BURLINGTON, Vt. -
Big changes for Flynn Elementary School in Burlington.
The school's walls are being stripped away as part of a $5.7 million plan to make the school more energy efficient. The plan calls for insulated walls, triple-pane glass windows and a geothermal heating system.
Crews are working on phase one now, fixing the south end of the building. That means grades 3-5 will be starting the new school year at the former St. Joseph's School in the Old North End. Phase two-- covering classrooms for K-through 2 students-- will get under way next summer.
"Flynn School in particular was chosen because it does have no insulation in its walls. Two winters ago, even with a new boiler, we had to close the school for one extra day because we couldn't heat the building beyond 48 degrees," school superintendent Jeanne Collins said.
The work at Flynn is part of the district's $9.7 million energy-efficiency improvement project approved by voters four years ago. Fixes to CP Smith and the Sustainability Academy are already done.
