State study recommends $25,000 per CTE student; lawmakers and workforce officials flag timeline, ownership and adult-training questions

The Vermont House Committee on Commerce and Economic Development on Feb. 27 heard a detailed financial analysis recommending a single state funding weight of $25,000 per career and technical education (CTE) full‑time equivalent student and an implementation plan that would route most funds through BOCES regional structures.

The recommendation came from the study team presenting to the committee. Justin, a study presenter, said the team “believe[s] that's the right way to do it,” explaining the figure is based on a multi‑year review of program expenditures and excludes federal funds when calculating the state contribution.

The report team examined program codes associated with CTE in the Agency of Education finance system (program codes 31 and 32) across the 15 public regional centers, reviewing three fiscal years of spending. The presenters reported median operational expenditures (all sources) of about $23,000 in fiscal 2021 and a little over $25,000 in fiscal 2023; excluding federal funds the median was roughly $20,000 in FY2021 and $23,303 in FY2023. The team said medians were used because per‑student spending varies widely across centers and programs.

The proposal would keep the funding flow linked to the foundation formula and to regional governance: a sending district would pay an $8,000 “on‑behalf” amount from its base, and a separate $17,000 weight would flow to the BOCES to reach the $25,000 state weight. Part‑time students would be paid on a half‑FTE basis (a half‑time student would generate $12,500 under the single weight). Presenters also noted the total cost for a student across the system—accounting for sending‑district responsibilities and…