Representative Dobrovich’s Newsletter

Week of February 3, 2026

Dear Constituents,

This week brought more bill introductions, focused work on Act 73 and special education, higher education updates, and continued discussions on school governance and independent schools. Here’s a concise recap to keep you updated. I’ll share more as things progress. Thank you for your continued trust and support.

Week in Review

43 new bills were introduced this week, bringing the biennium total to 890.
(Full bill texts: https://legislature.vermont.gov — enter the bill number.)

Four bills passed over to the Senate for review (possible amendments, then Senate debate/vote; if changed, back to House):

  • H.540 — Recommendations of the Post-Adjudication Reparative Program Working Group
  • H.626 — Sexual extortion, voyeurism, and disclosure of sexually explicit images without consent
  • H.5 — Hearsay exception for a child under 16 years of age
  • H.541 — Interference with voters and election officials

House Education Committee

We spent significant time this week on special education and Act 73 implementation. We heard testimony from the Vermont Council of Special Education Administrators and held a joint hearing with the Ways and Means Committee on the Agency of Education’s special education report.

Here are some highlights from the week:

  • We received testimony on therapeutic independent schools and their role in the education continuum. In 2023, H.483 imposed a moratorium on approved independent schools (including therapeutic ones) due to the lack of a distinct definition. We’re now examining the impact and whether the moratorium should be lifted specifically for therapeutic schools.
  • On Thursday, we received a conceptual school district consolidation map as a discussion starter. The map proposes shifting to a strictly Supervisory District model without Supervisory Unions. While it’s just one example to spark conversation, I’m not okay with this approach under current statute. Supervisory Unions have long met the needs of many communities, especially in rural areas, and the map needs to contemplate/include both Supervisory Unions and Supervisory Districts to accommodate regional patterns and needs across the entire state. We’ll dig deeper into boundaries, governance, and BOCES (Collaborative Education Service Areas) participation—whether voluntary or mandatory—in the coming weeks. 
  •  On February 3, 2026, lawmakers introduced H.777, a bill focused on Vermont's ski academies (like Stratton Mountain School). It would stop towns from using public tuition money to send students there. Instead, it creates a short-term scholarship program—up to 20 awards of $25,000 each per year—that ends in 2031, leaving mid-high school students without funding if they want to continue.

But the bill goes further and could affect all independent schools that receive public tuition dollars. To qualify, these schools would have to follow the state's Education Quality Standards (EQS)—rules designed for public schools—instead of the current independent school rules (Rule Series 2200) they've used successfully for generations.

This matters because schools like Burr & Burton Academy, St. Johnsbury Academy, Lyndon Institute, Thetford Academy, and Sharon Academy—which serve rural areas without local high schools—follow the independent rules and deliver strong results. Independent schools have operated this way for over 150 years, providing high-quality education tailored to their communities. Per the bill, independent schools that do not follow EQS would no longer be eligible to receive tuition if it went into effect this year—potentially leaving no school for the communities they serve going into the next school year and disrupting families who rely on them.

Key concerns in simple terms:

    • The scholarship is temporary (just 5 years), so what happens to students halfway through high school?
    • Ski academies already offer need-based aid; this new system ignores family income and could make access less fair.
    • Why target schools that work well? Public tuition to these places doesn't pull money from local public schools—it helps kids in areas with few options.

Vermont's independent schools serve only about 3,000 publicly funded students (less than 4% of the total). They provide proven, high-quality education in regions that need it most. Yet this bill—and others currently on the House Education Committee's wall that go even further—spend time trying to add more rules and limits to systems that have worked extremely well for over a century. This isn't just about ski schools—it's a step toward more control over independent options that already succeed.

Eyes Up: Looking Ahead

Next week’s House Education Committee agenda includes:

  • Tuesday, Feb 10: Introduction/walk-through of new bills; Act 73 discussion.
  • Wednesday, Feb 11: Testimony from Vermont Principals' Association on Act 73 implementation; update on school safety and mental health initiatives.
  • Thursday, Feb 12: Joint hearing with Senate Education on Act 73 progress and mapping options.
  • Friday, Feb 13: Committee discussion on H.640 (student voting members on school boards) and related governance proposals.

Stay Engaged

For more detailed information about all things happening in the legislature, please refer to the official Vermont General Assembly website. Here are some helpful links:

I will continue my strong effort to provide important and timely updates on a weekly basis, however, there may be occasional weeks when an update isn’t possible due to workload or scheduling, but I’ll do my best to keep you informed on a regular basis.

Your input is invaluable. Please feel free to reach out with your questions, concerns, or suggestions. Together, we can work towards a better future for our community and state.

Warm regards,
Joshua Dobrovich
jdobrovich@leg.state.vt.us

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