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State Board chair outlines committee work, deadlines and funding limits in House of Education update
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Summary
Jennifer Deck Samuelson, chair of the State Board of Education, told the House of Education committee that most board work is being handled in committees—among them a class-size review tied to Act 73—and warned that updating CTE rules would require additional legislative funding; she said a roles-and-responsibilities legal review is due to the Legislature on Dec. 1.
Jennifer Deck Samuelson, chair of the State Board of Education, briefed the House of Education committee on the board’s committee workload and timelines during an April 21 meeting. She said much of the board’s work is now done in committees and flagged deadlines and funding constraints that will shape whether the board can complete rule updates this year.
Samuelson identified several standing and special committees: the legislative review committee, a permanent "22-hundreds" approvals committee (chaired by Tom Lovett) that reviews schools recommended for reapproval, the student performance standards committee (which recently ratified WIDA standards for English learners), a class-size minimums committee created under Act 73 (chaired by Brian Campion), and a roles-and-responsibilities committee conducting a legal review. "For the record, Jennifer Deck Samuelson, chair of the State Board of Ed," she said at the outset.
Why it matters: the class-size review and the roles-and-responsibilities analysis are expected to produce recommendations that could reach the full board and the Legislature. Samuelson said the class-size committee has homework reviewing an agency report from January and "will be meeting substantively before the board's next monthly meeting," which she cited as May 20. She also said the roles-and-responsibilities review by attorney Sarah Buxton will examine 16 V.S.A. §§164–166 and other education statutes and that the board expects to return recommendations to the General Assembly by Dec. 1.
On funding, Samuelson said the board has limited money for additional rulemaking. She described a prior attempt to put Career and Technical Education (CTE) rule updates out to bid and being told the board lacked sufficient funds. "The money that we've received has been enormously helpful," she said, "but the money that we've received to hire Sarah really is earmarked to Act 73," adding that further CTE rule work would require legislative funding. The transcript records no dollar amounts; the specific funding levels and any proposed appropriation were not specified during the discussion.
Samuelson also reported she had testified to the House Committee on Commerce and Economic Development about proposed CTE updates and described that hearing as "a really helpful conversation" for lawmakers to hear the board's perspective. On meeting format, she said the board tries to balance remote access with on-site visits and plans a mix of in-person meetings each spring and fall; the board toured Edmonds Elementary School in Burlington at its most recent full board meeting.
Committee members asked when the class-size committee would move to public-facing meetings; Samuelson said she expects substantive committee meetings before May 20 and that the board is operating under a legislative timeline unless changed by the Legislature. She also described logistical planning for upcoming meetings and member transitions: the board plans to meet at Lake Region in May to honor student member Caleb Greenwood and later in St. Johnsbury to recognize Tom Lovett.
The update concluded without formal votes or motions. Committee members thanked Samuelson for the briefing and had no further questions.
Next steps: Samuelson and committee chairs are expected to hold committee meetings on class-size minimums and roles-and-responsibilities in the weeks ahead; any request for funding to support expanded rulemaking (for example, CTE rule updates) would require legislative action before the board could proceed.
