PLYMOUTH, Vt. – Mountain Views Supervisory Union and school district board members Seth Webb and Elliot Rubin held an informational meeting in Plymouth, on Feb. 15, regarding the proposed new construction of the Woodstock Union High School and Middle School building. The Woodstock school currently serves 28 communities, including the Town of Plymouth.
Webb, the father of a Woodstock High School student, explained that, when he joined the board in August, there were “three bad choices.” To build a new school, with the community vote failing by about 10% due to costs; to renovate the existing school, which would likely cost the same or more than a new construction due to the extent of the work that would need to be done; and to do nothing, which is unfair and unsafe to the students who attend the school.
The building, which was built in 1958, is considered to be 98% depreciated. Being grandfathered into building and safety requirements, the aging building is not up to current state codes, there is not a sprinkler system, and septic pipes are becoming clogged, among a laundry list of concerns. Therefore, the school district board voted unanimously to put a bond to vote to build a new school.
The district board has started over since 2024, when the budget for a design plan was put to vote, to restart the school’s construction plan at a state level. Under new reforms, schools are entitled to 20-40% of eligible school construction costs, by partnering and working with the state, subject to state approval. The district would need to have a preapproval and a bond vote for their match. They raised $30,000 and hired architects to make cuts to the overall design plan, reducing windows, reusing old furniture, and getting creative, without compromising the preapproval already in place for the construction plan.
Webb stated they have obtained $2.5 million in pledges, which is well above where they were in 2024, $1 million in a matching fund, and they are going back to the other dozen who have made pledges before, in attempt to make the construction affordable for taxpayers.
On March 3, Mountain Views Supervisory District will ask the Town of Plymouth voters, and all the towns in their district, to approve a $111 million, 30-year bond, for the construction of the school. Eighty-four million dollars of the bond would be local taxpayer responsibility, which would be divided among seven towns: Barnard, Bridgewater, Killington, Plymouth, Pomfret, Reading, and Woodstock. The bond, if approved, will only be funded if two additional conditions are met. The district would need to raise 25% from third-party sources, including federal, state, or private sources, which equates to $28 million. This reduces the local share from $99 million down to the proposed $84 million local share. Secondly, the state legislature would need to pass a law that would eliminate the current double penalty for school construction debt. Adding these two criteria to the ballot helps to protect taxpayers and contain costs. More information can be found at www.mtnviews.org/woodstock-union-rebuild-bond-vote.
Webb assured those in attendance that if the town approves the bond, but both criteria are not satisfied, the bond would not be granted. He also explained that, though construction could begin right away, the repayment of the bond could be structured to impact taxpayers from 2030 to 2033.
Webb warned that if the bond does not pass, they would lose the state aid and third-party funding. The school board would have to look at other options, such as renovations, or other schools students could attend. He added that Plymouth already approved $1.68 million, which was used for the design plan of the new construction and to acquire preapproval from the state, so those funds would have been wasted.
The new building would be constructed next to the current building, on the football field. Construction would begin in the spring of 2027, and students would move into the new building in 2029. There would be a displacement of sports during construction.
The new construction is larger than the current one by 19,000 square feet, which will accommodate new regulations, and allow for growth of student enrollment. This is a goal of Woodstock, which already serves as a union school and regional hub. The current structure serves 460 students, with classroom sizes at 500-700 square feet, while new classrooms will be 750 square feet. The new building will be able to accommodate up to 1,000 students, and is anticipated to last about 75 years. Keeping with such code is a requirement to obtain state aid.
Public comment questioned where else they could cut, such as the sports complex. Webb stated that the school board and community didn’t want that. It was later added that Woodstock is known, and even attended, for their prestigious sports programs.
Resident Carol Goodwin shared her concern that they should not have to approve the bond for $111 million, if they were only on the hook for $84 million. Webb explained that it is state law to be eligible for the bond to word the article with the full amount before other grants and funding are deducted.
Many residents voiced that they didn’t want to approve the bond if they didn’t know how much their taxes would increase. Others, including resident Bruce Pauley, suggested waiting until after the outcome of the school redistricting. Webb and State Rep. Charlie Kimbell warned that the redistricting structures are not final, could be changed, and may or may not occur. Kimbell offered that, if a redistricting takes place, there may be a larger pool of students, and therefore more taxpayers contributing to this bond. Kimbell reiterated that the voters need to think about the bigger region that the school would be able to service.
The Town of Plymouth will vote on the bond for the Woodstock school at Town Meeting, on Tuesday, March 3.