Rep. Kate McCann introduces H.179 to shift Vermont education governance to State Board oversight

Representative Kate McCann of Montpelier introduced bill H.179 to the House Education Committee on Feb. 26, 2025, proposing to convert Vermont’s Agency of Education into a Department of Education and make the commissioner accountable to the State Board of Education rather than to the governor’s office.

The bill’s sponsor said the change would reduce political influence over education leadership and increase continuity. “This bill proposes a simple but powerful change, transitioning the Agency of Education into a Department of Education with a commissioner who was selected and overseen by the State Board of Education,” McCann said. “This will ensure stability and expertise.”

Legislative counsel Beth St. James told the committee the draft largely restores language that existed before Act 98 of 2012. “The first few sections…transform the Agency of Education with a cabinet member secretary who appoints to the governor back to a Department of Education with a Commissioner of Education that reports to the State Board of Education as it existed prior to the passage of Act 98 in 2012,” St. James said.

Why it matters: sponsors and some witnesses told the committee they see the proposal as a way to reduce turnover and partisan influence in state education leadership. McCann cited testimony and priorities from several education stakeholders during the session, including the Vermont Superintendents Association and the Vermont Principals Association, plus testimony from education experts such as Dr. Wendy Baker. McCann also referenced a commission update from Meg Joy and said members of that commission were not involved in the administration’s separate proposal.

Key provisions and details: the bill as introduced is 14 pages and would: - Change statutory language to convert the Agency of Education into a Department of Education and place the Commissioner of Education under the State Board of Education. - Increase State Board membership from 10 to 11 members and preserve two student members appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. - Specify stakeholder appointment pathways: one public school central office administrator appointed by the Superintendents Association; one public school administrator appointed by the Principals Association; one public school board member appointed by the School Boards Association; one public school teacher appointed by the Vermont NEA; one independent school administrator or teacher appointed by the Vermont Independent Schools Association; and three at-large seats (one appointed by the governor, one by the speaker, and one by the Senate Committee on Committees). The draft retains the statutory requirement that appointments receive the advice and consent of the Senate.

Committee discussion: members asked procedural and compositional questions about the board seats and the transition timeline. Beth St. James said the draft returns membership and appointment language to its pre-Act 98 form and that the sponsor planned to prepare a set of conforming amendments over the summer to address statutory cleanup needed across Title 16 and related laws.

What the bill does not do in this hearing: H.179 was introduced and walked through at a high level; the committee did not take a formal vote on the bill during the Feb. 26 meeting. The sponsor told the committee she would return with conforming amendments and additional drafting to implement the change practically across statutes.

Next steps: the bill was introduced and discussed at a high level; the committee will receive additional drafting and may schedule further hearings or testimony in later sessions.