We read with interest that citizens in North Country, Rutland, the Capital area, Barre, the Mad River Valley, and Windsor county have taken it upon themselves to discuss various forms of redistricting and sharing of administrative services. They anticipate, perhaps, that change is coming, and they want to get out in front of it. Their…

Here is the charge to the Redistricting Task Force from Act 73. Is it humanly possible to concoct a plan that meets all these criteria? Three optionsIn consultation with the Commission on the Future of Public Education, the Task Force shall study and consider different configurations for school district consolidation and propose not more than…

The Redistricting Task Force created by Act 73 met in Waterbury on the morning of August 1. Here is a summary of the meeting. 08:30 Elected Sen. Martine Gulick and Rep. Edye Graning as co-chairs.Members introduced themselves. 08:45 Legislative Counsel reviewed Act 73 and the charge of the task force. 09:10 Members articulated their goals:…

I have just finished reading the 154-page education reform bill as it emerged from the conference committee on Friday afternoon. In style, it combines the stream-of-consciousness of James Joyce with the non-sequiturs of Lewis Carroll. But not as much fun to read. It doesn’t do much to improve education. Instead it: Eight new boards and…

Many organizations are involved in the operation, governance, and funding of Vermont public schools today. Hundreds of them. We enjoy: That’s 517 entities, one for every 162 students. Most of these entities elect a board, and most overlap in their responsibilities. No where else in the world are so many entities needed to provide public…

In the days before Vermont provided public high schools, some of our communities set up “Academies” or “Seminaries” that educated students beyond the elementary grades. Often established by religious or charitable or philanthropic groups, the early 1800s witnessed academies  in Newbury, St. Johnsbury, Manchester, Fairfax, St. Albans. Thetford, McIndoes Falls, Corinth, Bradford, and elsewhere. They…

We have good schools in Vermont, but they cost a lot. Our schools are close to their communities, they produce solid results, and they’re good places for our children to be. But they cost more per student than most other schools in the United States and in the world.  From the research posted here on…

The amount we spend per student varies widely among Vermont schools, from a low of $12,000 at the Halifax Elementary school, to $30,000 at the Westminster Elementary School. At the high school level, spending ranges from $12,275 at Lamoille North to $27,412 at Randolph. (These data are sourced from the Announced Tuitions for 2026 published…

Vermont’s first Education Fund was established in 1825 with money from the statewide wealth tax. The funds collected were distributed to the towns for the support of schools, and to pay for the new State Board of Education. The Fund has been in and out and up and down over the years, and remains with…

Our map and table of how Vermont students actually follow their educational paths from kindergarten through grade 12 is now complete. They show that our schools have organized themselves into 50 K-12 clusters, or webs, of elementary, middle and high schools, based on geography and community settlement patterns. (But not always along town or county…