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Bill

H 616

An act relating to the right to enroll full time in virtual learning

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Michael Boutin

Establishes a right for resident students to enroll full-time in a Vermont AOE‑backed virtual program, with districts required to pay the full tuition.

Read first time and referred to the Committee on Education
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · H 616

Overview

Bill: H.616 (2025-2026) | Vermont

  • Syracuse: Introduced by Rep. Boutin (Barre City)
  • Committee: House Education
  • Purpose: Establish the right for resident students to enroll full-time in a virtual learning program overseen by the Vermont Agency of Education (AOE) and require school districts to pay full tuition to that virtual provider upon request of a parent or legal guardian, regardless of whether virtual learning is part of the student's personalized learning plan.

Main purpose and intent

  • Create a statutory right for families to enroll a student full-time in a virtual learning provider coordinated by the AOE.
  • Require local school districts to pay the full tuition charged by the virtual learning provider to support full-time enrollment.
  • Integrate virtual learning as an option within the existing framework for school choice and tuition payments, aligning with Vermont’s flexible pathways and personalized learning goals.

Key provisions and changes

  • Section 821 (Elementary education)

    • Existing obligation: districts maintain elementary schools or pay tuition to other districts or approved independent schools.
    • New addition (subsection continuing from existing structure): At the request of a parent or guardian, a school district with an operating elementary school must pay tuition for the student to enroll full-time with the virtual learning provider overseen by the AOE (per 16 V.S.A. § 948). The district must cover the full tuition charged by the virtual provider.

  • Section 822 (High school education)

    • Existing obligation: districts maintain one or more high schools or pay tuition to other public/independent schools.
    • New addition (subsection 1(C)): At the request of a parent or guardian, a district shall pay tuition to the virtual learning provider overseen by the AOE for the student’s full-time enrollment, with the district paying the full tuition charged by the provider.
    • Districts retain final authority over which institution the student attends at public cost.

  • Effective date

    • The act would take effect July 1, 2026.

Who/what is affected

  • Resident students seeking full-time enrollment in virtual learning (as overseen by the AOE under section 948).
  • School districts (elementary and secondary) responsible for paying full tuition to the virtual learning provider upon parental request.
  • The Vermont Agency of Education (AOE), which maintains access to and oversight of the virtual learning provider referenced in the bill.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Effective date: July 1, 2026.
  • Process for families: Parents or guardians request full-time virtual enrollment; districts are obligated to pay the full tuition charged by the AOE-backed virtual provider.
  • District decision-making: While the bill grants the right to enroll full-time in virtual learning, the district’s choice of institution for in-district education is superseded for tuition purposes by the obligation to fund the virtual provider (the bill states districts shall pay the full tuition charged by the virtual provider upon request).

Notes

  • The bill places virtual learning on par with traditional in-district schools for funding purposes, ensuring parental choice to enroll in a state-backed virtual program.
  • Specific figures (tuition amounts) are not provided in the text; districts must pay the full amount charged by the virtual provider.
  • The bill retains the district’s general authority on which in-person institution the student would attend for public cost, except when the parent pursues full-time virtual enrollment under this act.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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