[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6178668,"mediaKeyId","5212363-ae5191aec1adf1a2b41006ecdb065934","parentId",5212363,"title","Board reviews recent state education bills; district to study impacts of H.454","audioSeconds",61,"startMs",1435664,"endMs",1496925,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5212363-ae5191aec1adf1a2b41006ecdb065934&start=1435&end=1496","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5212363-ae5191aec1adf1a2b41006ecdb065934/thumbnail_1435664.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6178668/Vermont/Board-reviews-recent-state-education-bills-district-to-study-impacts-of-H454","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6178668-5deea8038ec1880ab7855a17e4d86105/orig.mp4?Expires=1770951816&Signature=Pxadkinc6XqjFrDN~kpz9YwFlnTNMUg30J0a2a3fdg9sgbz0TDtOhRWsjAk7toVUoLrOuY2uUBrBfz1-JqsEp7xlHf7HCILFYSQVGu9qf6DF7yiuGNm2~RxAQhT3iDiZVZPAmnxqWvBz2SIUYGe7GmtfIrq7ibGPwkRZFwojp2W3tq45oVXU5KLd3520ZuJO6pgTa-xJrGxEQ-PqUKw22aMCXYIaEjKOGU20VYsTgqWX85krpr9YuLuvcxGwBSl0D3TwFAsfyqyqRUyxcCvJg98vtQheIv015PzYicNs3p~KIPIoalfBWaSo4X0MH4UwHqHS2NuEIdPTAJYis9cGbg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Colchester School ","date","2025-06-17T00:00:00Z","article","District staff briefed the Colchester School District Board on several bills recently passed by the Vermont Legislature and said the district will study their local impacts in the coming months.

Staff reported that H.454 passed on Monday and contains multiple components that still need implementation guidance; the district will present a deeper analysis in the fall and over the next school year. Staff also noted H.209 passed; it permits certified school nurses to administer nasal epinephrine to prevent allergic reactions, and Colchester’s nurses support that change.

A miscellaneous education bill, cited as H.480 in the meeting record, passed with several items relevant to district operations: it includes an allowance for student access to virtual learning, a $10,000 BOCES grant per region (one application per region), and a directive asking the Agency of Education to redefine personal learning plans (PLPs) for grades 7–12. Staff said one provision asks the Agency of Education to develop a model cell-phone policy for school districts, with the agency due to produce that model by Jan. 26 for consideration in the 2026–27 school year.

Staff told the board that because many components of H.454 require follow-up work, the district will provide a more formal report on H.454 in the coming weeks and include deeper discussion on how the legislation affects budgeting and district operations during next year’s meetings.

Board members asked clarifying questions about timing for retreats and future reports; staff said the district will return with specific policy and budget implications in the fall.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Colchester School Board 2025-06-17","oneSentenceSummary","Board staff summarized recently passed state legislation—H.454, H.209 and a miscellaneous education bill (H.480)—and said more analysis of H.454’s components will be provided in the fall; the Agency of Education must produce a model cell-phone policy by Jan. 26 for the 2026–27 school year.","taxTitle","Colchester School District, School Districts, Vermont","taxId",67872,"location","Vermont","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6178672,"Board ratifies two-year contract with Colchester Education Association; eliminates cash-in-lieu benefit",647,498815,1146770,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5212363-ae5191aec1adf1a2b41006ecdb065934&start=498&end=1146","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5212363-ae5191aec1adf1a2b41006ecdb065934/thumbnail_498815.jpg","/articles/6178672/Vermont/Board-ratifies-two-year-contract-with-Colchester-Education-Association-eliminates-cash-in-lieu-benefit","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6178672-13f9eb649d3928fc11e73c0b78e7f196/orig.mp4?Expires=1770951816&Signature=GVQa6VckWos0wNXtvCrHzB1Og~NbKtSxf9N9H1oWUARBaJLwjSIGPHUDOAWWG~dW~oIR3wk~IrpOuOG6RA4abVGTUTPHJUTUgsxFa91v4xURvYkfNCbhku4G-jokzlA3UV2LFM7EqV~ZH~1zg51BjuQSKXGmo6zmgwclAs9rfSJ0djrS6h60uRqFb0cpjWBBOQBWx0Mk~NNmIGF9FglXrfRsXXu34-35fmhlW4aXierw5RYEe4WU~JYkQbAJsFq0TBrvelB0PxGNHvbPOadOD4oXikmdh0cqgFb35UL6luN-uGH72fCWEi~xvNp6JhMlpvxl04gW-E7g7W~PZp5X1Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Colchester School District Board ratified a two-year contract agreement with the Colchester Education Association, the district’s licensed professional bargaining unit. The agreement was ratified by the bargaining unit on June 16 and was approved by the board on June 17.

