Lola Duffort

1 week ago | vermontpublic.org | Lola Duffort

Back in January, Gov. Phil Scott leveraged the gains his Republican party made in the last election to come out swinging, demanding that lawmakers send him a bill this year that would transform Vermont’s K-12 system. On Monday, legislative leaders did what Scott asked them to do. The landmark, 155-page bill they sent to his desk, which he plans to sign, would fundamentally upend how our schools are funded and governed.

1 week ago | nhpr.org | Lola Duffort

Smartphones are everywhere these days. But soon, there’s one place you won’t see them: Vermont’s schools. State lawmakers gave final approval Monday to a bill, H.480, that would ban personal electronic devices in all public schools and all private schools that accept publicly-funded students. (The legislation exempts students who need devices to access special education or homelessness services.)The ban would go into effect for the 2026-27 school year, which is a little later than Rep.

1 week ago | vermontpublic.org | Lola Duffort

Smartphones are everywhere these days. But soon, there’s one place you won’t see them: Vermont’s schools. State lawmakers gave final approval Monday to a bill, H.480, that would ban personal electronic devices in all public schools and all private schools that accept publicly-funded students. (The legislation exempts students who need devices to access special education or homelessness services.)The ban would go into effect for the 2026-27 school year, which is a little later than Rep.

1 week ago | vermontpublic.org | Lola Duffort

Despite opposition from many Democrats and outrage from large swaths of the public education system, legislative leaders summoned just enough votes Monday to send a historic education reform package to Gov. Phil Scott’s desk. The Republican governor, who leveraged his party’s sweeping gains in November to demand an overhaul to the state’s K-12 system this year, is expected to sign H. 454. The 155-page bill is expansive in scope, but it primarily aims to do two things.

2 weeks ago | vermontpublic.org | Lola Duffort

Negotiators for the Vermont House and Senate have a deal on education reform. After days of tense debate, six lawmakers tasked with hammering out a deal shook hands Friday afternoon on historic legislation that — if enacted — would upend nearly everything about how the state funds and governs its K-12 schools. Less than 24 hours before that handshake, House lawmakers appeared ready to walk away.