Terms Used In Vermont Statutes > Title 15A > Chapter 3 - General Procedure for Adoption

• Accredited postsecondary institution: means a postsecondary institution that has been accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges or another regional accrediting agency recognized by the U. See
• Adoptee: means a person who is adopted or is to be adopted. See
• Adult education and literacy: means a program of public education adapted to the needs of persons who are beyond compulsory school age, and who have not completed high school education. See
• Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
• Agency: means the Department or a child-placing public or private entity that is licensed in this State to place minors for adoption. See
• Agency of Education: means the Secretary and staff necessary to carry out the functions of the Agency. See
• Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
• Amortization: Paying off a loan by regular installments.
• Annual meeting: when applied to towns shall mean the annual town meeting in March or an adjournment thereof. See
• Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
• Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
• Appraisal: A determination of property value.
• Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
• approved education program: includes an "approved teen parent education program. See
• Approved independent school: means an independent school that is approved under section 166 of this title. See
• Approved independent school: means an independent school physically located in Vermont and approved by the State Board of Education under section 166 of this title. See
• Approved provider: means an entity approved by the Secretary to provide educational services that may be awarded credits or used to determine proficiency necessary for a high school diploma. See
• Articles of organization: means initial, amended, and restated articles of organization and articles of merger. See
• between: as used in this title in respect to a specified age of a student, shall mean the period of time commencing on the birthday of the child when he or she becomes the age first specified and ending on the day next preceding the birthday of the child when he or she becomes the age last specified. See
• Blended learning: means a formal education program in which content and instruction are delivered both in a traditional classroom setting and through virtual learning. See
• Bullying: means any overt act or combination of acts, including an act conducted by electronic means, directed against a student by another student or group of students and that:

• Business: includes every trade, occupation, profession, and other lawful purpose, whether or not carried on for profit. See
• Career development: means the identification of student interests and aptitudes and the ability to link these to potential career paths and the training and education necessary to succeed on these paths. See
• Carnegie unit: means 125 hours of class or contact time with a teacher over the course of one year at the secondary level. See
• Child: means a minor or an adult son or daughter, by birth or adoption. See
• Coach: means a person who instructs or trains students on a school athletic team. See
• Collision sport: means football, hockey, lacrosse, or wrestling. See
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• comprehensive health education: means a systematic and extensive elementary and secondary educational program designed to provide a variety of learning experiences based upon knowledge of the human organism as it functions within its environment. See
• Comprehensive high school: means a public or independent school other than a career technical center that provides secondary career technical education approved under section 1533 of this title. See
• Contact sport: means a sport, other than football, hockey, lacrosse, or wrestling, defined as a contact sport by the American Academy of Pediatrics. See
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
• CTE tuition: means the amount calculated by subtracting from total regional technical CTE center costs all expenditures from State and federal grants except for incentive grants, adult education grants, or other State grants as defined by State Board rule, then dividing the result by the sum of the actual number of full-time equivalent out-of-state students and the average of the full-time equivalent Vermont students for the three prior years. See
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Department: means the Department for Children and Families. See
• Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
• Designated office: means the office of a limited liability company designated pursuant to section 4007 of this title or the principal office of a foreign limited liability company. See
• Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. ^Source:
• Document: means information that is inscribed on a tangible medium or that is stored in an electronic or other medium and is retrievable in perceivable form. See
• Domestic: when applied to a corporation, company, association, or copartnership shall mean organized under the laws of this State; "foreign" when so applied, shall mean organized under the laws of another state, government, or country. See
• Dual enrollment: means enrollment by a secondary student in a course offered by an accredited postsecondary institution and for which, upon successful completion of the course, the student will receive:

