House Committee on Education

 

AGENDA

 

Room M103 and Zoom

February 24, 2026 - February 27, 2026

Last Updated 2/24/2026 3:42 PM

 

Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are livestreamed at

https://legislature.vermont.gov/committee/streaming/house-education.

Tuesday, February 24, 2026

10:00 AM                   House Floor

 

After Floor                         Lunch and Caucuses

 

1:20 PM                   26-0777 - An act relating to chronic absenteeism

Vermont Independent Schools Association

Oliver Olsen, Representative, Vermont Independent Schools Association - Zoom

 

1:35 AM                   26-0777 - An act relating to chronic absenteeism

Walk-through and mark up

Beth St. James, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

2:45 PM                   JFO Act 73 PreK Report

Joint hearing with House Human Services. This hearing will take place in room 11 and will be livestreamed on the House Education Committee YouTube page: https://legislature.vermont.gov/committee/streaming/house-education

Emily Byrne, Deputy Fiscal Officer, Joint Fiscal Office

Ted Barnett, Fiscal Analyst, Joint Fiscal Office

 

Wednesday, February 25, 2026

9:15 AM                   Friends of Vermont Public Education

Krista Huling, Board Member, Friends of Vermont Public Education

Neil Odell, Founding Member, Board of Directors, Friends of Vermont Public Education

Jess DeCarolis, M.A., M.Ed., Board Member, Friends of Vermont Public Education

 

10:00 AM                   Education Transformation

Proposal introduction

Sen. Seth Bongartz

 

10:30 AM                   Committee Discussion

Act 73 of 2025, draft map, and policy

 

12:00 PM                   Lunch

 

1:15 PM                   Vermont National Education Association

This hearing will take place in room 11 and will be livestreamed on the House Education Committee YouTube page: https://legislature.vermont.gov/committee/streaming/house-education

Helen Sullivan, Classroom Teacher - Social Studies, Montpelier High School

Vicki Johnson, Classroom Teacher - Physics, Randolph Union High School

Jeneve Joslin, Classroom Teacher - Phlebotomy, Central Vermont Career Center

Lilith Blackwell, Classroom Teacher - ELA, U-32 Middle & High School

Caroline Comley, Classroom Teacher - Special Education, Chester-Andover USD #29

Chrissy Park, Classroom Teacher - ELA, Burke Town School

Madeleine Dougherty, Classroom Teacher - ELA, Randolph Union High School

Wendy Fogg-McIntire, Paraeducator, Rivendell Academy

Joy Solomon, Classroom Teacher, Oxbow High School

Cole Picard, Essex High School

Matt Gile, Librarian/Media Specialist, Winooski School District

Lisa Ellis, Classroom Teacher - Early Child Development, Chelsea Public School

Toby Bashaw, Paraeducator, Randolph Technical Career Center

Jacie Barber, Classroom Teacher - Early Child Development, J.F. Kennedy Elementary School

Jensen Welch, Classroom Teacher - Mathematics, Bellows Free Academy St. Albans

Sarah Pulaski, Reading Specialist, Craftsbury Elementary

 

2:45 PM                   26-0753 - An act relating to miscellaneous changes in education law

Mark up

Beth St. James, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

3:30 PM                   House Floor

 

Thursday, February 26, 2026

9:00 AM                   Act 73 of 2025

Presentation of new concepts on Act 73

Zoie Saunders, Secretary, Agency of Education

Erin Davis, Chief Academic Officer, Agency of Education

Emily Simmons, General Counsel, Agency of Education

Ted Gates, Senior Fiscal Analyst, Agency of Education

Kelly Murphy, Director of Education Finance, Agency of Education

Toren Ballard, Director of Policy and Communications, Agency of Education

 

11:00 AM                   Committee Discussion

Act 73 of 2025, draft map, and policy

 

12:00 AM                   Lunch

 

1:15 PM                   Committee Discussion

Act 73 of 2025, draft map, and policy

 

3:30 PM                   House Floor

 

Friday, February 27, 2026

9:30 AM                   House Floor

 

After Floor                         Committee Discussion

Act 73 of 2025, draft map, and policy

 

12:00 PM                   Lunch

 

1:00 PM                   Vermont Special Education Legislative Advocacy Committee

Additional witnesses TBA

Katie Ballard, Member, Special Education Legislative Advocacy Committee

 

ATTENTION WITNESSES

 

Please email handouts to the committee assistant at least 24 hours before your scheduled meeting time. With few exceptions, any documents you send to a committee assistant are open to the public and may be posted to the committee’s web page.

 

Should you require accessibility services, please click here and note that requests should be made 48 hours in advance of testimony.

 

 

 

If you have any questions or comments, please contact

 Matt Sorensen at Matt.Sorensen@vtleg.gov