Preservation Trust urges earlier planning and funding for school building reuse

Ben Doyle, president of the Preservation Trust of Vermont, told the House General & Housing Committee on April 16, 2025, that Vermont towns need earlier planning and predictable technical and financial support if closed school buildings are to be turned into housing, community centers or other community assets.

Doyle spoke at a subject-matter hearing that the committee held to explore “school building reuse,” saying that reuse often happens only after a school has closed. "If a school closed right now, you got a three person select board that's really focused on a lot of other things...and they would say, 'oh, jeez. What do we do with this school?,'" he said.

The discussion matters because, Doyle said, school consolidation and closures are likely to continue in the short term and the cost of holding vacant buildings can quickly become a burden on small towns. Using Roxbury as an example, Doyle said the district faces about $60,000 in annual carrying costs for a closed school. "I do know that it's $60,000 a year in carrying costs," he said, adding that the district had not yet identified an end use or sustainable funding…