BILL AS INTRODUCED H.677
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1
2 H.677
3 Introduced by Representative Buss of Woodstock
4 Referred to Committee on
5 Date:
6 Subject: Education; staffing; positions; professional development; community
7 schools; literacy
8 Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to do the
9 following:
10 (1) create and fund positions within the Agency of Education to provide
11 ongoing development and coaching content related to tiered systems of
12 supports and educational support teams;
13 (2) extend funding for the Community Schools Program;
14 (3) extend authorization for and fund a limited services literacy position
15 within the Agency; and
16 (4) appropriate funds to support the Agency’s Learning Management
17 System.
18 An act relating to providing positions and funding to support statewide
19 student support systems VT LEG #373225 v.2
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1 It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont:
2 * * * Positions * * *
3 Sec. 1. AGENCY OF EDUCATION; POSITIONS; APPROPRIATIONS
4 (a) Positions. The following positions are created in the Agency of
5 Education:
6 (1) three full-time, permanent classified positions to provide ongoing
7 development and coaching content related to tiered systems of supports and
8 educational support teams, as required under 16 V.S.A. § 2902;
9 (2) two full-time, permanent classified positions to provide ongoing
10 professional development and coaching content related to statewide literacy
11 efforts, including scientifically-based literacy techniques.
12 (3) one half-time, permanent classified position to provide ongoing
13 professional development and coaching content related to statewide literacy
14 efforts, including scientifically-based literacy techniques.
15 (b) Appropriations.
16 (1) Notwithstanding any provision of 16 V.S.A. § 4025 to the contrary,
17 the sum of $450,000.00 is appropriated from the Education Fund to the
18 Agency of Education in fiscal year 2025 for salary, benefits, and operating
19 expenses for the three positions created to provide ongoing development and
20 coaching content related to tiered systems of supports and educational support
21 teams under subdivision (a)(1) of this section.
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1 (2) Notwithstanding any provision of 16 V.S.A. § 4025 to the contrary,
2 the sum of $350,000.00 is appropriated from the Education Fund to the
3 Agency of Education in fiscal year 2025 for salary, benefits, and operating
4 expenses for the two full-time and one half-time positions created to provide
5 ongoing professional development and coaching content related to statewide
6 literacy efforts, including scientifically-based literacy techniques, under
7 subdivisions (a)(2) and (3) of this section.
8 * * * Community Schools * * *
9 Sec. 2. 2021 Acts and Resolves No. 67, Sec. 3 is amended to read:
10 Sec. 3. COMMUNITY SCHOOLS; FUNDING
11 ***
12 (b) Funding authorization. The Secretary of Education is authorized to
13 provide annual funding for a period of three years to an eligible recipient to use
14 as required under subsection (d) of this section.
15 (c) Funding administration.
16 (1) Subject to subdivision (2) of this subsection, the Secretary of
17 Education shall determine, using the Agency of Education’s equity lens tool,
18 which eligible recipients shall receive funding and the amount of funding, and
19 the Secretary shall provide the funding on or before September 1 of each of
20 2021, 2022, and 2023 year to recipients. The Secretary may deny or reduce
21 second- and third-year subsequent funding if the Secretary finds that the VT LEG #373225 v.2
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1 recipient has made insufficient progress towards developing and implementing
2 community school programs. In determining which eligible recipients shall
3 receive funding, the Secretary shall take into account relative need, based on
4 the extent to which community school program services are needed and the
5 extent to which the eligible recipient seeks to offer them.
6 (2) In determining which eligible recipients shall receive funding and
7 the amount of funding and to advance the principles for Vermont’s trauma-
8 informed system of care under 33 V.S.A. § 3401, the Secretary of Education
9 shall collaborate with the Director of Trauma Prevention and Resilience
10 Development and the Vermont Child and Family Trauma Work Group.
11 (3) The Agency of Education shall inform all eligible recipients of the
12 availability of funding under this act and, for those eligible recipients most in
13 need of this funding, shall educate these eligible recipients on community
14 school programs and their benefits. The Agency of Education shall also advise
15 all eligible recipients of other sources of funding that may be available to
16 advance the purpose of this act.
17 (d) Use of funding.
18 ***
19 (3) If a needs and assets assessment has not been conducted under
20 subdivision (1)(A) of this subsection within the prior three years, the first year
21 of funding shall be used to conduct the needs and assets assessment of the VT LEG #373225 v.2
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1 school to determine what is necessary to develop community school programs
2 and an action plan to implement community school programs. During the
3 second and third subsequent years of the funding, the community school
4 coordinator shall, in collaboration with the site-based leadership team, oversee
5 the implementation of community school programs.
6 (e) Evaluation.
7 (1) At the end of each year of funding, each recipient shall undergo an
8 evaluation designed by the Agency of Education using its equity lens tool.
9 (2) On or before each of December 15, 2022 and 2024, the Agency of
10 Education shall report to the General Assembly and the Governor on the
11 impact of the funding under this act. The report shall be made publicly
12 available on the Agency of Education’s website.
13 ***
14 * * * Limited Service Literacy Position * * *
15 Sec. 3. 2021 Acts and Resolves No. 28, Sec. 4(a) is amended to read:
16 (a) There is appropriated to the Agency of Education from the American
17 Rescue Plan Act of 2021 pursuant to Section 2001(f)(4), Pub. L. No. 117-2 in
18 fiscal year 2022 the amount of $450,000.00 for the costs of the contractor or
19 contractors under Sec. 3 of this act for fiscal years 2022, 2023, and 2024. The
20 Agency may shift the use of this funding from the contractor or contractors to a VT LEG #373225 v.2
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1 limited service position that would expire at the end of fiscal year 2024 within
2 the Agency focused on coordinating the Statewide statewide literacy efforts.
3 * * * Appropriations * * *
4 Sec. 4. APPROPRIATIONS
5 (a) Notwithstanding any provision of 16 V.S.A. § 4025 to the contrary, the
6 sum of $120,000.00 is appropriated from the Education Fund to the Agency of
7 Education in fiscal year 2025 to support the Agency’s Learning Management
8 System.
9 (b) The sum of $1,200,000.00 is appropriated from the General Fund to the
10 Agency of Education in fiscal year 2025 to fund the Community Schools
11 Program created under 2021 Acts and Resolves No. 67, Sec. 3, as amended by
12 Sec. 2 of this act.
13 (c) The sum of $150,000.00 is appropriated from the General Fund to the
14 Agency of Education in fiscal year 2025 to fund the limited services position
15 within the Agency focused on coordinating statewide literacy efforts, created
16 under 2021 Acts and Resolves No. 28, Sec. 4(a), as amended by Sec. 3 of this
17 act.
18 * * * Effective Date * * *
19 Sec. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE
20 This act shall take effect on passage.
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