Community Forum for New Burlington High School to Be Held February 12

The Burlington High School Building Committee has been working for over a year now to try and envision a new or rebuilt BHS. The current building, built in the 1970s, is in need of serious renovation or replacement, with HVAC and accessibility improvements needed. In addition, there are concerns with ventilation and a lack of windows in some areas of the building. Additionally, though the building was intended for a student population of about 2,000, the current enrollment is closer to 900, and a number of non-high-school spaces such as the Science Center, the Central Offices, Burlington Cable Access Television, and the Burlington Early Childhood Center are housed in the building today.

The Building Committee, along with designer, Tappé Architects, has investigated a number of different possibilities—from renovation only, to partial renovation with rebuilding, to a building a completely new facility. They've looked into which of the non-high-school programs should stay with the high school when it's rebuilt or renovated, and they've explored several location options for a rebuild, including Varsity Field, the student parking lot, and an off-site location (this option has since been voted down).

Community members have attended recent meetings of the School Building Committee to voice their thoughts and concerns about the potential options. A major source of concern is noise and water issues neighbors feel could be caused if Varsity Field is moved to where the high school is currently located and underground parking is built below. A letter with more than 100 resident signatures has circulated which outlines some residents' perception that the Committee has not done enough to involve the community in this decision-making process; the letter urges the Committee to consider renovation-addition options as more cost-effective and less disruptive than complete rebuilds.

The project will have a price tag that centers around $300 million, and when all is said and done will result in higher taxes on Burlington residents for decades to come. The borrowing will also need to be approved by Town Meeting with a 2/3 vote; the Committee plans to bring the project before the body in September 2025. A Community Meeting was held in November to give an update on the feasibility study and outline the options under consideration at that point. Now that the options have been narrowed further and the Committee plans to decide which options to bring into the next phase of the process, another Community Meeting will be held.

Join the Burlington High School Building Committee and School Committee on Wednesday, February 12, from 6:30-8:00 in the BHS Auditorium for an update on where the project stands and an opportunity to ask questions and provide your input on the options under consideration.

NOTE: There will be guided tours of the existing high school building BEFORE the forum from 5:30-6:30.

If you're not able to attend in person, you can still watch on BCAT or Facebook and offer your input remotely.