Woodstock Union High School looks to build new net-zero building

This article appeared in the Valley News on January 27, 2023.

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By MELISSA COONEY

School infrastructure improvements are a common conversation in Vermont as buildings age. One Vermont town is looking to have voters approve a bond for improvements but wants to make sure it’s environmentally friendly, too.

Woodstock Union High School’s building was built in 1957 with a middle school addition 10 years after. School board officials tell me it’s becoming too expensive to maintain, so they’re looking at building a net-zero energy school.

The high school had six classrooms out of commission last winter because the aging heating system couldn’t keep up.

“Then it was almost $200,000 worth of emergency repairs that we had to do to keep those systems online,” said Ben Ford with the Windsor Central Supervisory Union School Board.