Canaan School staff told the Senate Education Committee that the district’s career and technical education (CTE) offerings depend heavily on local partnerships and grants, and that two constraints are particularly acute: cross‑border limits that reduce shared opportunities with nearby New Hampshire schools, and the loss of Perkins funding that previously paid for industry credentials.

CTE instructor Denise Wood said the district used to receive Perkins funds that helped pay for industry‑recognized credentials and certifications; "we lost it due to our size," she said, and the credentialing expenses have shifted onto the local budget. Teachers and the business manager said they cannot assume those recurring costs without endangering other services.

Several panelists described statutory or administrative barriers to students from across the Vermont‑New Hampshire border participating fully in programs on the other side. Kevin Falls and others said students in the region have long informal ties across the state line but that Vermont statute limits sharing in certain programs, making it difficult to combine classes or CTE offerings with nearby districts.

Todd Nichols urged the committee to remember the Brigham principle — the state’s responsibility to ensure substantially equal educational opportunity — when applying statewide rules that could force consolidation or limit programs in small districts. Panelists recommended targeted exemptions or a foundation‑formula approach to ensure money follows the weighted child rather than forcing 'small by necessity' schools to cut programs.

No vote was taken; committee members said they would bring these implementation concerns back to staff drafting policy changes.