Committee reviews class‑size minimums, waivers and enforcement in H.454 amendment

The Ways & Means committee continued a line‑by‑line walk through of a strike‑and‑call amendment to H.454 that would insert class‑size minimums into Vermont's education quality standards and spell out waivers and enforcement procedures, presenters said.

The proposal sets average class‑size minimums of 12 students for kindergarten, 15 for grades 1 through 4 and 18 for grades 5 through 12, excludes certain specialty courses and services from those minimums, and directs the State Board of Education to define waiver criteria for geographically isolated schools. The provisions would take effect July 1, 2026, where noted in the bill language.

The change is introduced as an amendment to the education quality standards statute (Title 16 —165). Committee staff member Beth said the bill adds a new subdivision for class‑size minimums and described how the averages would be applied. "I believe what is meant here is that the class size minimum is 12 students, but that can be averaged amongst all of the kindergarten grades," Beth said. Representative Kimball pressed on the drafting: "The term 'average…