Vermont proposal would create statewide CTE BOCES and shift funding to $25,000 per student

Vermont education officials and consultants outlined a plan Feb. 25 to create a single governance entity for career and technical education (CTE) statewide and to shift funding so that the new CTE BOCES would receive about $25,000 per full-time-equivalent (FTE) CTE student.

The proposal, presented at a joint hearing of the House Education, Senate Education and House Commerce committees, would leave the state’s 17 CTE centers in place but centralize budgeting, contracting and administrative services in a single CTE BOCES while the Agency of Education (AOE) retains oversight and compliance duties. "Career and technical education is a priority for the administration," said Secretary Sanders, Vermont secretary of education.

Why it matters: Supporters said the change is intended to reduce uneven program access and quality across the state, improve alignment with statewide workforce goals, and provide a stable, predictable funding base for CTE programming and expanded middle-school exploration. Consultants presented data showing wide variation in per-FTE spending among centers and argued a uniform funding target and centralized administrative services would promote equity and scale.

Key elements of the proposal

- Governance: Creation of a statewide CTE BOCES that would receive state funding, distribute budgets to the 17 existing centers, hire an executive director and set common administrative policies. An advisory board representing the proposed regional districts, school boards and workforce partners would evaluate and hire the executive director. The…