Vermont features one of the nation's most unique education systems, combining the country's oldest school choice program (1869) with top-5 national rankings, the lowest pupil-teacher ratio nationwide (10.5:1), and innovative approaches including universal pre-K and historic town academies. Despite facing significant consolidation challenges and the worst teacher shortage nationally, Vermont maintains exceptional educational quality through 51 supervisory unions serving 118 school districts.
51 Supervisory Unions
Nationally (WalletHub)
Lowest in Nation
Oldest in Nation
Act 73 of 2025 establishes Vermont's transition to a reimagined education system featuring larger school districts (consolidation from 119 to approximately 12), weighted student funding formula, and statewide tax rate. The Vermont School Redistricting Task Force recommends a 10-year plan creating Cooperative Education Service Areas, with strict class size thresholds giving the State Board of Education authority to close schools below enrollment minimums.
Vermont consistently ranks among the top states for education quality despite being one of the smallest states by population:
Leadership: Zoie Saunders, Secretary of Education (nonpartisan, assumed office 2024)
Federal Funding: In fiscal year 2024, the Agency of Education received $493 million in federal funds, more than 90% passed through as grants to schools and districts.
Website: Vermont Agency of Education
Vermont students performed above the national average in mathematics while showing declines in reading scores:
| Grade & Subject | At/Above Proficient | At/Above Basic | Trend vs. 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 4 Reading | 31% | 58% | Declined |
| Grade 8 Reading | 29% | 67% | Declined |
| Grade 4 Mathematics | 36% | 75% | No Change |
| Grade 8 Mathematics | 29% | 64% | No Change |
NAEP Math Score: 276 (above national average of 273)
Vermont utilizes a supervisory union structure that is nearly unique among U.S. states:
Supervisory unions provide shared services and support to multiple school districts. Under Vermont law (Title 16, Chapter 11, § 719), supervisory unions coordinate special education services, bulk purchasing, curriculum development, and administrative functions across member districts. Many SUs were formed to help small rural districts achieve economies of scale.
Vermont's most sweeping education governance reform in decades:
| Reform Element | Details |
|---|---|
| District Consolidation | Reduce from 119 districts to approximately 12 larger districts |
| Weighted Funding Formula | Replace per-pupil model with weights for poverty, ELL, rural schools, small schools |
| Statewide Tax Rate | Transition from local property tax rates to unified state rate |
| Class Size Thresholds | State Board of Education gains authority to close schools below enrollment minimums |
| Timeline | 10-year implementation plan; Cooperative Education Service Areas created |
| Community Impact | Rural communities fear loss of local schools and decision-making voice |
Act 46 (earlier consolidation effort) intended to dramatically reduce the number of districts from 280 by 2020 using tax incentives. Act 73 represents a more aggressive approach with mandated consolidation timelines.
Vermont's 200+ school districts (pre-consolidation), many tiny and scattered across vast rural lands, face strains on multiple fronts:
Controversy: Research shows small community-schools often help mitigate the impact of poverty on student learning, leading to significant anxiety in rural areas: "There's just a lot of anxiety here throughout the islands, with concerns about very small schools and districts losing voice or meaningful votes, with people away from rural areas deciding what happens and which schools close."
Data Access: The Agency of Education collects data from Vermont's supervisory unions and school districts about students, staff, enrollment and assessments. This data is available through the Vermont Education Dashboard.
Vermont does not have charter schools, making it one of the few states without these publicly funded schools that are free of many regulations restricting traditional public schools. While Vermont Education Secretary Zoie Saunders has discussed charter schools and educational innovation, no charter school legislation has been passed as of 2025.
Instead of charter schools, Vermont offers other educational choice alternatives:
Over 3,000 students attend schools using public vouchers through Vermont's historic town tuitioning system, launched in 1869.
Vermont has at least two magnet schools with specialized curricula:
Vermont Education Secretary Zoie Saunders unveiled details of a plan in 2024 that would drastically change school governance, including a proposal to open school choice to all students, regardless of where they live. This represents a significant shift from the current system, where only students living in districts without a public school can use tax dollars to attend public or approved independent schools of their choice.
