Essex North Supervisory Union 19

School Choice Information

Below is information families looking into the NEK Choice school district. If you have any additional questions, please contact the ENSU office at 802-266-3330 or send us a note by clicking the link below.

Declaration of Residency

The NEK Choice School District will provide tuition for students attending grades Pre-K through 12 in accordance with state law and the NEK Choice School District's policy.

A student is eligible for tuition provided they live within one of the towns included in the NEK Choice School District and demonstrates an intent to maintain residency within the NEK Choice School District. To confirm residency, a Declaration of Residency Application form must be completed and submitted to the Essex North Supervisory Union Office for approval. Once the Declaration of Residency Application has been received, our office will send you the appropriate Tuition Agreement to be completed. Please also note that everything can also be done digitally with DocuSign. It is a more secure and efficient way for us to receive sensitive information from our families. If you would like to proceed this way, please email our office and we can send you the forms via DocuSign.

In addition to a Declaration of Residency Application, a Tuition Agreement must be completed for EACH semester. In order for tuition to be paid to any public or approved independent school, an approved Declaration of Residency Application and an approved Tuition Agreement for the corresponding Semester must be on file at the Essex North Supervisory Union Office. Forms should be completed in their entirety and returned with proper documentation to:

Essex North Supervisory Union
Attn: Sylvia LaCasse
P.O. Box 100
Canaan VT 05903
Fax: 802-266-7085
Please email our office

The Essex North Supervisory Union will not be responsible for any tuition and/or late fees incurred prior to the date that the agreement has been submitted to the Essex North Supervisory Union office for approval. If your child changes schools during the semester, please notify the Superintendent’s office of the change. Please note: The total amount of the tuition paid shall not exceed that which is allowed by current state law and Vermont State Board of Education Regulations.

Average Announced Tuition

16 V.S.A. § 823. Elementary tuition

(a) Tuition for elementary students shall be paid by the district in which the student is a resident. The district shall pay the full tuition charged its students attending a public elementary school. If a payment made to a public elementary school is three percent more or less than the calculated net cost per elementary pupil in the receiving school district for the year of attendance, the district shall be reimbursed, credited, or refunded pursuant to section 836 of this title. Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection or of subsection 825(b) of this title, the boards of both the receiving and sending districts may enter into tuition agreements with terms differing from the provisions of those subsections, provided that the receiving district must offer identical terms to all sending districts, and further provided that the statutory provisions apply to any sending district that declines the offered terms.

(b) Unless the electorate of a school district authorizes payment of a higher amount at an annual or special meeting warned for the purpose, the tuition paid to an approved independent elementary school or an independent school meeting education quality standards shall not exceed the least of:

the average announced tuition of Vermont union elementary schools for the year of attendance;
the tuition charged by the approved independent school for the year of attendance; or
the average per-pupil tuition the district pays for its other resident elementary students in the year in which the student is enrolled in the approved independent school.

16 V.S.A. § 824. High School Tuition

(a) Tuition for high school students shall be paid by the school district in which the student is a resident.
(b) Except as otherwise provided for technical students, the district shall pay the full tuition charged its students attending a public high school in Vermont or an adjoining state or a public or approved independent school in Vermont functioning as an approved area career technical center, or an independent school meeting education quality standards; provided:

If a payment made to a public high school or an independent school meeting education quality standards is three percent more or less than the calculated net cost per secondary pupil in the receiving school district or independent school for the year of attendance then the district or school shall be reimbursed, credited, or refunded pursuant to section 836 of this title.
Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection or of subsection 825(b) of this title, the board of the receiving public school district, public or approved independent school functioning as an area career technical center, or independent school meeting education quality standards may enter into tuition agreements with the boards of sending districts that have terms differing from the provisions of those subsections, provided that the receiving district or school must offer identical terms to all sending districts, and further provided that the statutory provisions apply to any sending district that declines the offered terms.

(c) The district shall pay an amount not to exceed the average announced tuition of Vermont union high schools for the year of attendance for its students enrolled in an approved independent school not functioning as a Vermont area career technical center, or any higher amount approved by the electorate at an annual or special meeting warned for that purpose.