Board Updated on GMTCC Building Plans
by Ben Hogwood

The Lamoille Union School District #18 Board will decide whether to
bring the Green Mountain Technology and Career Center construction
project to a bond vote at their next meeting, on Tuesday, November 2.
This will be the second time the vote has come before the board to
approve the project. If the board approves the construction plan, the
bond vote would then take place on Wednesday, December 8.
The project, estimated at $14,697,360, is to renovate and add to the
GMTCC facilities in Hyde Park and build classrooms and labs for a
satellite program at Hazen Union. Initially, the state was expected to
contribute 50 percent towards the cost of the expansion. However, the
state offered just 26 percent of the funding, causing the board to delay
its approval on Tuesday, September 21.
Joe Teegarden, director of GMTCC, told the board that he, along with
representatives from the participating supervisory unions, has met with
Vermont Education Commissioner Richard Cate to discuss the project. The
commissioner said the school needs to work on specific areas which could
increase the state's participation level, especially in the areas of
enrollment and student use of the proposed multi-task room. Currently,
the state is estimating much lower student enrollment projections than
the school. Teegarden expects to have the new state participation
figures back before the next board meeting. "I would expect more than
the 26 percent participation last time," he said.
Some board members were concerned that the state still wouldn't
contribute enough. "I don't think we have made the progress we need to
take this to a vote," said board member David Wells. Due to little
discussion brought up by the board on the project, Wells was worried the
board was heading in a direction of taking it to a bond vote regardless
of cost. "I'm a little surprised by our silence," he said.
"We're not ramming this down anybody's throat," said Bob Giroux,
business manager of LNSU, adding that the administration suggested they
not accept the last proposal from the state. Giroux said they will be
voting on the same project, it will just be a different dollar amount.
Wells said he believes there are legislative and administrative issues
than can be researched to reduce the cost. He added that while he is in
favor of the project, he believes costs can be further cut. "It won't be
a lack of support (for the project) why I vote no," he said.