House Education committee reviews draft to expand regional 'Seesaw' program, alter study reimbursements and delay foundation-formula trigger

The House Education Committee on April 2, 2026, walked through draft 9.1 of a bill that would create and fund regional cooperative educational service areas (CISAs, referred to in the draft as the "Seesaw" program), revise study‑committee reimbursements and timelines, scale back previously proposed pre-K mandates into intent and study assignments, and push the foundation‑formula effective date to July 1, 2030 contingent on several statutory conditions.

The bill as presented by Beth St. James of the Office of Legislative Council front‑loads legislative intent tied to Act 73 and adds detailed statutory language to form and govern CISAs, while preserving committee flexibility. St. James said the draft contains numerous highlighted editorial items and asked members to verify maps and group lists that accompany the bill text.

St. James said the draft raises the Seesaw startup grant maximum from $10,000 to $15,000 and adds a separate $30,000 appropriation from the general fund to the Agency of Education (AOE) to fund the increase. "My understanding is only $10,000 of that $70,000 has been spent and AOE still has $60,000," a committee member said during the discussion, noting existing balances in current appropriations. St. James also described conforming amendments renaming prior entities to 'Seesaw' and a transition provision that the articles of agreement for the Vermont Learning Collaborative (VTLC) in effect June 30, 2026, would serve as the VTLC operating agreement unless amended.

The draft adopts Act 153‑style language for study‑committee reimbursements: AOE may reimburse up to $10,000 per study committee for legal and other costs related to the required analysis and report. The bill proposes a $210,000 FY2027 appropriation (10,000 × 21) as a funding placeholder for those reimbursements, subject to the legislature’s final policy choices about the number of committees and awards.

On staffing, the draft appropriates $442,000 from the general fund in FY2027 to VTLC to hire or contract seven facilitators and one lead facilitator (eight positions total), and allows up to $32,000 of that sum for administrative costs. VTLC would submit quarterly expenditure reports beginning Oct. 1, 2026, to the Legislature’s money and education committees, per the draft.

The bill also authorizes executive director grants for CISAs: $50,000 per CISA and a $300,000 FY2027 appropriation from the general fund to AOE for that purpose; BTLC (as named in the draft) would not be eligible for the grant.

Committee members discussed the statutory guidance that lists 21 suggested district groupings for study committees. St. James emphasized the draft uses guidance language—not a mandate—and urged members to check the posted maps and the bill’s text to ensure the lists match. "I implore you to double check my work," St. James said as she asked members to volunteer to verify regional listings.

The draft amends Act 73’s effective‑date section for the foundation formula, moving the contingent effective date to July 1, 2030 and tying that trigger to multiple contingencies: certified votes on unified union district formation, a JFO (Joint Fiscal Office) cost‑factor analysis, the availability of specified technical reports (e.g., around sparsity and cost differentials), and enactment of statutory measures addressing geographic measures, CTE funding, special education, transportation, and universal pre‑K funding. St. James said the change is intended to align the formula’s start with the timing of district formation and budget cycles so local school budgets can reflect any new funding rules.

Pre‑K provisions were pared back in this draft: mandatory language that would have required public schools to provide pre‑K and provisions around superintendent provisional licenses were removed. Instead, the draft includes legislative findings on access gaps and a charge for JFO to contract an expert on education finance to recommend how pre‑K should be accounted for in Vermont’s school finance system; the draft includes a $50,000 JFO appropriation and a Jan. 15, 2027 report date for that work.

No formal committee vote was recorded during the walk‑through. Members agreed to take a short break to verify that the bill text and posted maps match and to reconvene for a planned vote to move the draft to additional committees. The draft will still need review by additional money committees and may be revised as it travels through the legislative process.