GRAND ISLE, Vt. (WCAX) - A statewide panel tasked with drawing new school district maps got a first look at a proposal to consolidate the state’s 119 districts into just 13 ahead of a public hearing Tuesday night.

In pursuit of more affordable taxes and better education opportunities, state lawmakers have been grappling with finding efficiencies in school systems. But that’s bringing into question the identity of some towns, including those in Grand Isle County.

Situated on northern Lake Champlain, there are only three roads connecting Grand Isle County to the mainland in Chittenden and Franklin Counties and New York. There are no high schools, so families have long been dependent on schools in other communities. They are anxious about how they’ll be impacted by the new district maps.

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