Trustees of Vermont Law School consider move to Burlington

SOUTH ROYALTON, Vt. (AP) — The board of trustees of the Vermont Law School voted in October to consider moving the school's campus to Burlington from its current location in South Royalton.

The Valley News reported on Monday that the law school continues to develop a strategic plan to keep the campus in South Royalton but is also evaluating a move to Burlington.

The school, which enrolled around 625 students this fall in remotely taught classes, is facing financial instability, the newspaper reported.

“VLS, like other law schools, is looking at options to improve its financial health, and the law school is looking at essentially all options that are available to it,” Glenn Berger, the chairman of the school's board of trustees, told the newspaper.

Vermont Law School opened in 1973 and is the state's only law school. The school, which has an operating budget of $20 million, and its students are a vital part of the town's economy, the newspaper reported. Royalton has a population of 2,800.

The chairman of Royalton's local governing board revealed at a Nov. 24 meeting that officials at the school had spoken with him about the possibility of relocation, the newspaper reported.

“Most of their revenue comes from tuition. They are not heavily endowed, that’s no secret,” Chris Noble, chairman of Royalton's Selectboard said. “They need students.”