Vermont Senate panel reviews proposal to consolidate 119 school districts into five regional districts

The Vermont Senate Education Committee on Feb. 7 heard Agency of Education officials lay out a governance plan that would replace the state’s supervisory union structure and 119 school districts with five operating regional districts and new statewide guardrails for school budgets, school choice and accountability. “This proposal is designed to strengthen our public education system,” Secretary of Education Zoe Sonder said.

Committee members were told the changes are intended to create scale to preserve program offerings, expand access to specialized services, and make funding more equitable across communities. Agency officials said the proposal pairs a foundation-style funding model with new governance, school advisory committees at every school, and standards for any public or approved choice school that receives public tuition.

Sonder and Jill Brooks Campbell, interim deputy secretary of education, described the rationale: Vermont’s enrollment has fallen more than 21% over the past two decades; the state has about one school board member for every 75 students; and the current system contributes to widely varying local capacity and program offerings. The administration argues larger regional districts would allow more centralized…