Education in Vermont
Vermont educates roughly 83,000 public K–12 students — one of the smallest enrollments in the country — across about 50 school districts and supervisory unions, overseen by the Vermont Agency of Education and the State Board. Vermont is rural, with many small schools.
Vermont's education system has some genuinely unusual features. It has a centuries-old tradition of town tuitioning — and a set of independent "town academies" that serve as public high schools. Vermont offers universal pre-K for all 3- and 4-year-olds, has no charter schools, and is in the middle of a sweeping reform (Act 73) that will consolidate districts and revise how independent schools receive public funds. Vermont also offers 802 Opportunity free community college. This guide walks through it all — including a close look at Vermont's private and independent schools — for the student, the family, the school, and the educator.
Who must attend school
Vermont requires children ages 6 to 16 to attend school. Attendance can be met through a public school, an approved independent (private) school, or home study.
- Start age6
- End of compulsory age16
- Districts~50 districts/supervisory unions (consolidating)
- Satisfying itPublic, approved independent, or home study
Universal pre-K
Vermont is one of the few states with truly universal prekindergarten. Under Act 166 (2014), Vermont provides publicly funded pre-K to all 3- and 4-year-olds (and eligible 5-year-olds not yet in kindergarten) — at least 10 hours a week for 35 weeks — which families can use at a public program or an approved private/community provider. Head Start and other early-learning programs add further support.
Because families can use a range of approved providers, most Vermont children can access UPK — but programs and hours vary, so plan and enroll early. See our Kindergarten Readiness and Early Childhood toolkits, and the Agency of Education.
Districts & transformation
Vermont's public schools are organized into local districts and supervisory unions (which provide shared services across small towns). Vermont has no charter schools — one of the few states without a charter law. Vermont is also undertaking a major reform: Act 73 (2025) begins a transition to a "reimagined" system with larger school districts, a weighted student-funding formula, a statewide tax rate, and statewide graduation requirements — with new district boundaries slated to take effect for 2028–29.
Find Vermont public schools in our schools directory.
Private schools & the "town academies"
Vermont's independent-school sector is unlike any other, thanks to tuitioning. Several historic "town academies" are independent (private, nonprofit, board-governed) schools that function as the public high school for their region, accepting large numbers of publicly funded, tuitioned students:
- St. Johnsbury AcademyA large independent school in the Northeast Kingdom
- Burr and Burton AcademyFounded in 1829, in Manchester
- Thetford AcademyFounded in 1819 — "an independent school with a public purpose"
- Lyndon Institute & Sharon AcademyAmong other long-established academies
Vermont draws a legal distinction between "approved" independent schools (which meet state requirements and are eligible to receive public tuition) and "recognized" independent schools (which are not). Vermont also has other private schools — religious, Montessori, Waldorf, and therapeutic schools. Independent schools are often accredited through NEASC or the Association of Independent Schools in New England (AISNE).
Town tuitioning
Vermont's signature school-choice mechanism is town tuitioning, a tradition dating back generations. In "sending towns" that don't operate their own public school at a grade level, the town pays tuition for students to attend a public school or an approved independent school of the family's choice — including, following the U.S. Supreme Court's Carson v. Makin decision (2022), religious schools. Vermont is one of only a few "tuitioning" states.
- Town tuitioningThe town pays for students to attend a chosen public or approved independent school
- Town academiesHistoric independent schools that serve tuitioning towns (above)
- No charter schoolsVermont has none
- No separate ESAVermont's choice runs through tuitioning, not vouchers/ESAs
So a Vermont family's choices depend heavily on whether they live in a town that operates its own school or one that tuitions. See our School Types toolkit for how these options compare.
Homeschooling in Vermont
Vermont takes a moderate approach to home education (called "home study"), with an annual enrollment and assessment:
- Enroll annuallyFile a home study enrollment notice with the Agency of Education each year, including a minimum course of study and an assessment plan
- Required subjectsCover Vermont's minimum course of study (reading, writing, math, citizenship/history, science, and more)
- Annual assessmentProvide a year-end assessment — a report from a licensed teacher, a portfolio with an evaluation, or a standardized test
- No approval to beginEnrollment is a filing, not a district approval
Vermont homeschool parents set their own curriculum and graduation approach and issue their own diplomas. See our Homeschooling toolkit, and file your home study enrollment with the Agency of Education.