District negotiators described the process as collaborative and focused on two main objectives: attracting and retaining educators and balancing financial impacts on taxpayers. Negotiators said they used a more direct interpersonal negotiation approach rather than relying primarily on legal counsel and formed working groups to address highly technical issues that required subject-matter expertise.

Key changes described by district staff include clarifications around working conditions to better define how educators and administrators collaborate on time and duties; elimination of the cash-in-lieu of health insurance benefit in this contract (part of a multiyear district effort to remove that provision); and negotiated salary increases the district summarized as 5.25% in year one and 5.15% in year two. Staff said those increases align with the board’s FY26 budget projections.

Ben, a staff member, told the board the district had been operating under a three-year contract that concluded June 30 and that negotiators decided to pursue a two-year agreement because of ongoing legislative uncertainty at the state level. Staff said the contract includes a mechanism to convene superintendent-led working groups when technical expertise is needed to resolve complex implementation issues rather than resolving them at the bargaining table.

The transcript records a board motion to approve the contract and a voice vote of approval. The meeting record also shows one board member stated they would abstain from voting because of a conflict of interest; the transcript does not tie that abstention to a named individual in a way suitable for direct attribution.

The board noted the bargaining unit ratified the agreement the previous day, and staff said implementation steps will follow after the board’s ratification.","The board ratified a two-year contract with the Colchester Education Association, including salary increases of 5.25% in year one and 5.15% in year two, elimination of cash-in-lieu of health insurance, and negotiated working-condition clarifications; the bargaining unit ratified the agreement the previous day.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6178677,"Board adopts reorganization of CSD policy manual; no policy content changes",114,339095,453910,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5212363-ae5191aec1adf1a2b41006ecdb065934&start=339&end=453","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5212363-ae5191aec1adf1a2b41006ecdb065934/thumbnail_339095.jpg","/articles/6178677/Vermont/Board-adopts-reorganization-of-CSD-policy-manual-no-policy-content-changes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6178677-d4106a86f95e2dbc3c208c4f0cac9a4c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770951816&Signature=O3ZiZ4tWOoPgbsCPG~Wd4CHyGAfGB4eF~IdjIhipEWJXUvtte9gd8pEP3pcqE~ubetWaPkQvknEZxL14R1RNPzU3EAFp-16apG8fOfVuoW0pD1S8ad7OJ7xLgAgDum7vdrKeWYIr6JqYIe7J1OuSs2YID18nlmYLJSEygrxEI1joTOceGbTQJX7hkgUR2tEfxw-tqK-RJ9AbcqppB8FXiIDfBJPbgekujNVm~yBfKm1bPx1b7gSKM5cBjjFW8j7SvOxGUt0k3quaHexcPVuIVz2h-PMCOgHvalYPhVpwttBowDU84cmUXVY2ArKKHrBFsaKblQeHxDfpNzM35~Y9ZQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Colchester School District Board approved a second and final reading to reorganize and renumber the district’s policy manual, a change intended to make policies easier for students, families and community members to find.

District staff said the reorganization groups policies by theme rather than by the historical, incremental numbering used when policies were first added. Megan and staff presented the reorganization at a prior meeting and told the board no substantive policy changes were made in the reordering.

