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By Guy Page
Twelve Vermont schools have been newly identified among the state’s lowest-performing and added to the Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) list, according to the latest accountability report released by the Vermont Agency of Education.
The designation, required under federal education law, identifies schools where overall student performance is significantly below expectations or declining. Schools on the list receive additional oversight, coaching and access to federal school-improvement funding.
According to the State Report Card released this week, the following schools entered CSI status based on 2024-2025 performance data:
- Brewster Pierce School, Mount Mansfield Unified Union School District
- Central Elementary School, Windham Northeast Supervisory Union
- Northeast Primary School, Rutland City Supervisory District
- Rutland Intermediate School, Rutland City Supervisory District
- Elm Hill School, Springfield Supervisory District
- Riverside Middle School, Springfield Supervisory District
- Union Street School, Springfield Supervisory District
- Samuel Morey Elementary School, Rivendell Interstate Supervisory District
- Shoreham Elementary School, Addison Central Supervisory District
- Summit Street School, Essex Westford Supervisory District (now closed)
- Tinmouth Elementary School, Mill River Unified Union Supervisory District
- Williston Schools, Champlain Valley School District
In addition, two schools already on the list — Molly Stark School in Bennington County and Northwest Primary School in Rutland — did not improve enough to exit and will remain under state monitoring for at least three more years.
Most previously identified schools improved enough to exit.
State officials reported that 14 schools previously designated as underperforming met minimum improvement standards and were removed from the CSI list, although most still have not reached full performance goals.
Statewide performance concerns
The report highlights ongoing academic challenges across Vermont. English language arts proficiency ranges from 46% to 61%, while math proficiency remains lower, between 33% and 48%. Graduation rates, though relatively strong, have declined from 89% in 2017 to 82% in 2025.
State officials said the identification process is designed to focus resources where they are most needed.
Identified schools will receive technical assistance, increased monitoring and federal school improvement funds aimed at strengthening instruction and boosting student outcomes.
Education officials also emphasized that removal from the list does not necessarily mean a school is meeting expectations, only that performance has stabilized enough to no longer qualify for the lowest tier of intervention.
The report is a canary-in-the-coal-mine reminder that education reform is needed, Gov. Scott said in a statement issued today.
“Today’s report illustrates why education transformation is not optional, it’s essential,” Scott said. “Vermonters know property taxes and education costs continue to grow at unsustainable rates and are making Vermont even more unaffordable. But this report reaffirms why transformation is about more than bending the cost curve, it’s about closing the opportunity gap and delivering a more equitable education for our kids, and ensuring every student has access to a high-quality education regardless of their zip code. It’s about ensuring our teachers, who face an increasingly difficult job, are well resourced and given more of the tools they need. It’s about building a better governance system that ensures more of Vermonters’ precious tax dollars are directly helping kids and teachers in the classroom.
“None of this is easy. But taking the path of least resistance will leave both kids and taxpayers behind. Following through on our bipartisan commitment last year is our best chance at delivering the education system our kids deserve, and taxpayers can afford,” Scott said.
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Categories: Education
You know what will bring those scores up quickly? Fire the underperforming teachers with teachers capable of teaching!! That way the underperforming teachers won’t be holding back underperforming students and schools!
I’m in and out of public schools in Vermont almost daily. I see lots of hardworking, well disciplined and respectful adults. You know what I see far fewer of??? Hardworking, well disciplined and respectful students. Especially in grades 2-8. Many of these kids are so full of brain rot already they can barely handle simple directions like lining up quietly and calmly. Keeping your hands to yourself. Not talking and shouting over others that are speaking. Disrespectful pint size zombies. They talk about how they can’t wait to play Roblox all weekend and sleep 3 hours a night, tweeking out to random meme generators.
Some kids are great and still have that spark in there eye but so many are simply twisted from endless screen time and their own selfish entertainment saturation.
Is kids living like this the parents’ fault? I have not idea but it sure ain’t the teacher’s fault. At least not the ones I observe these days.
NEA. Just 3 letters. It’s funny how only 3 little letters can bankrupt the state and ruin our education system at the same time.
Have to go to the root of the problem, These educators must have had a lousy education that doesn’t qualify to teach, but are hired. The administrates are also uneducated. To be a teacher or politician they should be REQUIRED to take a COMPETENCY TEST and pass prior to being awarded to obtain the positions they seek. If employed in a private business, if incompetent you are gone. Gov protects their own.
The teachers most certainly are an integral part of the failure equation.
Ahhh, Mr. Chase. Please research the Praxis I and II , and of course HQT requirements. Interestingly, private, parochial and independent schools, of which there are more of now than ever in the history of our State, have no such requirements. And most are not required to test and contribute data to State or Federal entities that gather and report.
Very GOOD IDEAS Tom!!
After getting rid of the NEA as demps1953 has stated above, how about giving the authority and control of public schools back to the local VT Towns and “We The Taxpaying People” who have the most vested interest and pay the bills?
How many years now has the State of Vermont shown us they DO NOT KNOW HOW TO MANAGE ours schools in Vermont?
The State of Vermont has created the problems that exist. Education costs are OUT OF CONTROL and the education quality in VT has greatly diminished.
Like with so many other aspects of our VT State Government, intelligent, honest, critical thinking, common sense adults are absent from among those who have the authority and control.
