VERMONT INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS ASSOCIATION: GIVING A VOICE TO THE GREEN MOUNTAIN STATE’S PRIVATE SCHOOLS

The Vermont Independent Schools Association (VISA) is the primary trade body for independent and private schools in Vermont. As the state’s leading independent school’s organisation, VISA represents a substantial number of the state’s private and alternative educational institutions, with more than a hundred operating in the Green Mountain State. VISA members range from the traditional private college-preparatory schools to faith schools, special educational needs schools, and alternative schools. If you are interested in exploring Vermont’s independent schools, VISA is a good place to begin, with a membership that includes some of the best that the state has to offer.

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ABOUT

Vermont has played a significant role in the early history of the United States of America, forming one of the original Thirteen Colonies, and having been home to European settlers since the 17^th Century. Originally a colonial outpost of the French Empire, the territory was eventually ceded to the British who instituted a programme for public education in the state’s 1777 constitution, making it one of the earliest states to do so and the first ofman those state’s whose constitutions were initially written in English. Across Vermont (and neighbouring states), the British model of Grammar schools and puritan Academies was established. Indeed, the state’s oldest high schools include two such academies: Thetford Academy (a Town Academy founded in 1820); and Craftsbury Academy (the high school section of the Craftsbury School System which was founded in 1829).

Grammar schools and academies were established in all major population centers throughout the 18^th and 19^th Centuries, with varying degrees of success. Some had developed a reputation for excellent academics whilst others were of a very poor standard. Typically, these schools assumed a similar religious ethos to the communities in which they operated or were operated directly by persons appointed by local church and religious groups. Indeed, much of Vermont’s early history can be traced to migratory religious communities and the history of their schools is intrinsically related to their journey. With the advent of a state-wide public school system under the control of a State Board, many of these schools closed or were merged into the district school systems. Few schools in the State today can trace their lineage directly back to the academies and grammar schools founded in the formative years of the State of Vermont.

In recent years, Vermont has seen an alarming downwards trend in birth rates and population growth which has reduced demand for schools by some 20%. Few of the state’s 250 public schools are operating at capacity. Teacher retention rates have also suffered, and the net result has been a decrease in Vermont school’s placements in national rankings. Mandatory education in Vermont exists for all pupils between the ages of 6 and 16 years old, however, many Vermonters remain in education until at least 18 years of age. Indeed, whilst public high school graduation rates remain amongst the highest in the nation, university and college attendance rates are amongst the lowest and the state has been heavily criticised for failing to develop an adequate modern college-preparatory programme. The independent school sector has benefitted as parents seek to place their children in a more nurturing and rigorously academic environment such that they have a better prospect of attaining a place in the nation’s leading tertiary institutions. Similarly, many parents opt to send their children to other leading private and independent schools out of the state. Despite these current trends, pupils in Vermont remain amongst the best performers in national testing and performance metrics.

Independent schools in Vermont are those that are, ostensibly, outside of the purview of the state’s education authorities, albeit they must remain in good standing with the  Vermont Agency of Education (“VEA”), which operates under the direction of the Vermont State Board of Education (“VBSE”) who licence public and private  schools. They may be run as for-profit enterprises, governed by independent trustees, or managed under the auspices of a charity or religious body or a health services provider. Typically, most independent schools are funded by way of fees (tuition) or charitable endowments. A select few may be in receipt of grant funding from state or federal bodies whilst still being considered independent.

As with many New England states, Vermont maintains a tradition of “Town Academies” which operate a unique hybrid model – acting as a local public high school combined with an independent school (which often offers boarding options). These schools were founded to ensure education for all pupils in the state, including those from remote and isolated communities or faith groups where no alternative suitable schooling option exists. Local authorities who do not have the means to establish or provide a school place will, instead, subsidise or cover the fees of their pupils to attend schools outside of their region (whether they are public, private or hybrid models). These schools also invite applications from outside of the state and from across the world on a private, fee-paying basis to supplement their programmes. This model has had a particularly profound impact on educational outcomes and attainment for children from low-income and/or minority backgrounds who may not otherwise have afforded an independent education. Many of the fully independent and semi-independent schools in Vermont have a contractual agreement in place with townships and communities across Vermont and New Hampshire that utilise this arrangement. Such towns are referred to as “Sending Towns”.

