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Committee reviews sweeping governance changes in H.9.55: "seesaw" membership, small-school tests and school-construction tradeoffs
Summary
Committee examined a broad amendment package to H.9.55 that would create statutory "seesaw" membership rules, a process for supervisory-union membership adjustments, a new average-grade-size test for small-school grants, and multiple school-construction and legacy-debt changes; the Agency of Education flagged concerns about advisory-council scope and membership balance.
The committee spent the bulk of the session on a comprehensive rewrite and set of instances of amendment to H.9.55, a large education bill that would change how supervisory unions, regional groupings and certain consolidated structures are formed and governed.
Key proposed changes: the draft would create a new statutory chapter to define "seesaw" membership and create a process by which a supervisory-union (SU) board or petition of voters (aggregate 5% threshold) could propose an adjustment to the SU's assigned seesaw membership. The proposal sets public-hearing timelines, requires Australian-ballot voting and certification to the Secretary of State, and asks for advisory votes from affected SU boards so the legislature would receive local input before acting.
The draft also shifts the small-school numerical test from a raw enrollment count (fewer than 100 pupils) to an average grade-size measure (two-year average enrollment divided by number of grades served, excluding pre-K) with a proposed threshold of fewer than 12 students per grade; members debated the impacts on eligibility and grant size. Counsel noted the small-school grant-size calculation would be affected because excluding pre-K reduces counted enrollment for formulas.
Agency concerns and membership composition: Gilbert Campbell, Deputy Secretary of Education, raised concerns that the amended Hazing/Harassment/Bullying (HHB) advisory council language expands duties into areas the Agency of Education already implements and that proposed expanded membership would create a majority of non-education practitioners (a 7-to-5 split). Campbell asked the committee to refine language so the council reviews materials produced by the agency rather than implementing them, and suggested adding another education practitioner (for example, a social worker) to the council.
School construction and legacy debt: the draft removes a legacy-debt-pay provision that had no dedicated revenue source and notes the potential fiscal exposure (members cited estimates up to about $61 million annually for maximum impact). Members discussed whether removing the legacy-debt aid provision is fair to districts and how construction funding and consolidation incentives should be sequenced.
Procedure and next steps: counsel inserted interim-reporting requirements: lead facilitators must submit written status reports by Jan. 28, 2027, and final study-committee reports are due Dec. 1, 2027. Members asked staff to provide overlays (including CTE/CTE-director maps) and requested agency testimony to clarify statutory boundaries, rulemaking deadlines and what can be implemented administratively versus what requires statutory change.
Representative excerpt: "We've added to the list of folks the Agency of Education is required to consult with in developing the model policy, the National Association of Social Workers Vermont chapter," the legislative counsel said, and Gilbert Campbell added that the agency and partner organizations "continue to have some concerns about the expanded scope of work and duties for the HHB Advisory Council." (Legislative counsel; Gilbert Campbell)
The committee scheduled further agency and stakeholder testimony before considering amendments for a vote.
