Future of East Burke School as Education Reform Bill Advances

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Created on Sunday, 27 April 2025 19:55

Written by Asher Ballantine

A controversial education reform bill making its way through the Vermont legislature is raising serious questions about the future of small, rural schools across the state. Asher Ballantine reports on the small high school of East Burke and the threat of closure if this bill were to pass.

Meghan Darling, the co-head and a liberal arts and sciences teacher at East Burke School, described the unique role the school plays in the region: "My name is Meghan Darling, and I am the co-head and a liberal arts and sciences teacher at East Burke School. We serve almost entirely publicly tuition students from towns surrounding us. And while our mission is focused on climate and community resilience, educating sort of a new generation to tackle the problems that they're going to be inheriting because of our size, we end up getting some of our region's most vulnerable kids. These are kids with a history of trauma bullying, kids who struggle with anxiety and depression. They come here because of the size, because they need community. They need small classes in order to re engage, in order to be able to engage on an intellectual level."

At the heart of the debate is a proposed minimum class size mandate. For high schools, the bill suggests a minimum of 18 students – a number that could force the closure of many small schools like East Burke, which has a maximum enrollment of just 18.

Darling expressed deep concern about the potential consequences of the legislation: "If [this bill] were to pass, and if we're not granted a waiver to continue to operate, we would close down. But, you know, from our perspective, this legislation is about so much more than [our school]. This is about the continued viability of rural life in Vermont because it will shut down, by our estimates, somewhere in the neighborhood of 39."

The debate over education reform in Vermont is far from over, with many rural communities hoping their voices will be heard as the bill moves to the Senate. Schools all across the Northeast Kingdom, including Lyndon Institute, have spoken up against the bill as it would likely force closure for many schools.