The Vermont Statutes Online

Title 16 : Education

Chapter 123 : State Aid for Capital Construction Costs

• § 3442. State Aid for School Construction Program [Effective July 1, 2026]

  The Agency of Education shall be responsible for implementing the State Aid for School Construction Program according to the provisions of this chapter. The Agency shall be responsible for:

  (1) reviewing all preliminary applications for State school construction aid and issuing an approval or denial in accordance with section 3445 of this chapter;

  (2) adopting rules pursuant to 3 V.S.A. chapter 25 pertaining to school construction and capital outlay, including rules to specify a point prioritization methodology and a bonus incentive structure aligned with the legislative intent expressed in section 3440 of this title;

  (3) including as part of its budget submitted to the Governor pursuant to subdivision 212(21) of this title its annual school construction funding request;

  (4) developing a prequalification and review process for project delivery consultants and architecture and engineering firms specializing in prekindergarten through grade 12 school design, renovation, or construction and maintaining a list of such prequalified firms and consultants;

  (5) providing technical assistance and guidance to school districts and supervisory unions on all phases of school capital projects;

  (6) providing technical advice and assistance, training, and education to school districts, supervisory unions, general contractors, subcontractors, construction or project managers, designers, and other vendors in the planning, maintenance, and establishment of school facility space;

  (7) maintaining a current list of school construction projects that have received preliminary approval, projects that have received final approval, and the priority points awarded to each project;

  (8) collecting, maintaining, and making publicly available quarterly progress reports of all ongoing school construction projects that shall include, at a minimum, the costs of the project and the time schedule of the project;

  (9) recommending policies and procedures designed to reduce borrowing for school construction programs at both State and local levels;

  (10) conducting a needs survey at least every five years to ascertain the capital construction, reconstruction, maintenance, and other capital needs for all public schools and maintaining such data in a publicly accessible format;

  (11) developing a formal enrollment projection model or using projection models already available;

  (12) encouraging school districts and supervisory unions to investigate opportunities for the maximum utilization of space in and around the district or supervisory union;

  (13) collecting and maintaining a clearinghouse of prototypical school plans, as appropriate, that may be consulted by eligible applicants;

  (14) retaining the services of consultants, as necessary, to effectuate the roles and responsibilities listed within this section; and

  (15) notwithstanding 2 V.S.A. § 20(d), annually on or before December 15, submitting a written report to the General Assembly regarding the status and implementation of the State Aid for School Construction Program, including the data required to be collected pursuant to this section. (Added 2025, No. 73, § 13, eff. July 1, 2026.)