16 V.S.A. § 4033: Legacy debt aid [Effective July 1, 2029 if contingency met]

(a) A school district shall be eligible to receive legacy debt aid pursuant to this section only if the district is not identified as a bad faith participant in the facilitator report submitted pursuant to Sec. 15 of legislation enacted by the General Assembly in 2026 that requires each school board to participate in a merger committee to study the advisability of forming a unified union school district.

(b) An eligible school district’s legacy debt aid shall equal 75 percent of the debt service cost of any debt that is approved by the voters of the district related to facility construction and renovation and for which construction has begun as of December 31, 2024.

(c) Aid shall be awarded annually for annual debt service costs up to a maximum total annual amount of $45,750,000.00 and is subject to an annual appropriation for the purposes of the legacy debt aid.

(d) On or before February 15, 2029, a school district that is identified as a bad faith participant in the facilitator report submitted pursuant to Sec. 15 of legislation enacted by the General Assembly in 2026 that requires each school board to participate in a merger committee to study the advisability of forming a unified union school district may appeal the facilitator’s determination to the Secretary of Education in order to receive aid under this section.

(e) On or before May 15, 2029, the Secretary of Education shall determine whether each school district that has submitted an appeal pursuant to subsection (d) of this section shall receive aid under this section. The Secretary’s determination shall be final and shall not be subject to appeal. The Secretary shall develop written policies to implement the appeals process under this section.