• Early college: means full-time enrollment, pursuant to subsection 4011(e) of this title, by a 12th grade Vermont student for one academic year in a program offered by a postsecondary institution in which the credits earned apply to secondary school graduation requirements. See
• Entitlement: A Federal program or provision of law that requires payments to any person or unit of government that meets the eligibility criteria established by law. Entitlements constitute a binding obligation on the part of the Federal Government, and eligible recipients have legal recourse if the obligation is not fulfilled. Social Security and veterans' compensation and pensions are examples of entitlement programs.
• Entity: means a person other than an individual. See
• Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
• Ex officio: Literally, by virtue of one's office.
• Fair market value: The price at which an asset would change hands in a transaction between a willing, informed buyer and a willing, informed seller.
• Fees: shall mean earnings due for official services, aside from salaries or per diem compensation. See
• Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
• Flexible pathways to graduation: means any combination of high-quality academic and experiential components leading to secondary school completion and postsecondary readiness, which may include assessments that allow the student to apply his or her knowledge and skills to tasks that are of interest to that student. See
• following: when used by way of reference to a section of the law shall mean the next preceding or following section. See
• Food programs: means provision of food to persons under programs meeting standards for assistance under the National School Lunch Act, 42 U. See
• Foreign limited liability company: means an unincorporated entity organized under laws, other than the laws of this State, which afford limited liability to its owners comparable to the liability under section 4042 of this title. See
• Former parent: means the parent of the adoptee whose rights were terminated, voluntarily or involuntarily. See
• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• Grades: means the division of the educational work of the public schools into 13 school year units beginning with kindergarten and thereafter numbered from one to 12 beginning with the lowest. See
• Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
• Guardian: means a person, other than a parent, appointed by a court to act as a parent for another individual and specifically authorized by the Court to place the individual for adoption. See
• Hazing: means any act committed by a person, whether individually or in concert with others, against a student in connection with pledging, being initiated into, affiliating with, holding office in, or maintaining membership in any organization that is affiliated with an educational institution; and that is intended to have the effect of, or should reasonably be expected to have the effect of, humiliating, intimidating, or demeaning the student or endangering the mental or physical health of a student. See
• Health care provider: means an athletic trainer, or other health care provider, licensed pursuant to Title 26, who has within the preceding five years been specifically trained in the evaluation and management of concussions and other head injuries. See
• Home study program: means an educational program offered through home study that provides a minimum course of study and that is offered to not more than:

