Introduced by Rep. Alison Clarkson
Status: Introduced on 1/10/2012 and referred to the Committee on Education

This bill proposes to:

Prohibit school districts from paying tuition for a resident student to attend an out-of-state independent school. Starting the 2012-2013 academic year.

OUR THOUGHTS: Well the first thing that comes to mind, is Representative Clarkson has chosen to send her child to an independent school in Connecticut  - so what on earth is she thinking?  The bill would only prohibit using tuition vouchers at out-of-state independent schools, not out-of-state public schools. It is not entirely clear what problem this bill is attempting to solve, however, it would appear to be ideological in nature. The financial investment is the same to a community whether the voucher is spent in-state or across the border. The outcome is that the parent and child (not the legislators) have chosen the educational environment where the child can be most successful. This IS supposed to be about the kids, right?

The law has explicitly allowed for students in choice districts to choose out-of-state and out-of-country programs, both public and independent. Vermont has about 90 towns that offer school choice. About 50 of those towns are on or near the borders of New Hampshire, New York, Massachusetts, or Quebec. Surely if those communities had an issue with the current system, they would attempt legislative change. It is important to note that proposals to restrict publicly funded vouchers don't come from the towns that have chosen this method to educate their children - it comes from those who reside outside of those communities.

If your child does now, or did attend an out-of-state school, let us know so we can keep you closely in the loop. At times it is helpful to have parents available to talk to legislators via phone, email, or in person, to share their personal stories. We're not at that point yet, but if the need arises we need to have our list of folks ready. Email info@schoolchoicevermont.com 

Introduced by Senate Education Committee Chairman Kevin Mullin
Status: Introduced on 1/3/201 and referred to the Committee on Education

This bill proposed to:
Authorize public school choice for all elementary and high school pupils in the state beginning in the 2013–2014 academic year, to be fully implemented by the 2016–2017 academic year.

OUR THOUGHTS: There are a few details in this bill that I don't understand, I've made inquiries.  In general, as a whole, as it currently exists, this bill is what THOUSANDS of Vermont parents have been looking for: a choice of where to send their children to school. It uses a transition period, and it appears to include independent schools. If you want school choice, here it is, put forth by the chair of the Senate Ed Committee, no less. The coming committee sessions will be telling on whether or not legislators have the political will to do the right thing and move this bill forward. We may request that you take action soon to show public support for the provisions in this bill. Stay tuned to the email list, that is where our calls to action will be first announced.

Introduced by Rep. Tony Klein
Status: Introduced on 1/3/2012 and referred to the Committee on Education

This bill proposes to:
(1) authorize public school choice for secondary students residing in a
district that maintains a secondary school, with tuition paid by the sending
district in an amount not to exceed its education spending per equalized pupil
and any excess tuition paid by the student’s parent or guardian; and

(2) compensate a receiving district for real expenses by permitting it to
retain a portion of a tuition payment that it would otherwise transfer to a
regional technical center, regardless of whether the sending district maintains
or does not maintain a secondary school.

OUR THOUGHTS: Only the short form of the bill is available right now, so we don't have any details to review, but if the long form is true to the short form and it would give every kid high school choice, it is a huge step in the right direction. Until we can see those details we don't know how strong or comprehensive this bill would be, or if it would attempt to restrict independent school access to existing choice towns. This bill is notable because under current VT law your district can either maintain a school, or tuition students, but not BOTH. This is a good time to encourage legislators to move toward choice.

There were a few bills in 2011 we will keep an eye one, just in case they gain any traction - although we find that unlikely at this point. If you click on the link you will get the the Vermont Legislative Bill Tracking page for that specific bill. You can read the text of the bill by scrolling down to "Bill Text: As Introduced"

H.170 and S.44 Both of these bills are related to restricting public funding of independent schools - basically restricting voucher use at schools that do not meet the impositions set forth in these bills.