Mountain Views Supervisory Union Kicks Off Planning for New Middle and High School Construction
A newly formed Mountain Views Supervisory Union working group has reinitiated planning for the construction of a new middle and high school for which it previously received Vermont’s approval. With that approval, the group’s goal is to immediately begin working with the State’s legislature to restart its building project under the terms of Act 73 (also referred to as HB 454), the State’s sweeping new education-reform bill.
As previously approved by the Agency of Education (AOE) on February 16, 2024 – more than a year before the June passage of Act 73 -- the all-new facility will serve the seven communities that comprise Mountain Views School District, which include Woodstock as well as the 13 surrounding towns who use a school-choice option for their students to attend WUHS.
“Our urgent need for a new facility that will ensure our students a safe and healthy learning environment provides MVSU an important opportunity: to work with the State Agency of Education (AOE), legislators, and our Governor to begin hammering out the dozens of unresolved details within Act 73 that must be defined for both construction and project financing,” said MVSU Superintendent Sherry Sousa. “As a by-product, we believe our working group will create a critically important template that other school districts can follow going forward.”
To date, the school district has received approximately $2 million in taxpayer and donated funds to develop the plans and supporting documents that were necessary to earn the existing Preliminary Approval from AOE.
In part, the MVSU working group cites provisions in Act 73 that support building replacement when current infrastructure “threaten[s] the health or safety of students or employees” while being “inadequate to provide programs required by State or federal law or regulation.” Such conditions, among others, were proved to exist within the original application, which resulted in the current Preliminary Approval from the State of Vermont.
The new working group will hold its next session withing two weeks, on Tuesday, August 6. “We see MVSU’s challenges today as an example of what can happen when a failing physical plant is hobbling one of the finest educational programs in the State,” said Keri Bristow, MVSU Board Chairman. “But the silver lining in the dark cloud is that MVSU – with its new working group – has an opportunity to help Vermont’s legislators. Together, we can work to iron out Act 73 details that ensure our school facilities are designed to support the high levels of education we’re already able to provide.”
Contact:
Gina McAllister
MVSU Communications Committee
gina.mcallister@mtnviews.org
Mobile: (802) 738-6414
Office: ((802) 952-1048