SPRINGFIELD, Vt. – The administration of the Springfield School District would like to thank the school board and the community for their support of improving our facilities. From ideas and needs that were identified in 2019, the district is concluding three years of construction at the high school that has seen new heating and ventilation systems, new LED lighting, new ceilings, a fire sprinkler system, and new electrical transformers throughout the building; corroding heating pipes replaced; a significant amount of asbestos abated; and a new reimagined and redesigned cafeteria.
The improvements that have occurred make the high school a healthier, more comfortable environment for learning. It also shows our students and staff that we care about their wellbeing.
We have been talking about renovating the cafeteria and integrating the use with the needs of the afterschool program since before the pandemic. The pandemic switched our focus to the ventilation system, and the expiring lighting grant from Efficiency Vermont strongly encouraged us to do the LED lighting upgrades. With all the preplanned work in the cafeteria, and the floor in need of replacement, all that was left to reimagine the space was painting, furniture, and finishing touches.
In the new cafeteria, you can expect to see new lighting, including sound-absorbing panels making the space quieter; a state of the art ventilation system with dehumidification; new windows into the kitchen, so that students can see what is on the menu; new doors in and out of the serving lines and the hallways; “action” cooking stations in front of the new windows on each side of the cafeteria for cooks to serve specials (not necessarily all the time); new epoxy flooring and subbase; new pub-style furniture on the west side of the cafeteria; some additional furniture added with the existing tables on the east side of the cafeteria; new paint on both the ceiling and walls; added electrical outlets for charging of personal devices and to create more flexibility is using the space; a new larger, refrigerated salad bar (coming in late October); and multiple TVs hung on the walls for entertainment.
We hope to accomplish a number of things with these improvements – to make the space more inviting, less institutional, and encourage student collaboration; to make the space more functional and flexible for the after school program and other events; and to make the space comfortable and relaxing so students will enjoy “hanging out” at school.
There is an open house scheduled in the cafeteria for Thursday, Oct. 3, from 5-7 p.m. All are welcome and encouraged to stop by.
The administration will continue to work with the budget committee and the school board to identify building needs, and develop our fiscal year 2026 capital budget. That work is just beginning, and will culminate in a budget proposal for the voters in late January.
For more information, contact Bindy Hathorn, Springfield High School principal, at 802-885-7900 or bhathorn@ssdvt.org; or Rick Pembroke, CFO, at 802-885-7900 or rpembroke@ssdvt.org.