Board reviews recent state education bills; district to study impacts of H.454
Summary
Board staff summarized recently passed state legislation—H.454, H.209 and a miscellaneous education bill (H.480)—and said more analysis of H.454’s components will be provided in the fall; the Agency of Education must produce a model cell-phone policy by Jan. 26 for the 2026–27 school year.
District staff briefed the Colchester School District Board on several bills recently passed by the Vermont Legislature and said the district will study their local impacts in the coming months.
Staff reported that H.454 passed on Monday and contains multiple components that still need implementation guidance; the district will present a deeper analysis in the fall and over the next school year. Staff also noted H.209 passed; it permits certified school nurses to administer nasal epinephrine to prevent allergic reactions, and Colchester’s nurses support that change.
A miscellaneous education bill, cited as H.480 in the meeting record, passed with several items relevant to district operations: it includes an allowance for student access to virtual learning, a $10,000 BOCES grant per region (one application per region), and a directive asking the Agency of Education to redefine personal learning plans (PLPs) for grades 7–12. Staff said one provision asks the Agency of Education to develop a model cell-phone policy for school districts, with the agency due to produce that model by Jan. 26 for consideration in the 2026–27 school year.
Staff told the board that because many components of H.454 require follow-up work, the district will provide a more formal report on H.454 in the coming weeks and include deeper discussion on how the legislation affects budgeting and district operations during next year’s meetings.
Board members asked clarifying questions about timing for retreats and future reports; staff said the district will return with specific policy and budget implications in the fall.
