Vermont education officials report rapid growth in Act 78 after‑school grants, plan expanded oversight and longer awards

The Vermont Agency of Education reported to the House Education Committee on April 29, 2025, that the state’s Act 78 after‑school grant program—funded by cannabis sales tax revenue—is expanding rapidly and will receive added oversight after two rounds of competitive awards.

"We had about 60 applications come in," said Jirvan Sench, the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program Manager at the Agency of Education, summarizing the first competition and the scale of interest. He told lawmakers the initial round produced 16 awards (to 16 unique entities) totaling about $3.7 million for three‑year grants, and reached sites in 11 of Vermont’s 14 counties.

The program began as a smaller, pilot competition in fiscal year 2024 and was designed to complement existing federal‑state 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21c) programming. Sench said the agency drew on three sources in designing the grants: the Act 78 authorizing language, the state’s 21c program, and the governor’s 2021 interagency after‑school task force report.

Why it matters: Committee members and grantees said the funding is enabling new or expanded programs—internships, teen centers, STEM kits and other offerings—not typically available during the school day. Officials also warned that the revenue source has fluctuated and that growth creates new administrative and monitoring needs for the Agency of Education (AOE).

Program growth and design changes

Sench said the first round served roughly 4,000 young Vermonters; the second round added 26 awards to 21 unique entities and committed about $13 million in…