Agency of Education seeks $700,000 reappropriation to continue Read Vermont literacy work

The Agency of Education asked state senators to approve a $700,000 reversion and reappropriation in the Budget Adjustment Act to keep the Read Vermont literacy initiative operating through June 2026.

"It's not new state money. It's old federal money," said Jill Briggs Campbell, deputy secretary of education for operations, describing the funds as carryover COVID-era federal dollars originally set aside for literacy work. Campbell said the agency previously relied on ESSER and GEER funds and that a reversal under the prior administration curtailed those uses, leaving roughly $700,000 available.

Campbell told the committee the agency had also identified unobligated ARPA/SFRF dollars that were appropriated for IT modernization and related projects. An administrative action converted some of those unobligated amounts into general fund dollars, leaving about $1.2 million to $1.4 million; the agency proposes using about $700,000 of that balance to support Read Vermont while finishing IT work.

Agency leaders said approving the reappropriation in the BAA is preferable because it would let them obligate funds now through contracts and avoid a lapse in services. "This 700,000 is really critical," Campbell said. "Absent that, we're really going to stall out in this literacy work." She added that if the BAA request does not pass, the agency will include the request in the governor's FY2027 budget, but that could create a gap because appropriations typically do not take effect until mid-July.

Programmatically, the agency described an evidence-based, intensive coaching model that pairs literacy coaching with classroom teachers and interventionists, supplemented by family engagement materials and curricular supports. Campbell said the agency is training staff to "train the trainers" so it can build internal coaching capacity and expand the program to more schools and district leaders over time.

Committee members pressed for details on consultants and vendors; Campbell said multiple vendors have been involved, some left after ESSER funds ended, and that the agency will provide vendor links and a fuller briefing. She also agreed to reach out about attendance at the committee of conference as negotiations continue between chambers.

The agency framed the request as a bridge that replaces inaccessible federal dollars with converted general funds to sustain Read Vermont through the end of the school year and to give planners time to secure longer-term support in the FY2027 budget if needed. The committee did not take a vote on the reappropriation during the session; next steps include potential inclusion in the BAA negotiations and a possible FY2027 budget request if that vehicle does not carry the funds.