Despite this, not all of Vermont’s traditional private schools identify as or are recognised as “Town Academies”.  Burr and Burton Academy, Lyndon Institute, and Thetford Academy are generally classified as such, albeit that Mt. Mansfield Academy,  St. Johnsbury Academy, and Vermont Academy (and Mount Snow Academy which has been absorbed into the school as the Vermont Academy at Mount Snow campus) both have Sending Town arrangements. So too does the independent elementary school, the Village School of North Bennington. Other historically significant Town Academies, which have since closed, include Burlington Academy, Randolph Academy, Royalton Academy, and Townshend Academy.

Similarly, many schools in the independent sector in Vermont offer therapeutic education programmes to pupils with special educational needs. Often, the public school system may not have the capacity, resources, expertise or provision to accommodate diverse educational needs or pupils with specific learning differences. As such, the State contracts with independent providers to ensure suitable educational placements for pupils with such needs. Vermont has many such schools, some of which offer residential or respite care options and may also have alternative educational curricula tailored to meet the needs of their student body. These schools must be approved by the state and are subject to pre-agreed fees which must be set within defined parameters (with a cap being negotiated annually).  Many of these schools are or have been members of the Vermont Independent Schools Association (with VISA liaising with the state in the formulation of these fee caps). That VISA is so heavily involved in influencing policy development around the provision of and management of independent special educational schools within the state accounts for why the association has such a high proportion of its membership coming from the sector.

Vermont also has a strong tradition of specialist sports academies catering to budding athletes and preparing them for a potential career at elite performance levels. The state has a particularly strong pedigree in developing nationally and internationally celebrated skiers and mountain sports personalities and, thus, it is of no surprise that the state has several dedicated educational facilities that are geared towards facilitating intense sports programmes alongside rigorous college-preparatory academics. Burke Mountain Academy, Green Mountain Valley School, Killington Mountain School, Okemo Mountain School, Stratton Mountain School, and Mt. Mansfield Academy have well-established and nationally regarded mountain sports programmes. Vermont was also home to the North American Hockey Academy which was in Stowe before it closed (though a recent incarnation has been established at CATS Academy Boston).

As a mountainous and heavily forested state with a relatively sparse population, Vermont also has a strong reputation for outdoor activities and is a popular destination for summer camps and experiential activity centers and educational programmes. Whilst there are many semester school programmes and camps dotted about the state; these are not typically recognised as independent schools unless they are incorporated within a dedicated, accredited school facility. As such, many of the aforementioned sports academies have semester school or summer camp options and summer camp options. Similarly, the Mountain School at Milton Academy is an independent satellite campus of the famed Milton Academy boarding school and is available, predominantly, to pupils of that school (others may apply on a selective basis).

Whilst they must be certified by the state and, generally, are also accredited with an approved body (the VBSE and VEA recognise three accrediting bodies in this respect: the Association of Independent Schools in New England (AISNE); the Middle State Association of Schools and Colleges (MSA); and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)), independent schools in Vermont are not required to subscribe to the prescribed state curricula. They may, therefore, offer alternative options (such as the International Baccalaureate). Hence, the state’s private school offering includes a range of alternative schools, sports academies, experiential curricula and so forth. Nevertheless, most schools opt to offer the approved state programme (which effectively aligns with a national curriculum programme common across the United States). Additionally, educational programme developers (such as those that offer a homeschool curriculum) may organise, effectively, as an independent school for legal or regulatory purposes.

Vermont’s independent schools have maintained an informal association since the early 1980s but formally consolidated that network when the Vermont Independent Schools Association was founded as a non-profit corporation in 1986. The association gained significant impetus and an influx of new members in 2010 when efforts were made to bring independent schools under further state controls. It was at this time that proposals were being made in Vermont to introduce significant funding reform which would impede independent schools in delivery of their mission and their capacity to support their Sending Towns” demanded an immediate and coordinate response from the sector at the same time a host of coinciding legislative proposals were being made that would impact upon its membership. The association actively opposed and lobbied against the proposed Senate Bill 91 which, ultimately, was recommended to lie following Committee stage.

Nearly all of the VISA member schools are accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and are members of the Association of Independent Schools of New England (and the Independent Schools Association of Northern New England (ISANNE) which has since merged into AISNE). Many of the member schools are also members of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS). Those with boarding programmes are members of The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS), with some also being members of the Small Boarding School Association (SBSA). A select few are members of the Coalition of Essential Schools (CES).

