Scott signs four education bills affecting Vermont schools

Gov. Phil Scott has signed into law four education-related bills that emerged from this year's legislative session, covering immigration enforcement in schools, chronic absenteeism, pre-kindergarten options in Essex County, and deadlines for testing school buildings for PCBs.

The bills arrive as school administrators face heavy workloads. Chelsea Myers, executive director of the Vermont Superintendents Association, said the "sheer volume and pace" of annual legislation adds responsibilities on top of major policy initiatives to restrict spending.

Act 125 standardizes immigration protocols across Vermont's school districts. It restricts immigration agents' access to school grounds and prohibits school staff from collaborating with federal immigration enforcement without a judicial warrant. Scott said the bill "sets a standard for how Vermont schools interact with federal immigration police." Wilmer Chavarria, Winooski superintendent who pioneered a local sanctuary school policy, said he was "relieved" the state now protects students statewide.

Act 122 modernizes truancy and absenteeism laws that had not changed since the 1960s. It establishes a model framework based on policies in the Maple Run School District, prioritizing early identification and family engagement. Toren Ballard of the Vermont Agency of Education said the bill "signals a shift in how Vermont approaches student attendance." Chronic absenteeism rates, while improved, remain above pre-pandemic levels.

Act 124, a one-page bill, allows school districts in Essex County to pay tuition for pre-K students to attend programs in New Hampshire. Local advocates said the change provides a lifeline for parents of 3- and 4-year-olds who lack nearby options.

H.542 extends the deadline for testing schools for airborne PCBs from 2027 to 2035. The bill also creates a fund for potential settlement money from the state's ongoing litigation against Monsanto, the former manufacturer of the carcinogenic compound. New Hampshire and other states have already settled similar cases.

Originally reported by VTDigger.

Photo: Austin via Unsplash. Photo is illustrative and not from the scene.