Vermont education officials are asking the U.S. Department of Education to reconsider its designation of the state's Title I, Part A grant as high-risk, the Agency of Education announced Oct. 8. Federal officials have required Vermont to make fixes by set deadlines.
Title I, Part A provides federal money to schools serving children from low-income families. The agency said it identified an error on Feb. 25 in the method used to identify schools needing additional support, notified federal officials within 24 hours of confirming it and submitted an investigative report April 4. It sent an action plan July 22.
Vermont challenges the timing of the designation, while accepting the required corrective actions and deadlines. The agency said it would complete those actions to avoid a federal proposal to hold back $100,000 in Title I funding.
The State Board of Education unanimously supported the agency's position Oct. 8. Vermont also plans broader changes to how it measures school performance and identifies schools needing support, along with an amendment to its federal education plan in May 2027.
Sources
Vermont Agency of Education, Oct. 8, 2026