Membership is open to not-for-profit schools only and members must agree to adhere to the standards and articles of the association. Member schools include institutions at all levels from K-12 with many offering boarding options too. The association also includes a number of faith-based schools and special educational schools. Whilst its current membership roster is not as large as it once was (having counted more than one hundred of the state’s independent schools amongst its membership), nearly every one of the private, specialist, independent or non-public schools in Vermont have been members in recent years. With dozens of members, it is the largest association of independent schools in Vermont, with many of its members being recognised amongst the greatest schools in the United States, albeit that not all independent schools in the state are members. VISA schools account for over 8,000 pupils which, in turn, accounts for between 8-10% of all school-age students in the state. Many of the schools also attract applicants from nearby towns in neighbouring states (particularly from New Hampshire and New York), some of whom may be eligible for public funds from their respective Sending Towns. VISA boarding schools will, typically, have a number of residents from outside of New England, many of which are international students.

VISA is not an accrediting body but is recognised as a formal network and lobbying group advancing the interests of independent schools in the state. The representative group works closely with other similar associations across the New England region and nationally. The association also works to promote the state’s independent school options and to continue to make the case for independent education as an option to families and to Sending Towns respectively.

VISA representatives regularly attend meetings with the VEA and make many submissions and advisory contributions to the Approved Independent Schools Study Committee. The association acts as the primary voice for the sector in discussions with the state education departments and agencies. The organisation also sponsors conferences between its members and updates its member schools on developments in the sector. The association also works to develop standards in the sector and to help shape policy and procedural guidance to ensure its member schools continue to operate at the highest possible standards. This may include matters of recruitment, diversity and inclusion, tuition fees and so forth.

Unlike some other independent school organisations, the Vermont Independent Schools Association does not act as a consortia for the purposes of resource pooling, funding, or admissions facilitation. Given the organisation’s primary role supporting the independent school sector in the state and advocating for their collective interests (in matters such as school funding and education voucher schemes), VISA has limited resources available to support prospective families moving to Vermont or exploring their school options within the state. The association does not coordinate recruitment or admission fairs. However, many of its member schools do collaborate for such purposes (such as the Montessori School of Central Vermont, Orchard Valley Waldorf School and Pacem School who offer the Central Vermont Independent School Fair). If you are currently considering your school choices, whether you are a resident of the state of Vermont or are planning to move thereto, and are interested in finding out more about admissions criteria, processes or tuition costs with respect to a VISA independent school, then you might be best advised to contact schools in your target area directly or be alert to any upcoming admissions fairs or events that such schools may be participating in. Whilst VISA does not offer a consulting service to prospective families, nor do they publish advisory materials to the public, you can be sure that VISA member schools are accredited and subject to some of the strictest oversight and standards regiments in New England and present an excellent educational setting.

If you are interested in learning more about the work of the Vermont Independent Schools Association or are interested in exploring educational options with the state’s independent schools, then you can contact the organisation using the contact details here. Alternatively, you might like to reach out to your preferred member school. Membership of the association varies with some members in arrears or opting to unsubscribe on occasion, however the schools listed below are confirmed to be current or recent members.

Please note that we do not have any affiliation to the Vermont Independent Schools Association and cannot support your efforts to get in touch with the organisation. If you are a Vermont independent school and are looking to join or contact the organisation then we would suggest that you also use the contact details below or speak to a peer institution that is currently a subscribing member.

If you have any unique insights or thoughts about the Vermont Independent School Association, such as useful historical context details or perhaps you have been involved with the organisation, then our readers would be very grateful if you would share with us in the comments section. Did you attend any of the schools listed below? We would also welcome your contribution to better inform our audience.

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MEMBERS AND ASSOCIATES

CHOOSE LIST VIEW FOR A SIMPLE LIST OF ALL LISTED SCHOOLS. ALTERNATIVELY, YOU CAN SELECT SCHOOLS USING THE MAP BELOW.

FORMER OR LAPSED MEMBERS AND ASSOCIATES

Oftentimes, a school’s membership of an organisation is invested in the sitting headteacher. Changes in leadership or administrative oversights can result in membership of an association failing to be renewed or carried over.

The schools listed below include recent and historic members of the Vermont Independent Schools Association. Some of these schools maintain an intermittent member relationship and others may have opted to pursue alternative strategic directions. Some of the schools below have closed permanently and some may no longer be members due to managerial or policy differences that do not align with the membership criteria of the association.

In some cases, schools may have once maintained an associate status whilst pursuing full membership and may have decided to withdraw their application or may have had their status revoked.

If your are interested in finding out more about independent and private schools in Vermont, you can do so here. Similarly, you can find out more about schools in neighbouring states on our Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, and Rhode Island pages.

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