The Vermont Statutes Online
The Statutes below include the actions of the 2025 session of the General Assembly.
NOTE: The Vermont Statutes Online is an unofficial copy of the Vermont Statutes Annotated that is provided as a convenience.
Subchapter
001
:
SECRETARY OF EDUCATION
(Cite as: 16 V.S.A. § 215)
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§ 215. Challenge to Excellence grants
(a) Purpose and findings. It is a goal of the General Assembly to promote quality education for every Vermont
child and to create an opportunity for every Vermont student to achieve his or her
personal best, while respecting divergent student goals and personal learning styles
and abilities. The General Assembly finds that a school’s climate for learning is
improved when parents, community members, and business leaders actively participate
in promoting educational opportunities for every student. Further, it is the compassion
and innovation of individual teachers and school personnel that often create the impetus
for students to achieve excellence in education.
(b) Grant Program. The Secretary shall establish and implement a Challenge to Excellence Grant Program
for the purpose of promoting quality education for Vermont students. Eligible applicants
include Vermont public schools, including regional career technical centers, and Vermont
supervisory unions on behalf of a school or schools. All proposals shall be to develop
or carry out a comprehensive plan, which may be an action plan pursuant to subdivision 165(a)(1) of this title, to create educational opportunities for each student within the school. Any plan
shall be developed with the involvement of parents and other community members, staff,
and business representatives and shall be designed to assist students in meeting State
Board and school board standards. Grants shall be for up to $50,000.00 and shall include
a 1-1 match from other sources of funding, including grants from businesses, foundations,
or other federal or local funding. Priority shall be given to schools that the Secretary
finds are having difficulty meeting the quality standards listed in subsection 165(a) of this title or are making insufficient progress in improving student performance in relation
to the standards set forth in subdivision 164(9) of this title. Eligible activities include:
(1) a comprehensive planning and goal-setting process to promote a quality education for
all students within the school;
(2) activities to carry out a comprehensive plan to promote quality education for students
within the school; and
(3) innovative methods to create educational opportunities for students according to a
comprehensive plan, including special classes and activities; mentorship; summer institutes
on math, science, reading and language arts, social studies, service, the arts, or
technology; partnerships for learning with businesses, postsecondary schools, and
community organizations; tutorials; programs for at-risk or gifted students; and guidance,
peer counseling, and career planning activities. (Added 1997, No. 60, § 7, eff. June 26, 1997; amended 2013, No. 92 (Adj. Sess.), § 30, eff. Feb. 14, 2014; 2021, No. 20, § 54.)