VT H0180

School districts must provide public notice at least 9 months before issuing a closure report and publish the report at least 90 days before making a final decision on closing an elementary school (prekindergarten through grade 8)

Closure reports must analyze educational impacts on students including proficiency scores and social-emotional health, with specific consideration for at-risk students, low-income households, and ethnically or linguistically diverse families

Financial analysis must document projected savings from closure and compare them against alternatives such as consolidating administrative staff, collaborating with neighboring districts, and reducing central office personnel

Reports must include specific transport times for each student's home-to-school route (not averages), and families with unreasonable transport times may attend schools outside the district at the original district's expense

Districts where articles of agreement require town approval cannot close schools without an affirmative town vote; other closures require Board of Education approval after administrative hearing, with appeals available to Washington County Superior Court