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Vermont Business Magazine The Justice Department today announced a settlement agreement with the Elmore-Morristown Unified Union School District (EMUU) in Vermont to resolve its investigation into allegations that the district failed to adequately respond to student-on-student racial harassment. The investigation, conducted jointly by the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont, concluded that the district did not appropriately respond to serious and widespread harassment of Black and biracial students by their peers, primarily at Peoples Academy Middle Level. Harassed students endured frequent slurs and racist imagery, and a hostile environment where the use of the N-word and displays of confederate flags and Nazi symbols and salutes were commonplace. 

Vermont Business Magazine Middle and high school educators in Vermont can increase their financial literacy and personal finance teaching skills by attending a free, online, asynchronous graduate level course that will be available for 20 participants from March 3 through April 25. Funding for the course is again being provided by Northfield Savings Bank Foundation. “Teachers who complete the training will have the confidence, skills and curriculum tools to be successful personal finance educators,” says John Pelletier, director of the Center for Financial Literacy, which is offering the course through its Financial Literacy Academy.

Vermont Business Magazine Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak and Burlington Electric Department (BED), joined by community partners Old Spokes Home and Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund, today announced new and expanded Net Zero Energy electrification incentives that will provide significant financial assistance to Burlingtonians. The mayor and BED General Manager Darren Springer highlighted enhanced rebates for electric vehicles (EVs), EV chargers, heat pumps, electric bicycles, and electric lawnmowers, including additional incentives for low-income customers.

Vermont Business Magazine Evernorth Rural Ventures (ERV) has announced the closing of $15 million in its New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) allocation for the substantial expansion and improvement of the Weidmann Electrical Technology, Inc. manufacturing and technology plant in St. Johnsbury, Vermont. Weidmann is a global company, and its St. Johnsbury facility is the only plant of its kind in North America. This expansion project is critical to serve the rapidly growing United States market and to continue building and developing their longstanding relationship with the St. Johnsbury workforce and community. Weidmann’s new Power Transformer Center of Excellence will help retain over 300 jobs with advancement opportunities and, at the same time, create 67 new high-quality jobs in a remote region of Vermont that has struggled with longstanding issues of poverty, low wages and lack of quality employment opportunities.

Vermont Business Magazine AARP Vermont invites local eligible non-profit organizations and governments across the country to apply for the 2025 AARP Community Challenge grant program, now through March 5, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern. AARP Community Challenge grants fund quick-action projects that help communities become more livable by improving public places, transportation, housing, digital connections, and more. Now in its ninth year, the program is part of AARP’s nationwide Livable Communities initiative, which supports the efforts of cities, towns, neighborhoods, and rural areas to become great places to live for all residents, especially those age 50 and older.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Scott today issued the following statement regarding the start of the 2025 legislative session: “Today, the legislature will open the 2025 session. It’s something I’ve experienced many times since first elected to the Senate from Washington County in 2000. While it’s an exciting day for legislators, it’s more important than ever that Vermonters pay attention to what’s going on in the State House this session."

Vermont Business Magazine TD Charitable Foundation, the giving arm of TD Bank, has announced $7.2 million in available grants of $200,000 each through its 19th annual Housing for Everyone grant program. The 2025 program focuses on nonprofit organizations that provide post-purchase resources and solutions to low- and moderate-income individuals and families facing challenges in maintaining homeownership. The Housing for Everyone grant program supports TD’s longstanding commitment to community enrichment, as well as the bank’s efforts to help people live with greater financial confidence through the TD Ready Commitment, TD's corporate citizenship platform. Since its inception in 2005, Housing for Everyone has provided more than $56 million to help more than 585 affordable housing initiatives in the U.S. communities TD serves from Maine to Florida and in the Detroit metro.

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NBT Bank and the Vermont Chamber of Commerce have partnered to launch a new webinar series designed to provide businesses across the state with the valuable, data-driven economic insights they need to thrive in a dynamic marketplace. The Economic Insights webinar series will feature in-depth analysis and expert guidance from Kenneth J. Entenmann, CFA®, Chief Investment Officer & Economist at NBT Bank.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak announced a Tax Fairness Working Group consisting of City staff and community members who will be responsible for analyzing the City’s property tax structure. In May 2025, the Working Group will provide recommendations to the Mayor on how Burlington can create a more sustainable and equitable tax system. The establishment of the Working Group reflects the Mayor’s commitment to affordability and comes at a time when the City is also identifying ways to strengthen existing affordability programs for ratepayers at city-owned utilities Burlington Electric and Water Resources, which are leaders in innovative assistance programs.  

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Scott and Jennifer M.V. Fitch, Commissioner of the Vermont Department of Buildings and General Services (BGS), have notified the Addison County Economic Development Corporation (ACEDC) that they were awarded $34,447 for three Addison County businesses through the Building Communities Grant Program for projects in Leicester, Middlebury, and Vergennes. The Building Communities program annually awards $900,000 in matching grants statewide to municipalities and nonprofit organizations for capital costs associated with capital investments in the following categories: human services, health care and education, recreation, and economic development. Organizations in Addison County were awarded a total of $87,081 for eight projects in all four categories for the fiscal year 2025 funding round. 

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont’s youngest and oldest will soon have more opportunities to learn and socialize through painting, storytelling, dance, music, and other arts programming supported by grants from the Vermont Arts Council. Twelve organizations received a total of $50,000 in funding through the Council’s Creative Aging grant program, which awards grants of up to $6,000 to support skill-based instruction alongside opportunities for social engagement and community building in and through the arts for older adults. Eligible applicants are non-profits with 501(c)(3) status, such as arts organizations, libraries, senior centers, area agencies on aging, or social service organizations.

The Vermont Agency of Education, in collaboration with New Solutions K12, presents this professional development series about strategic budgeting for schools and school districts. There are ten sessions in total, recorded in December of 2024. More information and additional resources are available on the AOE website. View the webinar playlist on the AOE's YouTube channel.