Vt. Board of Education releases final report on mergers

The Vermont State Board of Education has released its final report on Act 46 Decisions and Order.

This has been a multiyear process to lower education costs statewide by consolidating school districts.

In the final report, 45 school districts in 39 towns will merge into 11 new union school districts. That's a net reduction of 34 school districts.

Once these recommendations are put into effect, it will mean that since 2010, Vermont will have merged 206 school districts in 185 towns to form 50 new union school districts. That's a reduction of 156 total districts.

All told, once the recommendations are carried out, more than 84 percent of students will reside in a new union school district or a supervisory district.

Of course, forced school district consolidation is extremely controversial. Many towns resisting mergers want to maintain local control. And several school boards are already suing the state.