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Draft adds "therapeutic approved independent school" definition; association asks for narrower wording
Summary
Draft legislation creates a defined category, "therapeutic approved independent school," and the Vermont Independent Schools Association requested the definition clarify it applies to publicly funded students.
The draft bill adds a new subsection defining a "therapeutic approved independent school" as an approved independent school that limits enrollment of Vermont-resident students to those on an Individualized Education Program (IEP), a Section 504 plan, enrolled under a written agreement with a local education agency, or placed by court order.
Oliver Olson, speaking on behalf of the Vermont Independent Schools Association, suggested changing the phrase "limits enrollment for students residing in Vermont" to "limits enrollment for publicly funded students residing in Vermont" to preserve the ability of therapeutic schools to enroll privately funded students who live out of state. The committee accepted the suggestion for consideration.
Members then discussed how independent and therapeutic schools should appear on the maps the boundaries subcommittee will produce. Committee staff proposed including the location and grades of "approved independent schools that are eligible to receive public tuition as of 07/01/2025" on the maps. Some members asked that mapping focus exclude therapeutic schools to avoid cluttering maps, and staff suggested a modifier to the mapping language to exclude therapeutic approved independent schools if the committee preferred.
The committee did not adopt final mapping language in the excerpted discussion; members agreed to refine definitions and mapping instructions so that historic attendance patterns and independent schools that receive public tuition are considered by the boundary-drawing process.
