L’école Berkshire Elementary fait face au changement du paysage scolaire au Vermont

BERKSHIRE, Vt. — Berkshire Elementary School enters the 2026-27 school year as Vermont begins implementing an education overhaul that could eventually reshape the way small rural schools and districts operate.

Berkshire Elementary serves students from early education through eighth grade and is part of the Franklin Northeast Supervisory Union. State records list Gavin Roddy as principal.

At the state level, Acts 73 and 170 are moving Vermont toward larger school districts, cooperative educational service areas and potentially a new statewide education-funding structure. The laws also establish minimum class-size standards, although the consequences for failing to meet those standards were delayed under Act 170.

Under the current framework, minimum classes eventually would range from 10 students in first grade to 18 students in grades nine through 12. Schools classified as geographically isolated could seek waivers.

That makes implementation especially important for rural communities such as Berkshire.

The state says the restructuring process will continue for several years. Merger committees are scheduled to organize during September and October 2026, with recommendations expected in 2027. Local voters would consider proposed new school districts and board structures at Town Meeting in March 2028.

The eventual funding formula and new districts are currently scheduled to take effect in 2029 if additional legislative requirements are met.

For Berkshire families, that means the familiar local school remains in place today while decisions being made over the next several years could determine how it is governed and financed in the future.