The chart below summarizes the total number of public schools, the total number of education administrative entities and the total number of teachers in the Vermont education system.
Vermont’s K-12 Education Infrastructure
| 2015/2016 School Year | 2014/2015 School Year | Publically Funded Students Per: 2015/2016 | Publically Funded Students Per: 2014/2015 | |
| Publically Funded Students | 88,854 | 88,816 | ||
| Public Schools | 301 | 303 | ||
| Technical Centers | 15 | 15 | ||
| Approved Independent Schools & Programs | 139 | 126 | ||
| Total Schools | 455 | 444 | 195.3 | 200.0 |
| Total School Districts | 268 | 273 | ||
| Supervisory Unions | 45 | 45 | ||
| Technical Center School Districts | 3 | 3 | ||
| Joint Contract Schools | 6 | 5 | ||
| Gores & Unincorporated Towns | 9 | 9 | ||
| Total Public Education Governing/Admin. Entities | 331 | 335 | 268.4 | 265.1 |
| Superintendents | 57 | |||
| Principals | 309 | |||
| Vocational/Tech. Directors | 25 | |||
| Business Managers | 64 | |||
| Special Education Directors | 84 | |||
| Total Public School Administrators | 539 | 164.7 | ||
| Teachers | 8,370 | 10.6 | ||
| School Boards | 285 | 311.6 |
Source: Vermont Agency of Education 2017 Budget Book
Key Observations
Vermont Has More Teachers Per Pupil Than Any State in the USA: As noted above, Vermont has only 10.6 pupils for every teacher, the lowest ratio in the USA. According to the National Education Association, the US average is 15.9, or 33% higher.
Vermont has a High Level of Administrative Infrastructure: According to the National Education Association, Vermont has the lowest student enrollment in the country but ranks number 20 with respect to the number of school districts.
Vermont has Small Schools: Vermont has an average of 195 pupils per school. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the US average is 477.
All this Infrastructure Costs Money: At just about $21,000, Vermont’s education cost per pupil is the highest in the country. According to the National Education Association, the US average education cost per pupil was $11,709 in 2015.
Yes, we have a lot of schools and school districts – this is because the Vermont Constitution states that every town ought to have a school!