Staff warned that for about a year there will be parallel numbering on the website so printed policies with the old numbers remain locatable; the district intends to keep the basic manual structure where possible and to preserve numbering for many policies that remain in the same place. The board voted to approve the reorganization as a second and final reading.

The reorganization is administrative and aims to improve access to existing policies; staff said the work to implement the new numbering will take place over the summer.","The Colchester School District board approved the second and final reading to renumber and reorganize the district policy manual to improve accessibility; staff said the reorganization does not change policy substance and a parallel numbering will appear on the website temporarily.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":92,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6178682,"Board approves prequalified general-contractor list for PPS project",300,39095,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5212363-ae5191aec1adf1a2b41006ecdb065934&start=39&end=339","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5212363-ae5191aec1adf1a2b41006ecdb065934/thumbnail_39095.jpg","/articles/6178682/Vermont/Board-approves-prequalified-general-contractor-list-for-PPS-project","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6178682-7ef001dd90629cf255053023cd0fc5e1/orig.mp4?Expires=1770951816&Signature=h6FwJBnwlWI4FByiNdqdwTmbpHoP9iPFmzMveL18baEv-Gw77kKhVUYiJKlQQcotDDt8pBvc81gynlXT8v23-YPzRNC-xnW~VetO3xR9wD6taErXKsFa~Vnr3~Nre64liUqYCnKPk7dwuDDXEdx~~fLvbvJ-d7DY3-Mk0lfGq7hUkqknIF50FswNymYl-UMA6kRrL-1y~iHFHHy2-dYJVWbygtmu03rqhLHEBkKYcSl5pN49ZAwqHUM~OLZGO3SZYj-NbfSjL0NKtvDgCV-Or8ykQdli2krwFbw0U3sEKkILqKK-spHnrk7pjEwVxg1pBdwhwvLmY-sp3zcuDKPy9w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Colchester School District Board approved a prequalified list of five general contractors who will be allowed to submit bids for the PPS portion of the district facilities project.

The board said the list reflects firms that met the district’s published prequalification criteria and that the firms are financially sound and have documented local experience. Board members emphasized this vote simply accepts the prequalification list and does not evaluate bids themselves.

George, a staff member, said the district published a set of qualifications and invited firms to express interest; four firms responded quickly and a fifth was added more recently. He told the board the district had checked references and done site visits to assess firms’ past work. “References…were just glowing,” he said. He also said one firm’s headquarters is out of state but that the firm has performed local projects.

Board members asked whether anyone had been denied prequalification and how the district would handle budget information. George said no applicants had been rejected and that the district will share detailed plans with prequalified contractors but will not share the district’s internal cost estimate; the board will provide a high-level dollar amount related to the bond.

A motion to approve “the list of general contractors identified through the prequalification process and allow them to submit bids for the PPS project” was made and approved by voice vote. The motion text appears in the meeting record; the transcript shows everyone present responding “Aye.”

District staff said the prequalification list will be used for the current PPS bidding process and could be used for future bids; the board also approved the underlying qualification standards for both general-contract and unionized bids. Staff noted the bidders will spend the summer preparing bids and will work with district staff on scope documents before presenting bids in the fall.

The board did not discuss or award any construction contracts at the meeting; bid evaluation and contract awards will come later in the procurement process when bids are opened and reviewed.

Details: five prequalified firms; plans shared with bidders; internal cost estimate not shared; bidding focused on the PPS portion and funded from a portion of the district bond.","The Colchester School District board approved a list of five prequalified general contractors who may submit bids for the PPS portion of the facilities bond project; the board will share plans but not internal cost estimates with bidders.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board reviews recent state education bills; district to study impacts of H.454

Board ratifies two-year contract with Colchester Education Association; eliminates cash-in-lieu benefit

Board adopts reorganization of CSD policy manual; no policy content changes

Board approves prequalified general-contractor list for PPS project