Current System: School choice limited to "tuitioning towns" without public schools
Proposed System: Universal school choice for all Vermont students
Status: Proposal under discussion; not yet enacted into law
Vermont's Town Tuitioning Program was launched in 1869, making it the oldest school choice program in operation today. Over 3,000 students currently attend private schools using public vouchers through this system.
Many towns in Vermont, particularly in rural areas, do not operate public high schools and/or elementary schools. Students in those "tuitioning towns" may use public dollars to attend any public or approved independent (private) school in or outside of Vermont.
Most tuition students choosing private options attend one of four schools, often called the "historic academies," which function as de-facto public high schools in their regions:
Location: Manchester
Location: Lyndonville
Location: Thetford
Location: St. Johnsbury
As of July 1, 2025, significant restrictions were placed on the town tuitioning program:
| Category | New Restriction |
|---|---|
| Out-of-State Schools | INELIGIBLE Any out-of-state private schools became ineligible for publicly funded vouchers |
| Within-District Schools | INELIGIBLE Private schools located within the borders of a school district that operates K-12 public schools became ineligible |
| Low Public Enrollment Schools | INELIGIBLE Schools where fewer than 25% of students are publicly funded no longer qualify |
Impact: More than half of Vermont's independent schools that were previously eligible for public funding are now ineligible under Act 73.
The program began in 1869, when Vermont's educational landscape was split between:
Rural towns without resources to build their own high schools began paying tuition for students to attend either public schools in neighboring towns or private academies, establishing a model that continues today.
The tuitioning system generates ongoing debates about:
Additional Resources:
Vermont maintains a directory of approved and recognized independent schools with different categories based on eligibility to receive public funds:
| Status | Public Funding Eligible? | Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Approved Independent School | YES | Meets all Vermont Agency of Education standards; can receive town tuitioning funds |
| Recognized Independent School | NO | Recognized by AOE but does not meet approval standards for public funding |
| Non-Approved Private School | NO | Operates without AOE approval; tuition paid entirely by families |
Under Act 73 reforms:
Impact Assessment: Independent schools and rural advocates describe this as making private schools "guaranteed losers" in Vermont's evolving education landscape, significantly restricting family choice options.
Resources:
On June 14, 2023, Governor Scott signed H-0461, significantly simplifying the homeschool enrollment process. Beginning July 1, 2023, families are no longer required to submit an MCOS (Minimum Course of Study) to the Agency of Education or submit End of Year Assessments to AOE.
Parents must ensure instruction includes:
Homeschooled students must choose one of several assessment options to measure personal progress and retain for their records:
Important: Assessment results are retained by families for their records; they are no longer submitted to the Agency of Education as of July 1, 2023.
The primary support organization for homeschooling families in Vermont:
Vermont State University was created in July 2023 by consolidating three previously independent colleges: Castleton University, Northern Vermont University, and Vermont Technical College.
Strategic Growth: After a tumultuous first year of consolidation, VTSU's enrollment recovery in Fall 2024 represents a hopeful sign for Vermont's public higher education system.
Together, more than 11,000 students are enrolled in the constituent colleges of the Vermont State Colleges System, which includes:
Important Note: The Vermont State Colleges System has never included the University of Vermont. UVM is a separate institution.
Vermont's flagship public research university operates independently from the Vermont State Colleges System:
Vermont is home to several highly-regarded private institutions:
Location: Middlebury
Type: Private liberal arts college
Reputation: Consistently ranked among top liberal arts colleges nationally
Notable: Renowned language programs, environmental studies
Location: Northfield
Type: Private military college
Notable: Oldest private military college in the United States (founded 1819)
Programs: Strong engineering, cybersecurity, national security
Location: Bennington
Type: Private liberal arts college
Notable: Progressive education model, strong arts programs
Location: Colchester
Type: Private Catholic college
Notable: Liberal arts focus, service learning emphasis
Status: Closed 2020
Note: Assets merged with Emerson College; programs continue in Boston
Location: Burlington
Type: Private college
Notable: Strong cybersecurity, game design, business programs
Vermont's CTE system prepares students for college and careers through real-world experience:
Affords eligible students the opportunity to earn college credit for concurrent enrollment classes offered at their regional CTE center, taught during the regular school day.
