Rural School Community Alliance Statement on House Education Committee Changes to H.454
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MARCH 27, 2025
CONTACT: CHERYL CHARLES
cherylcharles01@gmail.com 802 376 8093
Yesterday, the House Education Committee added a deeply concerning amendment to H.454 by adding language in Section 8 that would have disastrous consequences for public education and rural communities across Vermont. While H. 454 contains positive elements, this new provision would grant existing merged school boards and any newly created, larger school boards unilateral authority to close schools—bypassing local voting, eliminating community input, and undermining due process.
This move threatens the stability and quality of Vermont’s public education system and the health of rural communities. Without meaningful local input, our communities lose their ability to make informed decisions that best serve their students, jeopardizing the quality of education our children receive.
Following challenging negotiations under Act 46, many school districts across the state adopted local voting requirements on school closures as part of their Articles of Agreement. In many cases, these provisions were critical in securing public support for school mergers. An override of these agreements by legislators would undermine the trust Vermonters put in the merger process.
We urge lawmakers to reject this harmful language and reaffirm their commitment to community-driven decision-making in public education. The future of our schools and the strength of our communities depend on it.
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About the Vermont Rural School Community Alliance
The Vermont Rural School Community Alliance is a coalition of educators, parents, and community members dedicated to advocating for equitable, high-quality public education in Vermont. To date, 89 Vermont school boards, select boards and other groups have joined the Alliance. Our work is informed by direct experience in Vermont schools and leading research in rural education.