Vermont bill caps public school tuition rates and prohibits extra fees for sending districts

Original title: An act relating to tuition charged by public schools

Last action · February 12, 2025: Read first time and referred to the Committee on EducationSponsors: Elizabeth Burrows and 4 others

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What This Bill Would Do

This bill limits the tuition rate a receiving public school can charge to the average announced tuition of union elementary or high schools. It also bans receiving schools from charging sending districts extra fees for special education, availability reservations, or uncounted costs, and excludes tuition paid by nonoperating districts from education spending calculations for .

Why it matters

Changes how school districts budget for out-of-district student tuition by capping rates and eliminating specific surcharge fees, which alters financial planning for both sending and receiving educational districts.

Who It Would Affect

Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

receiving public schools

Their ability to set tuition rates is capped, and they are prohibited from charging additional fees for special education and availability reservations.

Directly affected

sending school districts

They are protected from receiving additional uncounted fees and excess tuition charges from receiving schools.

Directly affected

nonoperating school districts

Tuition they pay is removed from their education spending calculations for excess spending purposes.

Key Facts

Limits the tuition rate charged by a receiving public school to the average announced tuition of union elementary or high schools.
Prohibits receiving public schools from charging sending school districts additional fees for special education, availability reservation, or other uncounted fees.
Eliminates tuition paid by a nonoperating school district from its education spending when calculating excess spending under 32 V.S.A. § 5401(12).

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the bill affect tuition rates charged by receiving public schools?

It limits the tuition rate charged by a receiving public school to the average announced tuition of union elementary schools or union high schools.

What fees are prohibited for sending school districts?

Receiving public schools are prohibited from charging sending school districts any additional fees for special education, availability reservation, or other fees that cannot be accounted for.

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Where This Stands

Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.

Procedural history

1 action

Feb 12, 2025HouseIntroduced
Read first time and referred to the Committee on Education

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

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