Vermont contests federal high-risk designation over $41 million grant

Vermont officials are contesting a “high risk” designation from the U.S. Department of Education regarding a $41 million Title 1 grant. The federal designation follows the state’s discovery that it had incorrectly identified schools for resource allocation for nearly eight years.

The errors, which occurred during a period preceding the current secretary of education, sometimes resulted in resources being directed to schools that needed them the least rather than those addressing widening achievement gaps. Vermont reported the mistakes to the federal government this spring, but the U.S. Department of Education subsequently issued the high-risk warning and threatened a $100,000 penalty if errors are not immediately corrected.

Vermont Education Secretary Zoie Saunders stated the errors stemmed from a complicated process and emphasized the state’s commitment to closing achievement gaps. Governor Phil Scott has also pushed back, calling the federal designation “premature” and requesting that the state be allowed to meet established deadlines before being labeled high risk.