Vermont State Colleges outlines $1.5M FY26 request, details projects including Green Hall, Jeffords Hall and Johnson heating plant

Sharon Scott, chief financial and operating officer for the Vermont State Colleges, told the Corrections & Institutions Committee on Feb. 12 the system is asking the legislature to include $1.5 million in major maintenance for FY26 and has additional requests for FY27 to address deferred maintenance and a campus heating plant replacement.

Scott said the governor recommended $1.5 million for FY26 and the colleges are requesting further funding in FY27; the system earlier requested a larger pool for the biennium but will triage projects if only the smaller amount is approved. "It is really about Maslow's hierarchy with me," Scott said. "This money is for the essential needs of the organization to make sure that our students are safe and warm."

The system provided project-level updates: Vale (sometimes reported as Vail) Hall on the Linden campus is on hold after an updated structural review; funds originally requested for Vale were partly diverted to Green Hall. Green Hall, a science building at the Randolph campus, is out for bid with a current estimated total cost of roughly $4.1 million after an additional $600,000 in deferred-maintenance work the college covered from its own funds. Bids for Green Hall were expected back in about two weeks from the committee meeting, and Scott said the project should conclude by the summer if bids remain within budget.

Jeffords Hall at Castleton is proposed as a separate project to upgrade mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems in the primary science building. Scott said the total Jeffords Hall estimate is $5.6 million, with $923,000 requested in FY26 for planning and design and the remainder for construction in FY27.

The largest single request discussed was a proposed replacement of the Johnson campus central heating plant. Scott told the committee the existing plant in Arthur Hall is nearly 60 years old, serves roughly 90% of the campus heating load and is failing intermittently. The system proposed an $8 million total project, with $1.6 million in FY26 for planning and design and the balance for construction, while noting the system currently plans to replace the plant with the same fuel (No. 2 heating oil) because conversion to alternative fuels could roughly double project cost. "We do plan to investigate whether ultimately our estimates are wrong. We'll investigate alternative fuel options and really dive in with Efficiency Vermont," Scott said.

Scott also described how the Vermont State Colleges have shifted toward self-funding some deferred maintenance: the system put about $2.5 million of its own funds into deferred maintenance this past year, plus $600,000 for Green Hall, and expects to have $1–$1.5 million available next year. She said the system has prioritized boilers/chillers, roofs and elevators as the top triage items if funding is constrained, and that emergency repairs such as multiple water-main breaks can quickly change priorities.

Committee members asked for occupancy data, timing, and contingency plans. Scott said Vale Hall remains in use for administrative offices and some classrooms despite being put on hold. She estimated the system owns roughly 2,000,000 square feet across campuses, and reiterated earlier bridge funding and congressionally designated awards: the colleges have two congressional designations totaling $6.3 million for nursing program capital/equipment expansion and $5.9 million for dental hygiene expansion, amounts Scott said would not require state appropriation for those specific uses.

Chair Emmons and several members stressed the committee will triage the governor's $1.5 million recommendation during markup and requested updated occupancy and prioritized lists from the system as bids and design work progress. Scott said long lead times for major equipment and constrained local contractor capacity informed the system's decision to phase planning and design in FY26 to enable faster deployment in FY27.

The system did not request immediate bonding authority and Scott said the colleges remain several years away from being in a position to bond. She also said the system holds $37 million in endowments that are largely restricted to student scholarships and are not available for facilities.

Committee members did not take a formal vote during the hearing. The colleges agreed to return substantive updates on Green Hall bid results and to provide more granular planning detail for the Johnson heating-plant proposal if the committee requests it during markup.