Resources:
Starting in 2014, Act 166 required all public school districts to offer Universal Prekindergarten (UPK) for every 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old child not enrolled in kindergarten, for a minimum of 10 hours per week for 35 weeks annually.
Resources:
Vermont has 10% fewer educators than before the pandemic, which is the worst mark in the country except for Alaska according to a recent U.S. Department of Education report. As of mid-academic year 2023, there were still more than 1,000 open positions for teachers, special educators, and support staff.
| Metric | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Average Annual Salary | $61,140 | ZipRecruiter 2025 data |
| Public School Teacher Average | $52,561 | Alternative source |
| GovSalaries Average | $65,396 | Range: $56,145 to $81,367 |
| 25th Percentile | $47,800 | ZipRecruiter data |
| 75th Percentile | $65,900 | |
| 90th Percentile (Top Earners) | $76,022 | |
| National Ranking | 50th out of 50 states | |
Critical Context: Vermont ranks dead last (50th) out of 50 states for school teacher salaries, making recruitment and retention extremely challenging.
Staffing shortages are most acute in rural and lower-income areas of Vermont, a longstanding trend that the pandemic has transformed into a crisis.
| Factor | Impact |
|---|---|
| Burnout | Teaching during COVID-19 pandemic led to unprecedented stress and exhaustion |
| Housing Shortage | One huge barrier to recruiting new teachers is lack of affordable housing around the state |
| Politicization | Division at school board meetings creates hostile work environment |
| Safety Concerns | Fears for safety amid wave of school shootings |
| Low Compensation | Ranked 50th nationally in teacher salaries |
| Staffing Shortages | Vermont-NEA survey: Most educators cite staffing shortages as bigger problem than pay |
The Vermont Agency of Education designates specific subject areas as critical shortage areas for teacher loan forgiveness and recruitment incentives:
Recently implemented program incentivizes people to work in Vermont:
A collaboration between the Vermont teachers union, school districts, and other partners aims to:
Some Vermont school districts are "going the extra mile—literally":
Students at Vermont State University (VTSU) proposed paying student teachers during their clinical practice as a solution to attract more people into the teaching profession.
Resources:
Vermont uses a property tax-based education funding system that is undergoing major reforms:
Act 127 of 2022 substantially changed the weights applied to calculate district pupil counts, intended to even the playing field between districts by giving more weight to low-income students, English language learners, and students at rural schools, on the understanding that these groups are more expensive to educate.
Effective for FY25 (2024-2025 school year and property tax year):
| Student Category | Previous Weight | Act 127 Weight | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in Poverty | Lower weight | Increased weight | Increased |
| English Language Learners (ELL) | Lower weight | Increased weight | Increased |
| Sparsely Populated Districts | No specific weight | New weight added | New |
| Small Schools (in sparse districts) | No specific weight | New weight added | New |
Rural areas, such as the Northeast Kingdom, stand to gain the most from Act 127's weighting changes that favor rural and economically disadvantaged districts.
The legislature replaced Act 127's original transition mechanism with a new mechanism to help school districts adapt:
Vermont faced significant education property tax challenges in 2024:
H.850 (Act 127 Fix): Lawmakers overrode Governor Scott's veto of the "yield bill" property tax legislation in June 2024, implementing the revised transition mechanism described above.
Act 173 of 2018 is an act relating to enhancing the effectiveness, availability, and equity of services provided to students who require additional support. The act changed special education funding from reimbursement-based to census-based allocation.
| Aspect | Previous Model | Act 173 Model |
|---|---|---|
| Basis | Reimbursement of actual costs | Census-based (overall enrollment) |
| Reimbursement Rate | 56% or 90% per student depending on services needed | Fixed per-pupil allocation |
| Variation by District | Higher reimbursement for districts with more special ed students | Same funding regardless of % of special ed students |
Districts with varying rates of special education identification receive the same funding, regardless of the percentage of students needing special education services:
School districts must submit annual Act 173 Special Education Plans to the Vermont Agency of Education, reporting anticipated expenditures and special education staff surveys.
Resources:
Last updated on November 24, 2025