We need VT Candidates for the 2026 Mid-term Election who have common sense and genuine solutions to take out the existing sick Leftist Ideologies that are only bringing failure and brokenness. What are we leaving to our children?
You are right, Tom. It’s a well known fact in the business world, and there are exceptions to every rule, that a worker is only as good as his trainer. It could also be said that students are only as good as their teachers. I guess, in some cases, this explains the low proficiency scores. I could be wrong now, but I don’t think so.
We pay some of the highest property taxes in the nation, most of which goes to the schools, and this is what we get for our money. We are paying premium prices for substandard education.
“federal school improvement funds”? $28,000 per student isn’t enough?
For sure
They added 12 more schools for a total of ??????? There were 14 others but some were taken off the list because they showed a little improvement. What percentage of Vermont public schools are under performing? I guess that having one central statewide school district would either bring all the schools up in proficiency or, realistically, bring the rest down. None of this makes sense to me. Maybe throwing more money at it would help. (Sarcasm)
Democrats created the problem so can’t fix what they created! Stop voting Democrat! Democrats are Domestic Terrorists! Phil Scott is a Democrat in disguise! We need major reform and schools need to held accountable! Our children are paying the price of worthless teachers with poor education!
One of my first reactions to the list – is these are mostly larger Vermont communities, not smaller rural districts. They are not deprived of resources.
I wonder how many of these districts have adopted Portrait of a Graduate programs that the Vermont Department of Education adopted a few years ago? These goals were aligned with UN agendas to remove patriotism and push social emotional learning over academics. I know Essex Westford did and some in Rutland explored it, I think Windham and Mt. Mansfield did, too. I don’t know about others. There has been a push through the Dept. of Education to promote socialist agendas upon our students. They make it harder for community volunteers to be in the schools observing these changes.
Please explore in your districts roles community volunteers can do. Our children need our eyes and ears to know more about what is and isn’t happening in our schools.
I see the comments mostly reflect the Frustration we all feel over our youth not receiving and or producing a knowledgeable education.
As a former school board member, I’ve understood this many years ago, witnessing the educational system from inside. It hasn’t changed even with millions spent on teacher supportive training, which I found many don’t take serious, and those monitoring them don’t identify the real concerns students face.
Granted in the city if Winooski, it’s been a fact, that its population for years has been the ever growth different groups of English as a second language. Granted this opens opportunities for students to get numerous resources starting with extra tutoring. But in many cases these students speak very good English, it’s just their parents don’t so the qualify.
So the real problem is choices. This school and many others with limited higher educational choices, are limited to the school area they are assigned to.
But like in chittenden county there are numerous schools as in the past, thriving educational opportunities that supported students coming to their schools and receiving these classes. It was called school choice. Limited as it was to lotteries and caps on numbers. Many found the opportunity supported, attendance increased and a higher score on the state testing.
A secret most schools kept to themselves.
This school choice was later killed by legislation stopping the funding to follow the students to the school of their choice. Local schools could no longer accept them. Meeting an NEA goal.
So I challenge legislators, do you really want to make a real difference? Then bring back real school choice, and actually real school choice for every student, where the money follows the students. Let the students decide what it is they want for an education. Let schools sell there programs, as competitors to higher educational opportunities. In many cases supporting lower enrollment due to population changes in a community. Just by making the money follow the students. Which in many cases is less than what is spent in the local community schools.
But don’t stop there, if you are really brave and honest, take on the teachers unions. The lobbying groups. Make it law, no strikes! That hold parents and students hostage. Make it law bi ding arbitration is the law of the land same as it is for fire and police, who are doing just fine with it. A fair an honest outcome for all involved.
So make it a goal, real school choice for all, and a fair bargain tool for all. A solution, no one wants to omit to will work.
I know, my children all used school choices and graduated, better for it. It changed how they looked at education, more motivated, better informed, greater opportunities and happier…both they and us as parents.
This is the result of educational systems placing a strong emphasis on critical race theory and LGBTQ+ issues. As a consequence, students are increasingly influenced by teachers who advocate for a progressive viewpoint. Furthermore, local and state politicians often foster a climate of fear, casting a negative light on America and targeting figures like Trump for criticism. The media, too, contributes to these narratives. When state leaders make it challenging for students to secure well-paying jobs after graduation, it’s not surprising that frustration arises. Yet, a significant part of the issue stems from parents who openly voice their dissatisfaction with the nation and support progressive ideologies, encouraging their children to adopt similar perspectives, including the use of certain pronouns. We should think about reintroducing prayer in schools and hiring educators who possess a genuine love for America and a strong connection to their faith in Jesus Christ.
It’s been over 60 years since the US Supreme Court deemed state-sponsored prayer in public schools unconstitutional. Unconstitutional. Countering the rest of Rohan’s points isn’t worth the time.
Yet David Davis, in the Winooski school system, they have a prayer room, for who?
Your comment falls under gaslighting…
Thanks for bringing that up as an example Tom.
Fortunately, according to our US Supreme Court students may voluntarily pray, read religious texts, or gather for religious expression during non-instructional time, provided it is not school-sponsored. However, mandatory, teacher-led, or any school-organized and introduced prayers as Rohan has suggested are unconstitutional.
Another good example why real school choice should be allowed, students leaving the class room for prayer groups, is clearly supported and encouraged by teachers who are more related to the culture than not…just looked away from the reality if it…
How ever bring a bible to school for open reading has been know to be questioned and in some schools challenged.