Heads of Burr and Burton Academy and Long Trail School tell Senate panel independent schools expand access, cite local support

Mark Tash, head of Burr and Burton Academy in Manchester, and Colin Igoe, head of Long Trail School in Dorset, told the Vermont Senate Education Committee on Jan. 31 that independent schools in their region provide extensive academic and student-support programming funded largely by private philanthropy and town tuition. "We exist to serve the public," Tash said, describing Burr and Burton as an independently governed school that has raised private funds for campus buildings and programs.

The testimony gave senators detailed examples of how the two schools operate and why their leaders say those features matter. Burr and Burton — founded in 1829, with a main campus and a 100-acre Mountain Campus — enrolls roughly 800 students and runs a range of academic, arts and special-education programs. Long Trail School serves about 260 students in grades 6–12, is an International Baccalaureate school and reports a 100% graduation rate. "One hundred percent of our students graduate," Igoe said of Long Trail.

Why it matters: the committee is weighing proposals that would change governance, oversight and shared services across Vermont schools. Independent schools that receive town tuition payments operate outside the governance structure of a public school district, and their leaders told senators their independent boards and local philanthropy sustain facilities, programming and teacher retention. Committee members pressed the school leaders on issues that affect statewide policy decisions, including how town tuition works, transportation, special-education capacity, teacher licensing and the limits of state oversight.

Program and student-support detail: Tash described Burr and Burton's "student success" program for first-generation college-bound students and an "ACCESS" program for students with significant learning challenges; he said about 140 of the school's roughly 800 students receive special-education supports through IEPs or 504 plans. Tash said Burr and Burton offers more than 160 courses, including 18 Advanced Placement classes and several recent electives (neurodiversity studies, climate leadership, conservation biology and project bike tech). He said 78% of Burr and Burton AP test takers score a 3 or higher. Igoe described Long Trail's IB program and said the school serves students from roughly 28 Vermont towns and three New York towns.

Funding and finance: both heads credited private philanthropy, endowment draws and auxiliary revenue (including an international-student program) with enabling programs and facilities that they said would be difficult to fund solely from tuition. Tash said Burr and Burton raises more than $1 million annually through its annual fund and draws about $1 million from its endowment; he also said the school's international program generates roughly $2 million in revenue and that the school provides about $70,000 a year in financial aid for trips. School leaders described town tuition as a significant revenue source for students who come from towns that pay tuition for their residents; the exact town-tuition figure was discussed in the meeting in different ways and was not specified precisely during testimony.

Governance, staffing and accountability: both leaders described self-perpetuating boards of trustees that they said preserve institutional continuity and allow long-term strategic planning. They said the ability to set mission-driven priorities helps them recruit and retain teachers; both described formal evaluation systems for faculty (including multi-year cycles and performance-improvement plans). On licensing, Tash and Igoe told senators that many strong teachers are not state-certified but are subject to the schools' evaluation and professional-development systems. "What matters is what you're doing in the classroom," Igoe said, describing classroom observation, department reviews and an evaluation cycle used to monitor teaching quality.

Discipline, inclusion and a pending legal matter: senators raised discipline and recent public controversies. Committee members discussed a recent case in which a private Christian school was barred from some interscholastic athletics competition and from the tuitioning program; that school filed litigation and the matter remains unresolved. Tash said Burr and Burton's response to a high-profile incident earlier this decade was to focus on the welfare of the affected student and to avoid being drawn into wider culture-war attention, while also urging that schools draw a clear line when a student's conduct or school policies harm another student.

Access, transportation and local effects: both school leaders said independent schools draw families into their communities. Igoe and Tash said towns pay for transportation in some cases and that the schools run buses into surrounding areas; Long Trail described four regular bus routes serving students from many towns. Both leaders said independent schools host community programs (youth sports, Special Olympics activities) and encourage visits by local families.

What the committee asked for next: senators asked for additional data and invited the schools to provide sample budgets, staffing and student-outcome metrics for further review. Both heads extended invitations to committee members to visit their campuses to review programming and operations firsthand.

There were no formal votes on policy during the hearing; senators said the committee will continue deliberations and follow up with requests for additional documentation and possible future testimony.