Superintendents back class-size minimums and school-size planning to expand student opportunities

Representatives of the Vermont Superintendents Association told the Senate Adaptation Committee that setting class-size minimums, tied to school-size planning, would increase opportunities and instructional quality across the state.

Amy Minor, president of the Vermont Superintendents Association, said the association recommends statutory minimums to be included in the Vermont Education Quality Standards and local school board policy. The association proposed minimum average class sizes by grade band: kindergarten minimum 12 students; grades 1–5 minimum 15; grades 6–12 minimum 18. The presenters said intervention services and multi-tiered supports pursuant to Act 173 should be excluded from those counts and that technical education (CTE) programs may need different safety-based limits.

The association urged the Legislature and Agency of Education to define a "small-by-necessity" standard in law (for example, maximum reasonable travel time to the nearest school) and to pair class-size rules with school-construction planning so facility footprints can support larger enrollments where appropriate. "Any consideration of school size minimums must address funding for school construction and renovation," the presenters said.

Superintendents and committee members discussed the interaction between class size and school size: administrators said class-size minimums are difficult to meet in many small schools unless district scale and facility capacity allow reconfiguration. Several presenters said local school boards often lack political cover to close or reconfigure small schools without legislative clarity and support.

VSA recommended that class-size minimums be phased in with an effective date of July 1, 2026 to allow districts to plan and budget. Committee members asked for more detail on exemptions, CTE-specific rules and how collective bargaining agreements would be handled.