Committee hears H955 to create statutory regional 'Seesaws,' fund facilitators and mandate district study committees

The House Appropriations Committee on April 10 heard a presentation on H955, the Education Transformation bill that would convert voluntary regional education cooperatives into seven statutory cooperative educational service areas—called Seesaws—assign supervisory units to those Seesaws and require them to offer certain services, including special education, curriculum coordination, professional development and transportation.

Beth St. James of the Office of Legislative Counsel, who walked members through the bill as introduced, said the bill moves Seesaws from a voluntary model to a statutory structure and adds minimum service obligations. "A Seesaw shall be a body politic and corporate with the powers and duties afforded it under this chapter," she said, summarizing the new statutory definition. St. James noted that many language changes in the draft are conforming name changes; she focused committee discussion on substantive policy, transition timelines and appropriations.

The bill names seven Seesaws and lists member supervisory unions and school districts so residents can identify their assigned Seesaw. The existing Vermont Learning Collaborative (VTLC), a cooperative formed under current law, is preserved in the draft and will play a central role in near-term implementation, St. James said.

At a minimum each Seesaw would be required to offer services in several areas, including special education (tiered supports and low-incidence, high-cost services), business and administrative services, curriculum coordination and transportation. St. James said Seesaws will set their own budgets, and member supervisory unions would remain responsible for the districts' statutory duties but could purchase Seesaw services.

The bill sets specific transition deadlines. If enacted, most changes would take effect July 1, 2026; within 30 days of passage each member supervisory union board must appoint a representative to its assigned Seesaw board, and within 45 days the superintendent of the largest supervisory union by average daily membership must call the Seesaw's first meeting and the board must elect officers.

H955 also directs the Vermont Learning Collaborative to hire facilitators to organize study committees that will examine whether forming new unified union school districts is advisable. St. James described a facilitator structure of seven regional facilitators (one for each Seesaw) and a lead facilitator to oversee the work. Facilitators must have knowledge of Vermont's public education system and, on or before Dec. 1, 2026, must assign school districts into study committees and call each committee's first meeting.

The bill sets criteria for study committees: groupings should be contiguous and, "as practical," have a minimum combined average daily membership of about 2,000 students. Assigned school districts are required to participate in the committee to which they are assigned. Study committees will prepare final reports and, if advisable, proposed articles of agreement by Dec. 1, 2027. School boards then review reports (deadline Feb. 1, 2028), the Secretary of Education must review within 60 days or by April 1, 2028, and the State Board of Education is required to issue findings by June 1, 2028. Voters in each school district named as necessary for a proposed new district would vote on consolidation on or before Nov. 7, 2028.

To underwrite the work, the bill as introduced includes appropriations and grants: reimbursement grants for study-committee expenses (up to $10,000 per study committee; the draft referenced $210,000 for 21 groups), facilitator contracts (the draft cited $442,000 in total compensation and administrative allowance), Seesaw executive director startup grants ($50,000 each for six new Seesaws, or $300,000), and Seesaw startup grants increased from $10,000 to $15,000 per new Seesaw. St. James said Ways and Means amendments that the committee would see next week change some funding sources to draw from the education-transformation appropriation rather than add new money to the budget.

Committee members raised implementation questions at length. House Education chair (Peter/Tom) Conlin emphasized the bill treats Seesaws as service providers, not an extra layer of government, and gave examples—coordinated busing contracts, pooled special-education staffing and shared federal grant-writing capacity—where scale could lower costs. "A CISA is not a layer of government. It is a service provider," he said.

Members pressed whether the Vermont Learning Collaborative has capacity to hire and oversee facilitators and whether facilitators can remain impartial; staff and members said facilitators are expected to be experienced Vermont educators or retired superintendents and VTLC will contract for that work. Members also noted past implementation challenges with Act 173 and asked how the new structure would ensure actual savings and improved student outcomes rather than shifting costs.

The bill also modifies contingencies for a revised foundation formula, delaying a possible effective date and requiring Joint Fiscal Office analyses comparing combined district spending to estimated foundation payments for consolidated districts; Ways and Means will refine the JFO study's scope. H955 contains a separate set of findings and directives on PreK access and funds a study of how to include PreK in the state's funding system.

St. James and members said Ways and Means will transmit an amendment package next week; committee members noted the House Education committee had already "voted the bill out" and the Appropriations committee planned follow-up action after Ways and Means. The hearing closed with scheduling and members' requests for the final edited text and supporting maps and fiscal detail.

What's next: Ways and Means is expected to consider amendments next week; the committee said it plans to take a vote on the full bill by the end of the Tuesday session referenced at the hearing.