Senate committee backs 25% Vermont‑resident threshold for tuition to independent schools; considers 25‑mile border rule

The Senate Education Committee reviewed proposed changes to Title 16 that would limit state tuition payments to approved independent schools that have at least 25% Vermont‑resident student enrollment and would allow tuition to approved out‑of‑state schools only if they are located within 25 miles of the Vermont border and meet the same 25% enrollment test.

The discussion centered on where to draw the eligibility line and how the change would affect rural and border communities. Committee members described the 25% threshold as an attempt to confine public tuition dollars to independent schools that are “integral to the system,” while some members said the change could exclude many currently eligible schools and sought a fiscal analysis of impacts.

Why it matters: the amendment changes long‑standing rules for which independent and out‑of‑state schools may receive public tuition…