May 27 & 29: Career center presents new facility plans, hosts Trades Fair
May 22, 2025 | By Lisa Scagliotti
Architect's sketch of the proposed new Central Vermont Career Center front/side view. Courtesy photo
Eyeing a November bond vote, leaders from the Central Vermont Career Center are visiting schools in its district to present plans for the proposed new facility and hear community feedback.
A facilities forum will be held at Harwood Union Middle-High School on Tuesday, May 27, from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
The presentation will share plans for a new CVCC center being designed by TruexCullins Architecture and Lavallee Brensinger Architects.
The CVCC School District aims to build an open a new modern facility by 2028 that will offer expanded enrollment capacity and full-day programming. The district has an option to purchase a 27-acre site off Baptist Street in the Graniteville section of Barre for the project.
The current CVCC center occupies a 44,000-square-foot wing at Spaulding High School where it has operated since opening in 1969. Its capacity is limited to 220 students but applications in recent years have been nearly double that. The proposed facility would be two stories and approximately 140,000 square feet.
CVCC offers instruction to students in more than a dozen career-based training programs such as building trades, automotive technology, baking and culinary arts, stone trades, digital media, emergency and medical professions, welding, electrical, plumbing and heating.
Center Director and district Superintendent Jody Emerson said district officials will host several facilities forums to introduce the building plans to community members. In addition to Harwood, meetings are scheduled for June 4 at Twinfield Union High School, 6-7:30 p.m.; at Spaulding before the regular CVCC board meeting on June 9, also starting at 6 p.m.; and June 11 at Montpelier High School, also at 6 p.m.
“The idea is to present the project – how did we get started, what has happened, and the current state, and get feedback, particularly concerns, and answer questions,” Emerson said. “As we prepare for a November bond vote, we are hoping to really identify what we need to be able to clarify for folks.”
Details about the new facility project can be found on the CVCC website here.
Six local high schools send students to the career center: Harwood, Montpelier, Spaulding, Twinfield, U-32 and Cabot. Voters in all of the member districts would vote on a bond to build the new career center.
Tuesday’s meeting at Harwood will be in person in the school auditorium and also available remotely with this online link. Audio-only is available by phone by dialing 1-414-909-4354 and using the PIN 310916333.
Trades Fair Thusday, May 29
Also next week, the Central Vermont Career Center hosts its annual Trades Fair at the center located at Spaunding High School on Thursday, May 29, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Current and prospective students and family members are invited to attend to learn more about career center programs and partners, and see student work. That event will include demonstrations from students in multiple programs including automotive, graphic design, EMS and medical, and building trades. Cosmetology students will do face painting and culinary students will run a food truck and host a bake sale.
Representatives of about 20 partner companies and organizations that the career center works with will be in attendance, and there will be a silent auction to benefit the center’s scholarship fund.
See more about the Trades Fair online here.