The Southwest Vermont Cooperative Educational Service Area (CESA) is a regional educational cooperative designed to foster collaboration, expand student opportunities, and maximize resources across public school systems in southwestern Vermont. Established under state education transformation legislation (Act 170), the CESA serves as a unified framework for member districts to share essential services, streamline administrative costs, and ensure equitable access to high-quality learning.

Why It Was Created

The Southwest Vermont CESA was created to help regional school systems pool their resources and leverage economies of scale while preserving local leadership and community decision-making.

Key objectives include:

Shared Administrative & Business Services: Combining efforts in areas like business operations, human resources, and information technology to reduce overhead expenses.
Enhanced Special Education Services: Coordinating regional special education programming and support to better serve students with high-level or specialized needs.
Expanded Educational Opportunities: Improving equitable access to specialized curricula, advanced academics, and Career & Technical Education (CTE) programs.
Regional Collaboration & Guidance: Facilitating structural evaluations, policy coordination, and shared planning among neighboring supervisory unions and school districts.

Who Is in the CESA

The Southwest Vermont CESA is governed by a representative regional board made up of leaders from the supervisory unions, school districts, and CTE centers across the region. Member entities typically include:

Bennington-Rutland SU (BRSU): Serving the Mettawee School District, Taconic and Green Regional School District, and Winhall School District.
Greater Rutland County SU: Serving the Ira School District, Quarry Valley Unified Union School District, Rutland Town School District, and Wells Spring Unified Union School District.
Mill River Unified Union SD: Serving the towns of Clarendon, Shrewsbury, Tinmouth, and Wallingford.
Rutland City SD: Serving the public schools and students of the City of Rutland.
Rutland Northeast SU: Serving the Barstow Unified Union School District (Chittenden and Mendon) and Otter Valley Unified Union School District (Brandon, Goshen, Pittsford, Sudbury, and Whiting).
Slate Valley UUSD: Serving the towns of Benson, Castleton, Fair Haven, Hubbardton, Orwell, and West Haven.
Southwest Tech Regional SD (Southwest VT Regional Technical School District): Serving high school students and adult learners across southwestern Vermont with career and technical education programs.
Southwest VT SU (SVSU): Serving the Arlington School District, Mount Anthony Union High School District #14, North Bennington Graded School District, Sandgate School District, and Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District.

Together, these partner institutions work to deliver efficient, high-impact education that supports learners, educators, and taxpayers across southwestern Vermont.

CESA - Southwest Vermont

CESA - Southwest Vermont