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Therapeutic independent schools tell House panel they fill a 'missing middle' for high‑needs students and urge funding predictability
Summary
Directors and designated‑agency leaders told the House Education Committee that therapeutic independent schools serve a tiny share of Vermont students but a disproportionate share of high‑needs special‑education cases; they urged stable funding, clearer AOE guidance and statutory certainty to sustain placements and avoid worse downstream costs.
Elisa Walker, school director at the Mills School in Winooski, told the House Education Committee on Feb. 6 that therapeutic independent schools provide intensive, clinically informed education for a small group of students with high special‑education needs and trauma histories — students public schools often cannot safely serve.
Walker said the Mills School serves approximately 20–25 students in grades 6–12, all on individualized education plans, and uses a high staff‑to‑student ratio, daily case reviews and embedded clinicians to manage safety and stabilize students. She described discipline as restorative and accountability‑focused: rather than relying primarily on…
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