Vermont Statutes Title 16 Sec. 4028
Terms Used In Vermont Statutes Title 16 Sec. 4028
- Adjusted education payment: means the district's education spending per equalized pupil. See
- Base education amount: means a number used to calculate categorical grants awarded under this title that is equal to $6,800. See
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Education spending: means the amount of the school district budget, any assessment for a joint contract school, career technical center payments made on behalf of the district under subsection 1561(b) of this title, and any amount added to pay a deficit pursuant to 24 V. See
- Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
- School district: means a town school district, city school district, incorporated school district, the member school districts of an interstate school district, a union school district, a unified union district, or an unorganized town or gore. See
- School year: means a year beginning on July 1 and ending on the following June 30. See
- Secretary: means the Secretary of Education. See
- Supervisory union: means an administrative, planning, and educational service unit created by the State Board under section 261 of this title, that consists of two or more school districts; if the context clearly allows, the term also means a supervisory district. See
- Town: shall include city and wards or precincts therein; "selectboard members" and "board of civil authority" shall extend to and include the mayor and aldermen of cities; "trustees" shall extend to and include bailiffs of incorporated villages; and the laws applicable to the inhabitants and officers of towns shall be applicable to the inhabitants and similar officers of all municipal corporations. See
§ 4028. Fund payments to school districts
(a) On or before September 10, December 10, and April 30 of each school year, one-third of the adjusted education payment under section 4011 of this title shall become due to school districts, except that districts that have not adopted a budget by 30 days before the date of payment under this subsection shall receive one-quarter of the base education amount and upon adoption of a budget shall receive additional amounts due under this subsection.
(b) Payments made for special education under chapter 101 of this title, for career technical education under chapter 37 of this title, and for other aid and categorical grants paid for support of education shall also be from the Education Fund.
(c)(1) Any district that has adopted a school budget that includes high spending, as defined in 32 V.S.A. § 5401(12), shall, upon timely notice, be authorized to use a portion of its high spending penalty to reduce future education spending:
(A) by entering into a contract with an operational efficiency consultant or a financial systems consultant to examine issues such as transportation arrangements, administrative costs, staffing patterns, and the potential for collaboration with other districts;
(B) by entering into a contract with an energy or facilities management consultant; or
(C) by engaging in discussions with other school districts about reorganization or consolidation for better service delivery at a lower cost.
(2) To the extent approved by the Secretary, the Agency shall pay the district from the property tax revenue to be generated by the high spending increase to the district’s spending adjustment as estimated by the Secretary, up to a maximum of $5,000.00. For the purposes of this subsection, “timely notice” means written notice from the district to the Secretary by September 30 of the budget year. If the district enters into a contract with a consultant pursuant to this subsection, the consultant shall not be an employee of the district or of the Agency. A copy of the consultant’s final recommendations or a copy of the district’s recommendations regarding reorganization, as appropriate, shall be submitted to the Secretary, and each affected town shall include in its next town report an executive summary of the consultant’s or district’s final recommendations and notice of where a complete copy is available. No district is authorized to obtain funds under this section more than one time in every five years.
(d) The Joint Fiscal Office shall prepare a fiscal note for any legislation that requires a supervisory union or school district to perform any action with an associated cost, but does not provide money or a funding mechanism for fulfilling that obligation. Any fiscal note prepared under this subsection shall be completed not later than the date that the legislation is considered for a vote in the first committee to which it is referred. (Added 1997, No. 60, § 18, eff. July 1, 1998; amended 1997, No. 71 (Adj. Sess.), § 70, eff. July 1, 1999; 1997, No. 71 (Adj. Sess.),§ 118, eff. March 11, 1998; 1997, No. 147 (Adj. Sess.), § 159(b); 1999, No. 152 (Adj. Sess.), § 166b; 2003, No. 68, § 20, eff. June 18, 2003; 2005, No. 38, § 10, eff. June 2, 2005; 2007, No. 66, § 10; 2009, No. 44, § 19, eff. May 21, 2009; 2013, No. 92 (Adj. Sess.), § 243, eff. Feb. 14, 2014; 2013, No. 174 (Adj. Sess.), § 68, eff. June 4, 2014; 2015, No. 23, § 41; 2021, No. 20, § 71.)