• Identifying information: means any information which might establish the current whereabouts of an adoptee, the adoptee's former parent or other family member, including full name, date and place of birth, and last known address. See
• Independent school: means a school other than a public school, which provides a program of elementary or secondary education, or both. See
• Indictment: The formal charge issued by a grand jury stating that there is enough evidence that the defendant committed the crime to justify having a trial; it is used primarily for felonies.
• Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
• Justice: when applied to a person, other than a Justice of the Supreme Court, shall mean a justice of the peace for the county for which he or she is elected or appointed. See
• Kindergarten: means an educational program for children of one year adapted to the needs of students who will attend first grade the following year. See
• Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). ^{Source: OCC}
• Legal custody: means the right and duty to exercise continuing general supervision of a minor as authorized by law. See
• Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
• Local adult education and literacy provider: means an entity that is awarded federal or State grant funds to conduct adult education and literacy activities. See
• Manager: means a person that under the operating agreement of a manager-managed limited liability company is responsible, alone or in concert with others, for performing the management functions stated in subsection 4054(c) of this title. See
• Member: means a person that has become a member of a limited liability company under section 4051 of this title and has not dissociated under section 4081 of this title. See
• Minor: means a person who has not attained 18 years of age. See
• Month: shall mean a calendar month and "year" shall mean a calendar year and be equivalent to the expression "year of our Lord. See
• Municipality: shall include a city, town, town school district, incorporated school or fire district or incorporated village, and all other governmental incorporated units. See
• Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
• Oath: shall include affirmation where by law an affirmation may be substituted. 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.
• Operating agreement: means any form of description of membership rights and obligations under section 4003 of this title, stored or depicted in any tangible or electronic medium, which is agreed to by the members, including amendments to the agreement. See
• Parent: means a person who is legally recognized as a mother or father or whose consent to the adoption of a minor is required under subdivision 2-401(a)(1)-(4) or (6) of this title. See
• Person: shall include any natural person, corporation, municipality, the State of Vermont or any department, agency, or subdivision of the State, and any partnership, unincorporated association, or other legal entity. See
• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• Physical custody: means the physical care and supervision of a minor. See
• postsecondary CTE: means an educational program or course of study that awards postsecondary credit and is designed to provide students with career and technical knowledge, skills, and attitudes that will prepare them for further education, enhance their employment options, or lead to an industry-recognized credential. See
• Postsecondary planning: means the identification of education and training programs after high school that meet a student's academic, vocational, financial, and social needs and the identification of financial assistance available for those programs. See
• Postsecondary readiness: means the ability to enter the workforce or to pursue postsecondary education or training without the need for remediation. See
• Precedent: A court decision in an earlier case with facts and law similar to a dispute currently before a court. Precedent will ordinarily govern the decision of a later similar case, unless a party can show that it was wrongly decided or that it differed in some significant way.
• Probate: Proving a will
• Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
• Public school: means an elementary school or secondary school operated by a school district. See
• Receiving district: means a school district, inside or outside of this State, receiving tuition on behalf of a student to whom it provides career technical education. See
• Records: means all documents, exhibits and data pertaining to an adoption, whether collected prior to or after the decree of adoption. See
• Relative: means a grandparent, great-grandparent, sibling, first cousin, aunt, uncle, great-aunt, great-uncle, niece, or nephew of a person, whether related to the person by the whole or the half blood, affinity, or adoption. See
• Relinquishment: means the voluntary surrender to an agency by a minor's parent or guardian, for purposes of the minor's adoption, of the rights of the parent or guardian with respect to the minor, including legal and physical custody of the minor. See
• Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.
• said: when used by way of reference to a person or thing shall apply to the same person or thing last mentioned. See
• School athletic team: means an interscholastic athletic team or club sponsored by a public or approved independent school for elementary or secondary students. See
• School board: means the board of school directors elected to manage the schools of a school district, the prudential committee of an incorporated school district, the supervisory union board of directors, and the supervisors of unorganized towns and gores. See
• School board: means the governing body of a school district responsible for the administration of a public school. See
• School district: means town school districts, union school districts, interstate school districts, city school districts, unified union districts, and incorporated school districts, each of which is governed by a publicly elected board. See
• School district meeting: means a duly warned meeting of a school district at which questions are presented to the electorate. See
• School year: means the year beginning July 1 and ending the next June 30. See
• seal: shall include an impression of the official seal made upon paper alone or by means of a wafer or wax affixed thereto. See
• Secretary: means the Secretary of Education. See
• Sending district: means a school district paying tuition on behalf of a student to a school district that provides CTE courses. See
• Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
• Service region: means , for each regional CTE center, a region surrounding it designated by rule of the State Board under section 1531 of this title. See
• State: means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. See
• State: means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. See
• State: when applied to the different parts of the United States may apply to the District of Columbia and any territory and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. See
• State Board: means the State Board of Education established by chapter 3 of this title. See
• State-placed student: means :

• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Stepparent: means a person who is the spouse or surviving spouse of a parent of a child but who is not a parent of the child. See
• Superintendent: means the chief executive officer of a supervisory union and each school board within it. See
• Supervisory district: means a supervisory union that consists of only one school district, which may be a unified union district. 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
• Teen parent education program: means a program designed to provide educational and other services to pregnant pupils or parenting pupils, or both. See
• Tort: A civil wrong or breach of a duty to another person, as outlined by law. A very common tort is negligent operation of a motor vehicle that results in property damage and personal injury in an automobile accident.
• 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
• Transfer: includes an assignment, a conveyance, a sale, a lease, an encumbrance, including a mortgage or security interest, a gift, and a transfer by operation of law. See
• Universal meals supplement: means the reimbursement amount paid by the State for the cost of a paid breakfast or lunch under the federal school breakfast and federal school lunch programs. See
• Venue: The geographical location in which a case is tried.
• Virtual learning: means learning in which the teacher and student communicate concurrently through real-time telecommunication. See
• Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.
• Youth athlete: means an elementary or secondary student who is a member of a school athletic team. See