Support Vermont's School Choice System

The 150-year-old tradition of “tuitioning” to independent schools (school choice) for Vermont communities unserved by public schools is under threat from legislative leaders who are campaigning on promises scrap the system. School choice in Vermont currently serves 5,700 students directly, and benefits over 8,000 students in over 120 independent schools. Through Vermont’s tuitioning system, internationally renowned schools such as St. Johnsbury Academy and Burr and Burton Academy have become available to families of all income levels instead of just those with the resources to support private school tuition.

Please join us in opposing legislative efforts to take this program away from families who currently have the ability to choose the right educational environment for their kids. This is an equity issue. This is a students’ rights issue. And this is a parent’s rights issue.

Who's signing

I call on the legislature to support maintaining the 150 year tradition of school choice in Vermont. It is a valuable resource to Vermont's most disadvantaged students and must be protected. I urge you to not pass any legislation restricting access to public tuitioning dollars for students in choice towns.

Will you sign?

    signed Sign the Petition 2023-01-20 09:56:25 -0500
    My children went to the schools that suited them, thanks to school choice!
    signed Sign the Petition 2023-01-20 05:50:51 -0500
    signed Sign the Petition 2023-01-19 18:56:45 -0500
    signed Sign the Petition 2023-01-19 18:27:21 -0500
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    signed Sign the Petition 2023-01-18 16:06:14 -0500
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    signed Sign the Petition 2023-01-10 21:23:10 -0500
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    signed Sign the Petition 2023-01-10 18:53:12 -0500
    signed Sign the Petition 2023-01-10 18:26:55 -0500
    signed Sign the Petition 2022-12-21 12:52:44 -0500
    signed Sign the Petition 2022-12-05 14:20:16 -0500
    Parents know best
    signed Sign the Petition 2022-11-05 19:01:50 -0400
    signed Sign the Petition via 2022-11-03 13:53:41 -0400
    signed Sign the Petition 2022-10-31 09:47:26 -0400
    The closest school for my children to attend is at least 45 min away if this gets past. It’s not fair to my children to spend about 2 hrs on a bus alone to get home. In the winter is extremely dangerous. For us to attend any functions or to get them if they are sick will make us miss work. Will they be paying for my gas or whatever hours I miss from work? My children wouldn’t be able to do after school activities and wouldn’t be fair to them!!!
    signed Sign the Petition 2022-10-30 13:54:20 -0400
    The public school system failed my son and our family while causing further damage and compounding already existing challenges. Once we had our choice for high school, we as a family chose Lyndon Institute because they seemed like the best fit for education, academic opportunities, and the proper support my son needed. Just a few months into his Freshman year and we’ve never felt so supported and understood before. It feels like there’s hope again in being treated fairly with compassion through properly educated eyes on things such as psychosocial development, neurodivergence, and accommodations that are actually utilized by the adults my son is with so many hours of each week.


    If school choice is removed, it will have a detrimental impact on many families and their children. Having school choice has helped many students grow and develop their natural abilities, provide many opportunities both in high school and beyond, and provide more individualized education to meet the needs of the student. Please, do not take away Vermont families ability to choose where their children go for high school. Taking away that choice will only cause damage and create deficits in the quality of education our children receive that many of us would never want to return to after our experiences in public K-8 schools.
    signed Sign the Petition 2022-10-30 06:58:13 -0400
    School choice is one of the best things that can happen to our kids! They have options based on interests, academics, and purely what environment fits them best. We have kids from othrr states and countries coming to Vermont to study and it is a wonderful life lesson to give our kids these choices as well. Please maintain our tradition!
    signed Sign the Petition 2022-10-20 10:23:37 -0400
    I am a candidate for the State Legislature, Rutland 6. I am fully pro school choice. This education strategy exists in states with some of the best schools in the country. Funding for the children should be at the discretion of the parents. In pre-K through 12 education, school choice gives children the equity in education that many parents seek.
    signed Sign the Petition 2022-10-17 18:20:27 -0400
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    signed Sign the Petition 2022-10-16 04:42:17 -0400
    signed Sign the Petition 2022-10-13 09:11:09 -0400
    published Sign the Petition 2022-10-12 18:31:48 -0400