The Senate Education Committee reviewed S.207 on Thursday Afternoon. The bill requires the Secretary of Education to provide the Legislature with a report and recommendations on governance structures for Vermont’s CTE system by February 1, 2024. The report shall include all information and recommendations necessary to complete the Agency’s work as required under Act 127, Sec. 17.

If the final report and recommendations are not complete on or before February 1 2024, the Agency shall issue a written status update to the General Assembly on or before February 1, which shall include a description of the work necessary to complete the report and requirements noted in Act 127. 

NOTE: Act 127 is a 2022 law that also increased the weighting factors for certain students who are deemed to cost more to education. This change meant that districts with decreasing pupil weights could expect their homestead property taxes to go up, even if they didn’t increase their spending.

Ted Fisher (Director of Communications and Legislative Affairs, Agency of Education) said that the report that is almost ready except for a few ‘tweaks’ will be submitted next week. He recognized that the Agency of Education (AOE) was late with submitting its implementation plan but stated that while there is some urgency to this report the dates set for completion were "very ambitious." He noted that there is a companion bill in the House – H.716 which closely mirrors S.207. There is also a draft bill in Senate Education which will be presented by Legislative Council next week.

Fisher presented the list of recommendations AOE would like passed this year:

• AOE should study cost of funding transportation for students who go to high schools that do not share a campus with a CTE.
• Study benefits of changing the tuitioning system to the State directly allocated funding based on actual cost of programs statewide so that all schools and programs would be treated equally.
• AOE would like to see CTE facilities included in school facilities studies.
• AOE would like to have CTE licensing requirement reviewed and supported.  Also would like a new position at the agency, a CTE Education Program Coordinator.
• AOE would like to see career exploration be provided to middle schoolers.  Language is already drafted in S.304 and they would like Committee support.