014 Science State and School-Level Data (NECAP)

Elementary Schools: Subjects and Hours

Worksheet on Programs Offered by FTE and Minutes Per Week

Secondary School Completion

• Interactive School Data Report
  Please note that these reports render best on computers with Internet Explorer on Windows or Safari on Macs. If you use Firefox or Chrome, the report will not render well.

Questions?

Email Donna Russo-Savage  or Act 46 Info or call (802) 828-0110.