The Vermont Statutes Online

Title 16 : Education

Chapter 123 : STATE AID FOR CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION COSTS

• § 3441. Repealed. 1997, No. 60, § 35, eff. July 1, 1998.

• § 3441. Facilities master plan grant program; report [Repealed effective June 30, 2029]

  (a) Intent. It is the intent of the General Assembly that the Facilities Master Plan Grant Program established pursuant to this section shall enable supervisory unions and independent career and technical education districts to develop a supervisory union level vision for all school buildings that meets the educational needs and goals of the supervisory union. The goal of a facilities master plan shall be to facilitate an evaluation of the capacity of existing facilities to deliver on identified 21st century educational goals. A facilities master plan shall also enable and require supervisory unions to engage in intentional and robust conversations with the larger community that will hopefully lead to the successful passage of bonds needed to support the renovation or construction needs of the supervisory union. It is the intent of the General Assembly that awards shall be granted in accordance with this section and in a manner that allows a maximum number of supervisory unions and independent career and technical education districts to successfully complete facilities master plans.

  (b) Definition. As used in this section, “supervisory union” has the same meaning as in subdivision 11(a)(23) of this title and includes supervisory districts and independent career and technical education districts.

  (c) Establishment. There is established the Facilities Master Plan Grant Program to be administered by the Agency of Education, from funds appropriated for this purpose to supervisory unions and independent career and technical education districts to support the development of educational facilities master plans. Grant funds may be used to hire a consultant to assist in the development of the master plan with the goal of developing a final master plan that complies with State construction aid requirements.

  (d) Standards for the disbursement of funds. The Agency shall develop standards for the disbursement of grant funds in accordance with the following:

  (1) Grants shall be awarded to applicants with the highest facilities needs. The Agency shall develop a prioritization formula based on an applicant’s poverty factor and average facilities condition index score. The Agency shall develop or choose a poverty metric to use for the prioritization formula. The Agency may give priority to applications with a regionalization focus that consist of more than one supervisory union or independent career and technical education district that apply as a consortium.

  (2) Award amounts shall be commensurate with the gross square footage of buildings located within the applicable supervisory union or career and technical education district.

  (3) The Agency shall develop minimum requirements for an educational facilities master plan, which shall include, at a minimum, the following elements:

  (A) a description of the educational mission, vision, and goals of the supervisory union;

  (B) a description of educational programs and services offered by the supervisory union;

  (C) the performance of a space utilization assessment;

  (D) the identification of new program needs;

  (E) the development of enrollment projections;

  (F) the performance of a facilities assessment; and

  (G) information regarding the various design options explored to address the supervisory union’s identified needs.

  (e) Report. Annually on or before December 31, the Agency shall submit to the House and Senate Committees on Education a written report with information on the implementation of the grant program created in this section. (Added 2023, No. 149 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. July 1, 2024; repealed 2023, No. 149 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. July 1, 2029.)