Winooski School District Holds Groundbreaking Ceremony
Celebrating the Capital Project with Students, Staff, and Local and State-Wide Leaders
October 28, 2020 – Winooski, VT – The Winooski School District (WSD) will be holding a groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday, October 29th at 4pm at the district construction site (60 Normand Street, Winooski, VT 05404) in honor of the district’s Capital Project.
The WSD serves 855 students across PreK – 12th grade, on one campus. The Capital Project, slated for completion in August 2022, will create approximately 75,000 sq ft of new space including a new gymnasium, middle school, and elementary school wing, as well as the renovation of approximately 125,000 sq ft of existing space. Necessary infrastructure updates to the school will improve comfort using environmentally conscious design using renewable energies, safety, and support major programming changes. The new design reflects the modern advancement of the educational sector, incorporating a pod design rather than lecture structure, a full health office suite including a school-based health center, a large performing arts center, and cafeteria.
ReArch Company, Construction Manager for the project, is excited to be part of this instrumental project for the Winooski community. “We are fortunate to have such an amazing client and equally rewarding project,” said Johnny Illick, ReArch CEO. “We are delighted to be able to celebrate the School District’s investment and success at the official ground-breaking ceremony, and to watch their future learning space come to life!”
The $57.8M project is funded through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Community Facilities Direct Loan. The loan program will result in savings of approximately $11M over the course of the loan. “Our mission is to build stronger and healthier rural communities,” said Anthony Linardos, USDA State Director of Rural Development. “The strongest communities are those that commit to their future by investing in it, and the new school and campus are reflections of that dedication by the citizens of Winooski. This essential project will benefit the children, parents, and teachers of Winooski for generations to come, and we are extremely proud to be a part of it.”
The WSD Capital Project is being celebrated by leaders across Vermont. “This project is exactly the type of investment that the federal government should be making – helping students, families, and communities build the safe infrastructure needed for our young people to learn and grow,” said Senator Bernie Sanders. “As we know – perhaps now better than ever before – our schools are so often the heart of our towns. Inside their walls, students not only have a place to learn, but also a place to eat, be warm, feel safe, and – in the case of Winooski – get health and dental care. I am grateful for the hard work of the Winooski School District and everyone who has made this project possible. I can’t wait to see what our young people are able to achieve because of your efforts.”
“I applaud the Winooski School District for making this bold investment in the future of its youngest residents. After months of remote learning, we all have a new appreciation of the central importance of school buildings as an essential part of our community,” said Senator Patrick Leahy. “The Winooski School will be a gathering place for years to come where students from the City’s diverse families will come together to learn, to share meals, and to form lasting friendships. As Vice-Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and leading member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, I’ve always been proud to support Rural Development because of how its investments strengthen our communities, and there is no better example of this than the Winooski School District.”
The speaker line-up includes:
- Winooski students: Land Acknowledgment
- U.S. Congressman Peter Welch (VT)
- WSD Board member, and Capital Project Executive committee member, Alex Yin
- Mayor of Winooski, Kristine Lott
- USDA Rural Development Vermont and New Hampshire State Director, Anthony Linardos
While in-person attendance is limited, community members are invited to watch the ceremony live via Facebook.
Members of the media may attend and are required to adhere to all health protocols including maintaining physical distance, wearing a face covering, and performing a self-health screening before entering the outdoor ceremony location. Please confirm with Emily Hecker ([email protected]) if you plan to attend.