School boards task force urges stronger Agency of Education capacity, clearer State Board role

Members of the Vermont School Boards Association (VSBA) presented a task force report to the Vermont House Committee on Education on Jan. 23, urging lawmakers to strengthen the Agency of Education (AOE) and clarify the role and capacity of the State Board of Education.

The task force, convened by the VSBA in 2023, reviewed organizational charts, surveyed superintendents and school board chairs across the state, held focus groups and met with agency and board leadership. Claire Woll, chair of the VSBA task force and a Burlington school board chair, said the group’s goal was “a solution‑oriented approach” and to collect information that would help elected officials and the AOE align on priorities.

The report lists several key findings and recommendations. Task force members said the AOE lacks timely, accurate and publicly accessible data for districts and urged development of a state data plan and improved public reporting. The group recommended an organizational review to address staffing shortages and operational capacity at the AOE and the State Board of Education, which the presenters said has not had an updated vision statement since 2018.

The task force also recommended steps to ensure nonpartisan leadership and more representative appointments to the State Board. Woll said the board’s composition raised concerns among respondents, and the task force urged that appointments better reflect that “95% of our students are educated in public schools.” The presenters argued for clearer governance practices, greater transparency about executive‑session use and application of quality standards to the State Board’s own work.

Lardian Smith, introduced as president of the Vermont School Boards Association, described outreach to the field and said the task force sought to avoid “finger pointing.” He and Woll said the AOE and State Board acknowledged many of the problems in conversations with the task force. “We’re only asking for these state agencies to follow the law,” Woll told the committee, saying some gaps stem from lack of funding, staff or organization.

Members of the committee asked about specifics. Witnesses pointed to a small State Board budget noted during testimony, and to turnover and vacancies in the AOE that make the agency less able to deliver data and support districts. The presenters suggested building career pipelines from district leadership into the AOE and improving pay and workplace culture so the agency can attract and retain experienced staff.

The VSBA presenters described regional representation used in their work: two task‑force representatives from each of the association’s 11 regions to capture geographically proportional input. They also noted the role of shared regional structures (similar to BOCES models in other states) for centralized services such as purchasing, professional development and placements for high‑needs students.

The task force asked legislators to consider the report’s chart of statutory duties (the presentation points readers to page 15 of the report) as a grounding document for future decisions. Presenters advised caution about adding new legislative initiatives until the state agencies have capacity to implement them, and they emphasized coordination with the Commission on the Future of Public Education, which is conducting a separate study of broader system changes.

No formal action or vote resulted from the hearing. Committee members praised the report’s detail and recommended that staff and counsel review the task force’s statutory chart as part of the committee’s ongoing work.

The task force report and related materials were posted with the committee documents; presenters said they would continue to answer questions from legislators as the commission’s work proceeds.