Chelsea Myers, executive director of the Vermont Superintendents Association, told the Senate Adaptation Committee that district consolidation should be guided by research and by Vermont-specific data rather than arbitrary targets.

The association recommended creating a working group charged with determining the most efficient number of districts and proposed boundary lines based on an analysis of school locations, building condition and capacity, and Vermont’s topography. "District size goals must be data and research driven, not arbitrary, and enhance efficiency, equity, and educational opportunities," Myers said.

The proposal said the working group should quantify cost savings, identify expanded opportunities for students, and use GIS mapping and other tools to ensure equitable outcomes. The group should also consider governance changes, including eliminating supervisory unions so district resources flow directly to student programs, and must address collective bargaining agreements and other contracts before consolidation proceeds.

The VSA recommended a tentative schedule: establish the working group in June; publish redistricting proposals in December; have the Legislature consider enabling legislation from January through May; and move to a staged transition from 2026 through 2029, with new districts operating by July 1, 2029. The presenters noted that short-term transition costs could temporarily increase spending even if long-term efficiencies are achieved.

Supporters in the room said consolidation offers potential gains in opportunity and affordability but cautioned that Vermont’s rural geography and building footprints complicate decisions about school size and boundaries. Speakers pointed to research they had reviewed suggesting diseconomies of scale increase around 6,000 students, with other literature supporting district ranges of roughly 2,000–4,000 students in many contexts.

Committee members asked the presenters to provide the source studies and to work with the Agency of Education, local boards and labor representatives to model contract and staffing implications. The presenters said those steps are essential because any consolidation that ignores contracts and facilities will be incomplete.

The association framed the working-group recommendation as an effort to create an impartial, research-driven process that would produce viable district configurations and an implementation plan for transition costs and bargaining agreements.