Mountain Views School Board Requests Legislative Action Following Voter Approval of WUHSMS Rebuild Bond
The Mountain Views Supervisory Union (MVSU) School Board has sent a letter to local legislators requesting support for key legislative actions needed to move forward with the voter-approved rebuild of Woodstock Union High School and Middle School (WUHSMS).
On March 3, voters across the seven towns of the Mountain Views Supervisory Union —Barnard, Bridgewater, Killington, Plymouth, Pomfret, Reading, and Woodstock—approved a $111.9 million bond to construct a new middle and high school campus in Woodstock. The project would replace the existing facility, built in 1958, which no longer meets modern educational, infrastructure, or safety standards.
In the letter, addressed to Senators Alison Clarkson, Joe Major, and Becca White, and Representatives Charlie Kimball, Michael Hoyt, and Valorie Taylor, the Board asked lawmakers to support legislation this session to (1) decouple school construction debt from per-pupil education spending calculations and (2) fund Vermont’s State Aid for School Construction Program.
“This vote represents a strong mandate from district residents to build a safe and modern school that will allow MVSU to continue serving as a key regional hub for education that is consistent with the vision of Act 73,” the Board wrote.
The voter-approved bond includes two contingencies designed to protect taxpayers and limit the local share of the project. The district must secure at least 25% of project costs from federal, state, or private sources, and the Legislature must eliminate the current “double penalty” that counts school construction debt as education spending.
“Both provisions are required contingencies written into the voter-approved bond article and are essential for the project to proceed,” the Board wrote. “They would also benefit districts across Vermont by supporting the goals of Act 73 and helping communities build and maintain sustainable, modern regional hubs for education.”
Under Vermont’s current education finance system, construction borrowing increases a district’s per-pupil spending and can trigger the state’s excess spending threshold, requiring taxpayers to pay two dollars for every dollar over the limit. District leaders say this policy discourages communities from addressing aging school facilities.
“This penalty,” the Board wrote, “effectively prohibits necessary investments in safe school facilities.”
The Board also urged lawmakers to fund Vermont’s State Aid for School Construction Program. Vermont has not funded school construction since 2007, and statewide estimates place unmet school facility needs at more than $6 billion. Act 73 created a framework to restart the program, which the Vermont Agency of Education expects to launch in July 2026.
District leaders emphasized that timely legislative action is important to keep the project affordable. “Each year of delay increases construction costs,” the Board wrote. “Acting this session will help ensure the investment voters approved remains the most affordable path forward.”
About Mountain Views Supervisory Union (MVSU):
Mountain Views Supervisory Union serves students from Barnard, Bridgewater, Killington, Pittsfield, Plymouth, Pomfret, Reading, Woodstock, and neighboring school-choice communities.
Contact:
Sam Stockwell
Member, MVSU Rebuild Group
email.rebuildteam@mtnviews.org