As the legislative session winds down, the future of Vermont’s education reform bill, H.454, remains uncertain. The House and Senate have passed differing versions of the bill, each proposing sweeping changes to school district governance, class size standards, and statewide planning.
Behind the policy debate lies a broader question that lawmakers have not directly answered: As Vermont prepares to consolidate its public school system and increase state oversight, has the cost of delivering education simply kept pace with inflation and need—or has it fundamentally changed due to a broader redefinition of what schools are expected to provide?
What’s in H.454?
Both versions of H.454 propose the creation of new, larger school districts across the state, replacing Vermont’s 119 existing districts with regionalized governance structures by July 1, 2029. Under both versions:
- A School District Redistricting Task Force will be formed to recommend new boundaries.
- Class size minimums will be enforced, with specific targets by grade level (e.g., 15–18 students per classroom).
- Transitional school boards will form as early as 2027, with new voting wards created to ensure proportional representation on future boards.
- Schools that consistently fall below the new class size minimums may face state-directed interventions, unless granted a waiver for geographic isolation.
The Senate version also allocates $3.5 million from the General Fund in FY2026 to support the changes, including $2.6 million for consultants and $562,500 for new Agency of Education positions.
Cost Trajectory: 100 Years of Growth
According to historical data from the National Center for Education Statistics, the inflation-adjusted cost to educate a single student has increased more than tenfold in the past century:
| Year | Per-Pupil Spending (2022 dollars) |
|---|---|
| 1920 | $800 |
| 1950 | $1,200 |
| 1970 | $5,000 |
| 1990 | $9,000 |
| 2020 | $18,000 |
| 2025 | $23,000+ (estimated in Vermont) |
At the same time, Vermont’s public school enrollment has declined significantly—from over 110,000 students in the 1980s to approximately 84,000 today.
Then and Now: A Changing Role for Schools
While education costs have grown, so too has the mission of public schooling.
In 1950, the typical school day focused on:
- Reading, writing, and arithmetic.
- Civics, history, and basic science.
- Physical education and occasional vocational training.
- Extracurriculars often supported by local fundraising.
By 2025, the list of school responsibilities has expanded dramatically:
- Free meals for breakfast, lunch, and sometimes dinner.
- In-school dental screenings, hearing tests, and nursing services.
- Mental health counseling and behavioral intervention plans.
- Digital citizenship education and one-to-one device programs.
- Social-emotional learning, DEI initiatives, and environmental literacy.
- Workforce training, internships, and proficiency-based graduation requirements.
- Compliance and reporting related to special education, equity, safety, and staffing.
This shift reflects changes in societal expectations, federal mandates, and local needs. But it also blurs the line between education and social services, raising the question of whether today’s schools are being asked to do too much—and whether all of these responsibilities are best handled within the school system itself.
Administrative Growth
One major driver of costs has been staffing—not just in the classroom, but outside of it.
- Nationwide, non-teaching staff per student has grown by over 700% since 1950.
- Vermont has followed a similar pattern, adding layers of administrative roles, compliance officers, and specialists—even as student numbers have declined.
Both versions of H.454 add new administrative layers:
- Transitional school boards,
- Voting ward mapping task forces,
- New positions at the Agency of Education to manage data systems, curriculum alignment, and consolidation logistics.
The Senate proposal specifically creates five new full-time state-level positions and allows for millions in contracted services.
Small Schools and Class Size Standards
The bill includes specific class size minimums that some fear will force rural schools into consolidation:
| Grade Range | Minimum Avg. Class Size |
|---|---|
| K–1 | 10–12 students |
| Grades 2–5 | 12–15 students |
| Grades 6–8 | 15–18 students |
| Grades 9–12 | 18 students |
Schools that fail to meet these minimums for two to three consecutive years may be subject to state-mandated restructuring or closure. Both versions include limited waivers for schools in geographically isolated areas, but otherwise require compliance.
At the same time, the bill prohibits closing a school and then tuitioning students out to independent or other public schools, unless under specific designations approved by the State Board of Education.
What Happens Next?
It’s not yet clear whether the House or Senate version of H.454 will prevail—or whether either version will survive executive scrutiny. Governor Phil Scott has previously raised concerns about education spending and may be reluctant to sign a bill that increases overhead without guarantees of academic improvement.
If passed in its current form, the bill would represent one of the most significant overhauls of Vermont’s public education system in decades, reshaping how schools are governed, how boards are elected, and how communities are represented.
But it would also serve as a marker of something deeper: a recognition that public schools have become responsible for far more than instruction alone—and that these additional responsibilities carry real, lasting costs.
Dave Soulia | FYIVT
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