Vermont Statutes Title 16 Sec. 1481
Terms Used In Vermont Statutes Title 16 Sec. 1481
- Agency of Education: means the Secretary and staff necessary to carry out the functions of the Agency. See
- following: when used by way of reference to a section of the law shall mean the next preceding or following section. See
- Independent school: means a school other than a public school, which provides a program of elementary or secondary education, or both. See
- School board: means the board of school directors elected to manage the schools of a school district, the prudential committee of an incorporated school district, the supervisory union board of directors, and the supervisors of unorganized towns and gores. See
- School district: means town school districts, union school districts, interstate school districts, city school districts, unified union districts, and incorporated school districts, each of which is governed by a publicly elected board. See
- Secretary: means the Secretary of Education. See
- Superintendent: means the chief executive officer of a supervisory union and each school board within it. See
§ 1481. Fire and emergency preparedness drills
(a) Each school board in a district that operates a school shall adopt a policy mandating each school site to conduct options-based response drills at each school site in the fall and spring of each academic year. The policy shall require age-appropriate options-based response drills, including fire drills, to be conducted following the guidance issued by the Vermont School Safety Center jointly with the Vermont School Crisis Planning Team and shall require notification to parents and guardians not later than one school day before an options-based response drill is conducted. In issuing the guidance, the Vermont School Safety Center and the Vermont School Crisis Planning Team shall include trauma-informed best practices for implementing options-based response drills. A superintendent shall report completion of the biannual drills to the Agency of Education in a format approved by the Secretary.
(b) Each approved or recognized independent school or other educational institution, other than a university or college, shall adopt a policy mandating the school to conduct options-based response drills and fire drills in the fall and spring of each academic year, consistent with the requirements of subsection (a) of this section. The head of school shall report completion of the biannual drills to the Agency of Education in a format approved by the Secretary.
(c) A school district, independent school, or educational institution whose administrative personnel neglect to comply with the provisions of this section shall be fined not more than $500.00.
(d) Annually, the Vermont School Safety Center and Agency of Education shall review the reports submitted according to this section and shall ensure compliance and identify future planning and training needs. (Amended 1973, No. 214 (Adj. Sess.), § 5; 1991, No. 24, § 11; 2003, No. 16, § 2; 2003, No. 141 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. April 1, 2005; 2013, No. 92 (Adj. Sess.), § 136, eff. Feb. 14, 2014; 2023, No. 29, § 1, eff. August 1, 2023.)