School staffing plan adjusts ratios with new college readiness instructors

The House Ways and Means Committee convened on February 20, 2025, to discuss key educational staffing metrics and budget implications for Vermont schools. The meeting focused on the prototypical high school model, which now accommodates 600 students, as established by the PI CAS and APA model.

The committee highlighted that the model assumes class sizes of 25 students across all grade levels, resulting in a student-to-staff ratio of approximately 11 to 1. This change reflects the addition of college and career readiness instructors, with two now included in the staffing calculations.

Furthermore, the committee noted an increase in mental health professionals, raising the total to 4.8 full-time equivalents (FTEs) for the school. Despite these adjustments, the unit cost for staffing remains consistent across all school levels, maintaining a figure of $8,865 in staffing costs per pupil for the 600-student high school.

The discussion also pointed out that resources per pupil have increased due to the introduction of flexible pathways, which were previously identified as lacking in the educational framework.

In summary, the meeting underscored significant changes in staffing and resource allocation aimed at enhancing educational outcomes in Vermont high schools, with a clear focus on supporting student needs through increased mental health resources and career readiness initiatives.