H217 requires all school districts in the state to provide a full day kindergarten service, available to anyone in the district.
The Vermont General Assembly passed H217 on June 20, 2023, by a vote of 116 to 31. We have assigned pluses to the nays because education is the responsibility of—and a fundamental right of choice retained by—a child’s parents or legal guardians, not the government. Forcing American citizens to furnish ever-increasing sums of taxpayer money for a compulsory, government-run, and failed school system violates their individual liberty protected by the Bill of Rights and the 14th Amendment.