Rural school leaders urge Vermont committee to protect supervisory unions, resist one-size consolidation

Members of Vermont’s rural school community told the House Education Committee on March 26 that proposed, large‑scale consolidation measures in H.454 risk damaging local governance and student supports and urged lawmakers to expand a proposed subcommittee and base any recommendations on Vermont‑specific evidence.

The testimony came from Cheryl Charles, chair of the Westminster Town School Board and chair of the Windham Northeast Supervisory Union, Elaine Collins, superintendent of the North Country Supervisory Union, and Jamie Kanarme, superintendent of the White River Valley Supervisory Union, among others. The witnesses said they support creating a subcommittee of the Vermont Commission on the Future of Public Education but asked the committee to make that panel larger and to include local school board members and other rural voices.

“We also want to, urge you to be explicit in your support for the concept of supervisory unions in addition to supervisory districts,” Cheryl…