North Country Union High School may be headed for replacement after state police spent $8.7 million cleaning up PCB contamination in a building that has already used up 94 percent of its useful life, according to a 2022 Vermont Agency of Education report.
School board members, administrators and area legislators recently toured the nearly 60-year-old Newport facility to see firsthand why the board is considering constructing a new school. The tour was a second attempt after an earlier one conflicted with lawmakers' schedules during the legislative session.
PCB contamination was found three years ago, primarily in the B-wing, with some classrooms in C-wing testing above acceptable levels. The state-funded remediation made the facility safe for students and staff, but the building's infrastructure remains in constant failure, according to facilities director Mark Dunbar.
The welding classroom at the career center has machinery operating at 67 decibels, among other issues. School director Emily Jankowski and state Representative Ken Wells were among those on the tour.
NEK will be looking into the school board's cost estimates for a new building and whether any state funding for school construction is available.
Originally reported by the Newport Daily Express.
Photo: Cole Parsons via Unsplash. Photo is illustrative and not from the scene.
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