The Vermont State Senate Education Committee will hold a listening session at Woodstock Union High School and Middle School on Tuesday, Nov. 18.
Vermont State Senator and chair of the Senate Committee on Education, Seth Bongartz, spoke to the Standard about hosting this event and what parents and community members can expect. “Last year, the Senate made an effort to visit various schools across the state to get a finger on the pulse of our local school districts. This year, we are returning for a more in-depth look at the challenges schools face and the excellent educational opportunities schools are working to create. We know that no two schools are the same, and that each Vermont child is different, but we are hoping that this allows the state to understand the needs of families and help create the most effective educational future for our constituents.”
Woodstock Union High School will be just one of the many stops this team of senators will make. “With WUHS, we want to better understand the facility and infrastructural challenges the school is grappling with, and to understand the juxtaposition of a failing facility with the excellent educational opportunities available. We want to tour the school, hear from the students and teachers, and at the end of the day, set aside an hour or two for the public to address concerns, hear their thoughts, and truly understand what the priorities are for families of the Upper Valley,” said Bongartz.
The day will begin at 10 a.m. with a slideshow presentation by the teachers and elementary students at the Woodstock Elementary School (WES).
Following the slide presentation, the students of WUHS will host a fishbowl event where high schoolers will be asked questions from other student facilitators and speak about their educational experiences. Afterwards, the senators will have an opportunity to comment and continue a dialogue with the students.
Following the presentation, senators will be invited to observe a class. Then there will be a tour of the facility, led by the director of buildings and grounds, Joe Rigoli. This tour will highlight the various infrastructural issues with the WUHS building, taking participants on a tour of broken boilers, exposed pipes, and outdated infrastructure — all emphasizing the need for a complete rebuild.
At 2:45 p.m., the auditorium will open for parents, families, and community members to attend a Q&A where residents are invited to ask the senators anything they wish.
Seth Webb, a leading voice in the Woodstock Rebuild group, will also be in attendance to help answer questions about the proposed rebuild.
For more on this, please see our November 6 edition of the Vermont Standard.