Smarter Balanced & the SAT
Vermont public schools use the Smarter Balanced Assessment in English language arts and mathematics (grades 3–9) and a science assessment (grades 5, 8, and high school), and offer the SAT to high schoolers. Vermont families may opt their children out of state testing (Vermont has relatively high opt-out rates).
Home study students are not part of state testing (they complete their own annual assessment). See the Agency of Education assessment pages for current details.
Proficiency-based graduation
Vermont uses proficiency-based graduation requirements (PBGRs) — students earn a diploma by demonstrating proficiency in the content areas (rather than only accumulating seat-time credits), with local districts defining how proficiency is shown (through coursework, performance assessments, and portfolios). Vermont does not require an exit exam.
- Proficiency-basedDemonstrate proficiency across content areas
- Local requirementsDistricts define the specifics
- Coming changeAct 73 paves the way for statewide graduation requirements
- No exit examNo single test required to graduate
Special education & gifted
Vermont serves students with disabilities under the federal IDEA, providing eligible students a free appropriate public education through an IEP in the least restrictive environment, with full procedural safeguards overseen by the Agency of Education.
On gifted education, Vermont does not mandate gifted and talented programs, so dedicated GT programming is a local district decision and varies. See our Special Education and Gifted & Talented toolkits, and verify with the Agency of Education.
How Vermont reports school performance
Vermont does not use A–F letter grades or star ratings. Instead, it publishes school and district data through the Vermont Education Dashboard and an Annual Snapshot for each school, along with its federal (ESSA) accountability framework — reporting measures such as achievement and growth, graduation rates, and English-learner progress.
Because Vermont emphasizes a data dashboard rather than a single grade, families should read the snapshot alongside a school visit (see our Choosing the Right School toolkit). Explore Vermont school data through the Agency of Education, and find schools in our directory.
Immunizations & school entry
To enroll in a Vermont school, students must show proof of required immunizations per the schedule set by the Vermont Department of Health, or a valid exemption. Requirements follow the state schedule, with additional doses at certain grades.
Vermont allows medical exemptions and religious exemptions — but it eliminated the philosophical (personal-belief) exemption in 2015, so that option is no longer available. Confirm current requirements with the Vermont Department of Health and your school district before enrolling.
802 Opportunity & state aid
Vermont's college aid is administered by VSAC (the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation). A standout program is 802 Opportunity — which makes Community College of Vermont tuition free for eligible students from families under an income threshold (around $75,000). Vermont also offers the need-based Vermont Grant, the McClure Scholarship, and workforce/loan-forgiveness programs.
Students apply by filing the FAFSA and the VSAC grant application by the deadlines. Use our Net Price, SAI Estimator, and Award Letter tools to plan costs, and see programs at vsac.org.
Colleges & universities in Vermont
Vermont's public higher education centers on the flagship University of Vermont (UVM) in Burlington, the Vermont State University (VTSU) — created in 2023 by merging the former Castleton University, Northern Vermont University, and Vermont Technical College — and the Community College of Vermont (CCV), which anchors the 802 Opportunity program. Together they offer degrees from certificates through doctorates, with transfer pathways.
Vermont is also home to well-known private institutions (Middlebury College, Norwich University, and others). Explore Vermont's colleges and universities in our directory.
Becoming a teacher in Vermont
Vermont licenses teachers through the Agency of Education and the Vermont Standards Board for Professional Educators, and candidates must pass the required Praxis examinations after completing an approved preparation program. Vermont issues a Level I license that advances to Level II with experience, and offers a peer-review (portfolio) route and other alternative pathways.
Vermont also provides reciprocity for many out-of-state educators. See our Teacher Certification, Praxis, and Job & Interview Tips for Educators toolkits, and the Agency of Education licensing pages for specifics.
Where to get the authoritative details
Requirements change — this guide is a well-organized starting point, not the final authority. For the current, official word, go straight to the source:
Also essential: your local school district / supervisory union office (for enrollment and tuitioning), your school counselor, and the K12 Academics toolkits linked throughout this page.