261a. Duties of supervisory union board
(a) Duties. The board of each supervisory union shall:
(1) Establish a supervisory union-wide curriculum, by either developing the curriculum or assisting the member districts to develop it jointly, and ensure implementation of the curriculum. The curriculum shall meet the requirements adopted by the State Board under subdivision 165(a)(3)(B) of this title.
(2) Assist each school in the supervisory union to follow the curriculum as adopted under the requirements of the State Board pursuant to subdivision 165(a)(3)(B) of this title.
(3) If students residing in the supervisory union receive their education outside the supervisory union, periodically review the compatibility of the supervisory union’s curriculum with those other schools.
(4) In accordance with criteria established by the State Board, establish and implement a plan for receiving and disbursing federal and State funds distributed by the Agency of Education, including funds awarded under P.L. 89-10, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 as amended.
(5) Provide professional development programs or arrange for the provision of them, or both, for teachers, administrators, and staff within the supervisory union, which may include programs offered solely to one school or other component of the entire supervisory union to meet the specific needs or interests of that component; a supervisory union has the discretion to provide financial assistance outside the negotiated agreements for teachers’ professional development activities.
(6) Provide special education services on behalf of its member districts and, except as provided in section 43 of this title, compensatory and remedial services, and provide or coordinate the provision of other educational services as directed by the State Board or local boards; provided, however, if a supervisory union determines that services would be provided more efficiently and effectively in whole or in part at the district level, then it may ask the Secretary to grant it a waiver from this provision.
(7) Employ a person or persons qualified to provide financial and student data management services for the supervisory union and the member districts.
(8) Provide the following services for the benefit of member districts in a manner that promotes the efficient use of financial and human resources, which shall be provided pursuant to joint agreements under section 267 of this title whenever feasible; provided, however, if a supervisory union determines that services would be provided more efficiently and effectively in another manner, then it may ask the Secretary to grant it a waiver from this subdivision:
(A) manage a system to procure and distribute goods and operational services;
(B) manage construction projects;
(C) provide financial and student data management services, including grant writing and fundraising as requested;
(D) negotiate with teachers and administrators, pursuant to chapter 57 of this title, and with other school personnel, pursuant to 21 V.S.A. chapter 22, at the supervisory union level, provided that:
(i) contract terms may vary by district; and
(ii) contracts may include terms facilitating arrangements between or among districts to share the services of teachers, administrators, and other school personnel;
(E) provide transportation or arrange for the provision of transportation, or both, in any districts in which it is offered within the supervisory union;
(F) provide human resources management support; and
(G) provide other appropriate services according to joint agreements pursuant to section 267 of this title.
(9) [Repealed.]
(10) Submit to the board of each member school district, on or before January 15 of each year, a summary report of financial operations of the supervisory union for the preceding school year, an estimate of its financial operations for the current school year, and a preliminary budget for the supervisory union for the ensuing school year. This requirement shall not apply to a supervisory district. For each school year, the report shall show the actual or estimated amount expended by the supervisory union for special education-related services, including:
(A) a breakdown of that figure showing the amount paid by each school district within the supervisory union; and
(B) a summary of the services provided by the supervisory union’s use of the expended funds.
(11) On or before June 30 of each year, adopt a budget for the ensuing school year.
(12) Adopt supervisory union-wide truancy policies consistent with the model protocols developed by the Secretary.
(13)-(17) [Repealed.]
(b) Virtual merger. In order to maximize the impact of available funding and resources, and to reduce duplication of educational programs, personnel, and services, whenever legally permissible, supervisory unions are encouraged to reach agreements with other supervisory unions jointly to provide any service or perform any duty under this section pursuant to section 267 of this title, or to form cooperative educational service areas pursuant to chapter 10 of this title. Agreements between supervisory unions are not subject to the waiver requirement of subdivision (a)(8) of this section. Agreements shall include a cost-benefit analysis outlining the projected financial savings or enhanced outcomes, or both, that the parties expect to realize through shared services or programs.
(c) Noncompliance; tax rate increase. After notice to the boards of a supervisory union and its member districts, the opportunity for a period of remediation, and the opportunity for a hearing, if the Secretary determines that a supervisory union or any one of its member districts is failing to comply with any provision of subsection (a) of this section, then the Secretary shall notify the board of the supervisory union and the board of each of its member districts that the education property tax rates for nonhomestead and homestead property shall be increased by five percent in each district within the supervisory union and the household income percentage shall be adjusted accordingly in the next fiscal year for which tax rates will be calculated. The districts’ actual tax rates shall be increased by five percent, and the household income percentage adjusted, in each subsequent fiscal year until the fiscal year following the one in which the Secretary determines that the supervisory union and its districts are in compliance. If the Secretary determines that the failure to comply with the provisions of subsection (a) of this section is solely the result of the actions of the board of one member district, then the tax increase in this subsection (c) shall apply only to the tax rates for that district. Subject to V.R.C.P. 75, the Secretary’s determination shall be final.
Added 1987, No. 228 (Adj. Sess.), § 5; amended 1989, No. 202 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; 1989, No. 230 (Adj. Sess.), § 25; 1991, No. 181 (Adj. Sess.), §§ 4, 5; 1995, No. 185 (Adj. Sess.), § 83, eff. Jan. 1, 1998; 2001, No. 8, § 3; 2003, No. 36, § 2; 2003, No. 114 (Adj. Sess.), § 2; 2009, No. 44, §§ 2, 47, eff. May 21, 2009; 2009, No. 153 (Adj. Sess.), § 9, eff. June 3, 2010; 2011, No. 129 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. May 11, 2012; 2011, No. 129 (Adj. Sess.), § 18, eff. July 1, 2013; 2013, No. 92 (Adj. Sess.), § 39, eff. Feb. 14, 2014; 2015, No. 46, § 39, eff. July 1, 2016; 2019, No. 131 (Adj. Sess.), § 58; 2023, No. 168 (Adj. Sess.), § 5, eff. July 1, 2024; 2025, No. 170 (Adj. Sess.), § 5, eff. July 1, 2026.
