This November 5, we’re asking voters to approve a $3.8 million 20 year bond for a $6.8 million project. We’re funding the rest of the cost through grants, donations, savings, and our capital building fund. Explore this site for more information about what’s the bond is for, why it’s needed, and what it means for you. 

Why Now?

Our school buildings have served us well for many years.  Why are we now asking for these improvements?  Put simply, our high school enrollment is up.  While overall student numbers are down significantly in Vermont from their peak in the late 1990s, since the merger we now have all the students from two towns, not just one attending our high school.  We have been attracting increasing numbers of students from surrounding communities as well, leading to our high school having its highest enrollment ever.  The current enrollment of 231 is 10% higher than South Royalton High School's peak enrollment in 1998.  While we have more classroom space than they did then to accommodate the extra students since middle school students are educated in Bethel, dedicated function rooms, like the music room and shop space are running into space issues thanks to increased demand.  

School Board Message

Dear White River Unified District Voters, 

We are writing to ask for your support in a bond vote on November 5th. We’re committed to educating our children safely and providing enriching educational experiences. Our buildings need upgrades to make this possible. We need your help to support and invest in a set of critical projects.

Three years ago, we started a project to assess our school buildings, address immediate needs, and produce a long-term maintenance plan. A subcommittee identified places with safety and accessibility concerns, overcrowding, aging infrastructure, and inadequate spaces for learning. We prioritized them and got to work.

We completed the Phase 1 of the projects in 2023 for $2.2 million, on time and on budget. We replaced the Bethel boiler with wood pellet heat, upgraded both campuses to LED lighting, and made ventilation improvements. Energy savings paid for most of the project cost. We’re excited about the opportunities the Phase 2 projects can offer our students and community: safe, secure school entrances; efficient Royalton campus heat and ventilation systems; and expanded performing arts and tech education (shop) spaces. 

The total cost for these projects is $6.8 million; we are asking for a $3.8 million bond. We know money is tight. We have worked hard to keep WRUD school tax increases among the lowest in the state. We worked hard again to save money, raise outside funds, and create a plan that will address the needs of our school without burdening taxpayers. A bond will spread the cost of the project over time, keeping it affordable for taxpayers.

The music boosters have secured a significant amount of money for the Performing Arts Wing and stage upgrades through fundraising, and we have been able to put aside over two million dollars into our Capital Improvement Fund from recent years’ budget surpluses. This reduces the amount of money we need to raise via a bond and so we are asking voters to approve borrowing up to $3.8 million. Over the 22 years of the loan, we’re projecting this will only add an average of $47 per year to the tax bill for a $200,000 home, while providing great benefits for our students and community.

We hope you will consider voting in support of this project on November 5th. 

We thank you for your continued support of our school, our students, and our community.

WRUD Board

Andrew Jones, Chair
Rodney Rainville, Vice Chair
Julie Hinman, Clerk
Nancy Pejouhy
Ed Sullivan
Peggy Ainsworth