CANAAN, Vt. — The Vermont Senate Education Committee spent Nov. 12 at Canaan Elementary and High School to hear directly from students about what works at their small, rural school and what they would like to see changed.

“We are here to hear what’s on people’s minds,” Sen. Seth Longertz, chair of the Senate Education Committee, told students at the start of the visit. Committee members said the listening tour of five districts is intended to inform work when the committee resumes full sessions in January.

Students across grades praised the close relationships with teachers and the small class sizes that allow more one-on-one help. Seventh-grader Carson Byron described a nine-student class and credited daily opportunities such as study halls for extra help; senior Reagan Thibault said the small school environment makes it easy to see teachers during flex periods.

Students also highlighted the school’s career and technical education (CTE) offerings. Thibault and other seniors described an integrated trades program that includes diversified agriculture, building trades and community-linked projects such as maple sugaring and wreath-making. One student described placing first in a maple-sugaring competition for several consecutive years; others noted participation in FBLA and Key Club and travel to state and national conferences.

Those trips, students said, rely on intensive local fundraising and occasional grants. A student said the group raised roughly $3,000 in a single restaurant fundraiser to meet an initial $4,000 deposit for a national convention and later applied for grants and used some school funds to cover the balance.

Athletics and extracurriculars often require cooperation with neighboring schools. Multiple students described combined teams with a nearby school in Pittsburg, N.H., with travel for practices and games; one student said that trip is about 15 minutes each way. Students and senators noted how cross-district arrangements expand opportunities but also depend on transportation and scheduling.

Students described a range of after-school clubs (chess, cooking, crafts), summer camp programming and a nine-week winter enrichment scheme that dismisses students early to enable participation. Several students said nearly all high-schoolers stay after school for activities, and that community support plays an essential role in sustaining programs.

The committee closed the visit with plans to tour school facilities and return after lunch for a separate discussion with educators and staff. Sen. Kaysha Rahm Hinsdale emphasized the committee’s interest in hearing from rural communities and said students should feel free to contact senators with concerns and ideas.

The committee is scheduled to continue its listening tour and said staff will compile input from these visits ahead of the January session.