Vermont State University Announces Latest Step in Revitalizing a Rural Campus with Partnership with Kingdom East School District
Lease of the Harvey Academic Building brings district office staff members to the Lyndon campus this summer
Lyndon, VT – Vermont State University (VTSU) and the local Kingdom East School District (KESD) announced a new partnership today, representing a significant and positive step forward in the university’s commitment to vibrancy and enhanced community collaborations at all of its rural campuses. The goal is to ensure the vitality, sustainability, and public value of Lyndon for future generations of Vermonters.
This agreement is among dozens being considered by the Vermont State Colleges as they work to right-size campuses – which are estimated to be at least 30% overbuilt based on a 2022 analysis – to meet the needs of todays’ learners and to position these beautiful places as community assets as well as centers of learning. Since 2017, the Lyndon Campus has seen a 60% decline in residential student enrollment, so these partnerships and increasing the number of people living and working on campus are critical to the revitalization and longevity of VTSU. This agreement follows the 2023 sale of 36 acres of land on the campus to the Vermont Army National Guard. Construction began last year on the development of a new 28,000 square foot readiness center which will serve as the base for Alpha Troop, 1st Squadron, 172nd Cavalry (MTN) to support 100 service members, with potential for up to 200, when completed next year.
VTSU President Dave Bergh commented, “our campuses are known as both community and educational hubs in their home regions. As our student population shifts, we are continually exploring innovative ways to make good use of our spaces in ways that benefit our students and our communities, so they can continue to support regional economic growth. This is an exciting next step towards our vision for vibrant campuses and I want to thank our staff, faculty and students for supporting this change and for all they do make Lyndon such a special, welcoming community.”
KESD is composed of seven schools that serve 1,600 Pre-K through 12th grade students in the towns of Burke, Concord, Lunenburg, Lyndon, Newark, Sheffield, Sutton and Wheelock. This new, education-focused partnership involves the school district moving its district offices into the Harvey Academic Center building on the Lyndon Campus this July.
Harvey is one of the few stand-alone buildings on the Lyndon campus. Its location, size, and infrastructure make it an ideal space to fit KESD’s needs. KESD will be relocating its district office staff members to the Lyndon campus, providing collaborative opportunities for both organizations. VTSU will relocate existing offices and academic programs housed in that space to other available space on campus, making good use of existing under-utilized resources for the university and a community partner.
“We are incredibly excited about this opportunity,” said KESD Superintendent Sean McMannon. “The Lyndon campus has long played a critical role in the region’s culture and economy, and we are thrilled to move our district team to VTSU and become a more connected part of this community. The vitality of the VTSU campus is important to all of us, and finding a new home for KESD on Lyndon’s campus is truly a win-win. We believe our proximity will strengthen our partnership by allowing us to host even more VTSU education students in KESD schools so they can gain valuable experience, while helping us recruit and retain talented new educators in the Northeast Kingdom.”
This sense of shared purpose is echoed by Lyndon faculty and staff, who see the partnership as creating new, hands‑on learning opportunities for VTSU students.
“Lyndon has a long and vibrant history in education, so this relationship with Kingdom East feels like a natural fit,” said local Kirby resident and Outdoor Education and Leadership Program (OEL) Professor Ben Mirkin. “A number of OEL students already work with local Kingdom East schools supporting after school outdoor education programs. I look forward to the increased opportunities this collaboration will bring for our students, particularly those interested in education‑related careers.”
This collaboration with Kingdom East is part of a broader set of community‑focused partnerships across Vermont State University’s campuses that foster creative, mutually beneficial uses of its facilities. Among these initiatives are a new Professional Pilot Technology program partnership with Infinity Flight Group to enhance hands-on, industry-aligned training based at the Williston campus; the co-location of Vermont Manufacturing Extension Center and the Vermont Small Business Development Center on the Randolph campus; and the ongoing exploration of relocating some town services to the Johnson campus.