Bill > H0955

This bill enacts several significant changes to Vermont's education system, primarily by renaming "boards of cooperative education services" (BOCES) to "cooperative educational service areas" (CESAs) and assigning each supervisory union to a specific CESA, aiming to improve efficiency and reduce duplication in educational programs and services. It also mandates that all school districts participate in study committees to explore the feasibility of forming unified union school districts, a process that will be facilitated by dedicated personnel. Furthermore, the bill revises the effective dates for certain provisions within the 2025 Acts and Resolves No. 73, which pertains to education finance reform, and requires the Joint Fiscal Office (JFO) to hire a contractor to analyze and recommend how prekindergarten education should be accounted for within Vermont's education finance system, reflecting a broader intent to integrate prekindergarten as a fundamental part of the state's educational offerings and ensure equitable access and funding.