Bill H.955, introduced by the Committee on Education, seeks to reform Vermont's education system by renaming "boards of cooperative education services" to "cooperative educational service areas" (CESAs) and assigning each supervisory union to a designated CESA. The bill mandates that all school districts participate in a study committee to evaluate the feasibility of forming unified union school districts and amends effective dates in a previous act. It also requires the Joint Fiscal Office to hire a contractor to provide recommendations on integrating prekindergarten education into the state's education finance system. The legislation emphasizes equal educational opportunities and aims to enhance collaboration among supervisory unions to improve educational outcomes.

Additionally, the bill outlines the governance structure of CESAs, including the composition of their boards and the responsibilities of their members, while ensuring that board members do not serve in related for-profit or nonprofit organizations. It establishes a timeline for the formation of study committees to explore unified union school districts, with reports due by December 1, 2027, and mandates a vote on any proposed new districts by November 7, 2028. The bill also emphasizes the importance of prekindergarten education, requiring the Joint Fiscal Office to recommend how to incorporate it into the funding system, with a report due by January 15, 2027. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2026.

Statutes affected:
As Introduced: 16-10, 16-261a, 16-1691a, 16-1931(20), 16-1931, 24-5051(10), 24-5051, 16-1981, 21-1722, 16-2101