The Harwood Unified Union School District (HUUSD) is putting together plans for a 2024 bond vote that would fund repairs and other renovations to Harwood Union High School. On November 16, The HUUSD Board’s bond committee will hold its first of a series of public meetings in which community members have the chance to provide feedback on options for the bond.
The HUUSD Board is considering three main categories of items to be funded by the bond, including overdue repairs in order to bring Harwood to current construction codes, improvements in energy efficiency and old infrastructure, and renovations in order to better meet students’ needs. These categories and their items are carried over from a 2021 bond, which amounted to about $59.5 million and was voted down by taxpayers.
In May 2023, the HUUSD Board voted to remove two items from that 2021 bond – the construction of a second gymnasium at Harwood Union High School and plans to construct a $6 million addition on Crossett Brook Middle School (CBMS) in order to move all middle school students from Harwood to CBMS.
Some of the items under the first category of repairs include replacing much of the electrical and plumbing and expanding science labs, which, according to HUUSD Superintendent Michael Leichliter, have not seen updates since the school was built in the 1960s.
Items under the second category of energy efficiency include the replacement of old insulation and windows – the newest of which are 30 years old. And items in the third category of renovations intended to better meet students’ needs, items include the creation of a space for ninth graders that would support their transition to high school and the creation of an ‘innovation lab’ where students could engage with technical, hands-on learning.
Leichliter said that “I am fully confident that this community will support doing the repairs that this building needs,” while acknowledging that community response for the third category of renovations for student learning is a bit uncertain.
Leichliter recognized that some homeowners will not be able to afford the property tax increases that come with a bond, but “in the end,” he said “there will be a bond, and there are some repairs that are more cost effective to do as a package.”
When the board proposed the 2021 bond, which was $59.5 million a calculation showing the impact on property tax rates was created. According to the HUUSD website, at that time, property tax rates are projected to increase by $0.14 due to the bond -- which for most households will mean an 8% increase in education property taxes.
Homeowners with income less than $47,000 per year will see no change to their property taxes through Vermont’s income-sensitized property tax program. Leichliter said that the planning team is still working on figures for this next bond, which will come before voters in November 2024. He said that some of the items in the 2021 bond had already been addressed including the roof at Harwood Union as well as the gym floor on that campus.
Public meetings will take place from November through January 2024, with one scheduled for each school in the district. Leichliter said that community members are encouraged to attend as many of these meetings as they would like.
The board addressed the MRV community in a letter, asking for community input. “This is a major undertaking that will have an impact on school district programs and finances for years to come,” they wrote, “so your input is crucial.”
Soon, the board will send out mailers with more information. They will also distribute a survey – both online and paper copies – as another means of collecting community feedback.
In February and March of 2024, the board will look at survey results and community feedback from public meetings. They will then ask architectural firm TruexCullins to assemble an estimate for a package of items. Leichliter said that with rising construction costs, “I think you’re probably looking at a considerable increase from 2021.”
The school board expects to decide on the components to be included in the bond in spring 2024, with a public vote scheduled tentatively for November 2024.
Leichliter said that the district is hoping to have testing and remediation of PCBs done by the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources before repairs and renovations begin. He said that the state plans to cover these costs, although funding is limited and timelines for testing and remediation are currently longer than expected.
“Harwood Union needs improvements and enhancement,” Leichliter said, “and we need the community’s support and input to put together a plan that’s beneficial to both students and taxpayers.”
The following public meeting dates and locations are scheduled, in which community members can provide feedback about items to be included in the bond:
November 16: 6 p.m. -- Harwood Union High School auditorium
November 28: 6 p.m. --Brookside gym
December 5: 6 p.m. -- Warren gym
December 14: 6 p.m. -- Crossett Brook Middle School cafeteria
December 19: 6pm Moretown cafeteria
January 11: 6 p.m. -- Waitsfield gym
January 16: 6 p.m. -- Fayston gym
You might also like
