Vermont HS athletics runs through VPA with D1-D4 divisions, three regional conferences (NVAC, CVL, MVL), and a parallel NEPSAC private-prep recruiting circuit. Vermont SOPIPA covers a notably broad set of "covered information" categories. Lightning for Schools is built for VPA athletic directors: Vermont SOPIPA-compliant student-data handling and pricing with 10 included coach seats plus low-cost extras.

Built for VPA

Governing Body

Vermont Principals' Association (VPA)

Member-school eligibility rules, classification, and championship workflows shape what an athletic department needs from its software. Lightning for Schools is configured to support VPA-aligned workflows out of the box — not generic NFHS templates that don't map to your state's specifics. Reference: vpaonline.org.

Compliant with Vermont SOPIPA (9 V.S.A. §§2443 + 2443a, enacted 2019)

Student Data Privacy

Vermont SOPIPA (9 V.S.A. §§2443 + 2443a, enacted 2019)

Vermont's Student Online Personal Information Protection Act, codified at 9 V.S.A. §2443 (definitions) and 9 V.S.A. §2443a (operator prohibitions, enacted 2019), applies to operators of websites, online services, or applications used primarily for PreK-12 school purposes. Covered information is broadly defined to include FERPA-protected records as well as discipline records, test results, special education data, juvenile dependency records, grades, evaluations, medical/health records, biometric information, disability status, and socioeconomic, political, or religious information. Lightning's data-handling practices are built to meet these requirements; a vendor that can't speak to your state's privacy framework should not be on your shortlist.

What Vermont athletic directors actually deal with

VPA uses D1 through D4 divisions across most sports with relatively small division populations — Vermont has about 34 football programs total, so VPA football operates a 3-division structure with 8 teams qualifying for D1/D3 postseasons and 4 teams for D2.
Vermont schools belong to one of three regional athletic conferences: NVAC (Northern Vermont Athletic Conference, larger northern schools), CVL (Central Vermont League, smaller central/eastern schools), or MVL (Marble Valley League, large + small schools in southern VT). ADs operate within their conference governance in addition to VPA.
NEPSAC private prep schools (Vermont Academy, Burr and Burton Academy, among others) run a parallel recruiting circuit feeding D3 + select D1 programs outside VPA governance — particularly in basketball, lacrosse, hockey, and skiing.
Vermont SOPIPA (9 V.S.A. §§2443/2443a) covers a notably broad scope of "covered information" — including biometric, disability, socioeconomic, political, and religious data — wider than many state SOPIPA-equivalents. Athletic-department vendor contracts should reflect this broader-than-typical coverage.

What Lightning for Schools includes

10 coach seats included

Flat $150/yr base includes 10 full coach seats. Need more for a big multi-sport department? Add extra seats anytime at 50% of the coach-tier price.

Roster + eligibility

Per-sport, per-season roster management with eligibility tracking, transfer documentation, and out-of-season practice limits.

Recruiting portal integration

Your student-athletes' Lightning profiles roll into a searchable college-coach portal — recruiting attention without leaving the AD platform.

DPA-compliant data handling

Aligned with Vermont SOPIPA (9 V.S.A. §§2443 + 2443a, enacted 2019) requirements. Documentation available for your district's procurement review.

Stat verification

Coach Verified and Tournament Verified stats flow into the recruiting layer automatically. Reduces manual roster-update workload for AD staff.

Multi-season scheduling

Fall / winter / spring sport scheduling in one tool — facility allocation, transportation requests, official assignments.

Built for athletic departments across Vermont

We're looking for our first partner departments in the state. If you're an AD in one of these areas and want to talk through a pilot:

Burlington / Chittenden County Rutland Brattleboro / Windham County Montpelier / Barre Bennington Upper Valley (St. Johnsbury / White River Junction)

Lightning for Schools · VT

$150 / year

Base tier · 10 coach seats included · Vermont SOPIPA (9 V.S.A. §§2443 + 2443a, enacted 2019) compliant

See full Lightning for Schools details →

Talk to Christian directly

I'm the founder. Vermont athletic directors who want to talk through a pilot or just get specific questions answered can reach me directly: [email protected] or (443) 996-6563.