The Missisquoi Valley School District #89 board unanimously approved a motion to submit its beta governance self-assessment to the Vermont Agency of Education, part of implementation steps tied to Act 73.

Board member Jay summarized the change, saying Act 73 "added a new subsection g...focuses on school district quality standards related to business facilities, management and governance practices," and warned that the statute’s beta-testing phase does not prescribe a specific course of corrective action if a district’s self-review indicates governance deficiencies. Jay said that absence of prescribed follow-up could leave districts "in the worst position" if a review suggested major governance changes.

Superintendent Julie Reginald and other administrators described this year’s activity as a beta test and said the district is not required to submit supporting evidence for enforcement this year; the Agency of Education will publish results annually. Julie said the district’s administrative team and board will complete the rubric-based self-evaluation and that she will submit the board’s consensus responses to the Secretary of Education.

Why it matters: Act 73 implements new statewide educational quality standards and a planned quality-assurance system. Board members noted the submission is a chance to showcase local practice but urged careful review and follow-up in future years when the process may carry consequences.

Vote and next steps: The board voted to submit the beta information to the secretary of education by the end of the week; members discussed reviewing results at a retreat and tracking improvements year to year.