State education chief proposes single Education Service Agency to unify career and technical education

Secretary Zoe Saunders told the House Committee on Commerce and Economic Development on March 26 that the Agency of Education is proposing a single Education Service Agency (ESA) to oversee the state’s 15 career and technical education centers, aiming to guarantee universal access, increase middle‑school exposure to CTE, and align programs with statewide workforce needs.

Saunders, the state’s secretary of education, said the ESA would standardize quality and costs across centers, prioritize programs that respond to labor demand, and take responsibility for program approvals and substantive changes. "This proposal is intended to ensure universal access to career and technical education and also to create earlier exposure to CTE in middle school," Saunders said.

Why it matters: Sponsors and agency officials said the unified governance model would reduce fragmentation, allow strategic prioritization of scarce capacity, and provide a single state contact for workforce and higher‑education partners. The agency proposes an implementation pathway that begins ESA planning in fall 2026 with full implementation targeted for the 2028–29 school year, aligning the change with timelines in Act 73.

Key details and funding questions: Saunders outlined a personnel model that includes an executive director, regional directors with subject specializations (for example, facilities, curriculum, and transportation), and middle‑ and high‑school coordinators. The ESA would also centralize some back‑office functions such as Perkins grant management. "We would expect that programming statewide is preparing students for the major industries of Vermont," Saunders said, adding that the ESA would still engage sending districts and local employers through a comprehensive needs assessment.

Committee members repeatedly raised financing concerns. Several members said governance decisions are difficult without final funding figures. Saunders offered that the agency has internal financial modeling and that the Joint Fiscal Office (JFO) is conducting a separate review that will be used to finalize the funding approach; she said JFO’s findings are not expected until December. "We have shared with JFO our overall modeling," Saunders said, "and their study and their findings will not be available until December." Committee members asked the agency to coordinate closely with JFO before the legislature takes further action.

Federal and adult education elements: Members asked whether Perkins dollars or other federal grants would fund expanded early exposure; Saunders said Perkins allocations are proposed as flat for now and that the department is coordinating with the Department of Labor on pre‑apprenticeship and adult‑learner supports. On adult CTE, Saunders said it could be housed in the ESA but that funding and programmatic details need further work.

Near‑term fixes and capacity issues: The committee also pressed for immediate steps to reduce waiting lists and improve student access — issues that include transportation, communication between centers and sending districts, and program quality. Saunders said some steps, such as better data sharing and clarifying enrollment protocols, can be taken now while larger governance and funding decisions proceed.

Next steps: The committee agreed to invite the Joint Fiscal Office to brief members on funding assumptions and modeling, and the Agency of Education agreed to coordinate with JFO and return for further discussion. No formal votes or motions were recorded during the session.

The committee recessed after the exchange; members said they would continue planning and follow up on JFO’s analysis before taking substantive legislative action.