Service providers Missy Hanks and Misty Kelso told the committee that individualized, effort-based programs and relational case management help clients escape chronic dependence; both cited local examples and success stories.

The committee discussed August policy updates aligning with Iowa Department of Education guidance that require building-level oversight committees and specify discipline options when a student is removed from class two or more times in a trimester.

Agency of Education staff told the Education Committee that while Vermont’s total school enrollment has fallen, the number and share of students on individualized education programs (IEPs) have increased and extraordinary expenditures — concentrated in autism and emotional‑disturbance cases — have driven much of the cost growth.