Burlington, VT – On Tuesday night, members of the Burlington School Board will decide whether to approve the final construction cost for a new Burlington High School. The final price tag is millions more than what was originally expected.
In 2022, Burlington voters overwhelmingly approved a $165 million bond to fund the construction of the school. At the time, the total price of the project was estimated at around $190 million.
The discovery this summer of additional asbestos contamination and updated contingency numbers increased the cost. Whiting Turner, the project’s construction manager sent the board a final guaranteed price of the construction phase totaling nearly $162 million. The total project total is now around $204 million.
Board members will decide Tuesday night whether or not to go through with the new construction cost. The district says with additional state and federal secured funding there is enough money to go through with the construction with an additional burden on taxpayers.
The project is now moving from demolition of the old school and into the actual construction phase. The district says in the worst-case scenario, the project would be complete no later than April, 2026 with the school ready for the start of the 2026/27 school year.
