SOUTH ROYALTON — Bethel and Royalton residents will vote for a third time on a bond to upgrade the White River Unified District’s middle and high schools during a Special Town Meeting on May 20.

The revote is a result of a petition signed by 5% of voters in the two-town school district for a request for reconsideration of the article.

Bethel resident Greg Hughes, a former member of the Bethel School Board before the two towns merged school districts, helped collect signatures for the petition. 

“I don't think it was marketed properly,” he said about one of the reasons he advocated for a revote. “I don't think the voters had an enough information ahead of time to make an informed decision.”

At Town Meeting last month, voters defeated the $3.8 million, 20-year bond proposal, 435-415. A similar proposal failed by 10 votes last November.

Residents will vote on the same article that they rejected at Town Meeting. Under state law, school boards cannot make changes to any article up for a revote.

The revote will be conducted via Australian ballot and absentee ballots will be available. In order to pass, a simple majority is required. However, state law requires that two-thirds of “no” votes from Town Meeting must support the measure. In this case, it would take at least 291 “yes” voters to move the project forward.

“It’s essentially about voter turnout,” said Jamie Kinnarney, superintendent of the White River Valley Supervisory Union, which includes the White River Unified District.

If approved, the bond would be part of a $6.17 million construction project at White River Valley High School in South Royalton and the district’s middle school in Bethel. Households will pay on average an additional $50 per year in property taxes, according to information from the School Board.

The project would also be funded by donations and taxpayer money that has been set aside in a capital building fund.

The high school would see the majority of improvements, including expanding the workshop and welding areas, creating a performing arts center for the district’s growing chorus, band and theater students, and improving stormwater mitigation near the gym.

Plans also call for adding secure vestibules at both campuses that will allow staff more control over who is entering the buildings and that meet Vermont school safety standards. 

“The School Board had not discussed this at all and I think we were ready to let the (bond issue) go and then this grassroots movement started,” said Nancy Pejouhy, who chairs the White River Unified District School Board. “I’m definitely hoping it will pass this time. Third time’s the charm.” 

Pejouhy cited conversations with teachers and students about the need for more space for programs, particularly performing and industrial arts.

“It’s needed. This isn’t frills,” she said. “We’re not looking to build a big addition or a theater. We’re just trying to make the space more usable and safe for the kids.”

Hughes, a member of Friends of Vermont Public Education, a statewide group, also supports the bond, arguing the improvements would help draw in more children who live in towns with school choice to the White River Unified District.

“The secret for us to have long-term tax relief is to have as many tuition students as we possibly can,” he said. “We have empty seats, then if we fill these empty seats, we will lower our taxes.”

In the current fiscal year, the district conservatively budgeted that it would have 45 tuition students, Pejouhy said. Instead, 80 students selected White River Unified District through school choice. At $20,000 per student, this led to an additional $700,000 for the district’s reserve funds.

“Those 80 kids we got this year had school choice and they chose us,” she said. “There's every reason to believe they're going to continue to choose us; their younger siblings will choose us.”

If the revote fails, Kinnarney said the district will consider tackling some elements of the project separately using capital improvement plan funding, including fixing the stormwater runoff issues to align with state regulations and addressing safety issues.

Liz Sauchelli can be reached at esauchelli@vnews.c om or 603-727-3221.