This School In Vermont Has Been Installed In A Former Macy’s And The Vibe Is Unlike Anything Else, Not Only Because Of The Escalators (20 Pics)

On Tuesday, both educators and students in Burlington, Vermont, celebrated the opening of a temporary high school in an old Macy’s department store.

The original Burlington High School building was closed due to chemical contamination concerns.

But as students entered the new “Downtown BHS,” they were happy to resume in-person learning. Also, their school’s new home still had many original features revealing it was a place to shop, and providing content for quite a few amusing social media posts.

Burlington High School was closed due to chemical contamination concerns

This School In Vermont Has Been Installed In A Former Macy's And The Vibe Is Unlike Anything Else, Not Only Because Of The Escalators (20 Pics)

Image credits: mirandaljunggg

But it reopened in an old Macy’s building

This School In Vermont Has Been Installed In A Former Macy's And The Vibe Is Unlike Anything Else, Not Only Because Of The Escalators (20 Pics)

Image credits: mirandaljunggg

“I’m definitely excited,” sophomore Daniel Gibson told NECN of the new school building opening. “It’s just harder to do school online.”

Gibson and his fellow students haven’t been able to attend the city’s regular high school since last March.

Both teachers and students are pretty excited about the changes

@mirandaljunggg ♬ baby one more time x levitating – Adam Wright

At first, the pandemic closed it to in-person learning. But then, right before this academic year, word got out that potentially harmful chemicals linked to old construction materials were found in the air inside.

This combination meant far more remote learning for BHS kids than just about anywhere else.

Inside, some classroom walls still remind students of the products that were sold here

This School In Vermont Has Been Installed In A Former Macy's And The Vibe Is Unlike Anything Else, Not Only Because Of The Escalators (20 Pics)

Image credits: mirandaljunggg

This School In Vermont Has Been Installed In A Former Macy's And The Vibe Is Unlike Anything Else, Not Only Because Of The Escalators (20 Pics)

Image credits: mirandaljunggg

This School In Vermont Has Been Installed In A Former Macy's And The Vibe Is Unlike Anything Else, Not Only Because Of The Escalators (20 Pics)

Image credits: mirandaljunggg

“Yes, there is the importance of understanding content in the classroom, but there’s also that human connection piece and just growing through discourse and conversation,” interim BHS Principal Lauren McBride said.

McBride joined school district representatives and elected officials in thanking the many people who worked tirelessly to make this conversation a reality.

The escalator leads to a former jewelry section

This School In Vermont Has Been Installed In A Former Macy's And The Vibe Is Unlike Anything Else, Not Only Because Of The Escalators (20 Pics)

Image credits: mirandaljunggg

Here’s a video tour of the premises

Image credits: Cat Cutillo

The school district highlighted that getting a safe space for in-person classes has been a priority

This School In Vermont Has Been Installed In A Former Macy's And The Vibe Is Unlike Anything Else, Not Only Because Of The Escalators (20 Pics)

Image credits: Cat Cutillo

This School In Vermont Has Been Installed In A Former Macy's And The Vibe Is Unlike Anything Else, Not Only Because Of The Escalators (20 Pics)

Image credits: Cat Cutillo

Gov. Phil Scott, R-Vermont, also shared some good news

This School In Vermont Has Been Installed In A Former Macy's And The Vibe Is Unlike Anything Else, Not Only Because Of The Escalators (20 Pics)

Image credits: Cat Cutillo

The governor announced all Vermont teachers, school staff, and employees of child care centers will be eligible for COVID-19 vaccines starting next week

This School In Vermont Has Been Installed In A Former Macy's And The Vibe Is Unlike Anything Else, Not Only Because Of The Escalators (20 Pics)

Image credits: Cat Cutillo

WCAX reported that the conversion took 10 weeks and had a $10 million budget. The old school closed in September, and they’re planning on using the converted Macy’s store as a temporary location for up to 3 years, depending on how long it takes to clean up and renovate BHS.

This School In Vermont Has Been Installed In A Former Macy's And The Vibe Is Unlike Anything Else, Not Only Because Of The Escalators (20 Pics)

Image credits: Cat Cutillo

This School In Vermont Has Been Installed In A Former Macy's And The Vibe Is Unlike Anything Else, Not Only Because Of The Escalators (20 Pics)

Image credits: Cat Cutillo

The conversion took about 10 weeks

This School In Vermont Has Been Installed In A Former Macy's And The Vibe Is Unlike Anything Else, Not Only Because Of The Escalators (20 Pics)

Image credits: Cat Cutillo

This School In Vermont Has Been Installed In A Former Macy's And The Vibe Is Unlike Anything Else, Not Only Because Of The Escalators (20 Pics)

Image credits: Cat Cutillo

And had a budget of $10 million

This School In Vermont Has Been Installed In A Former Macy's And The Vibe Is Unlike Anything Else, Not Only Because Of The Escalators (20 Pics)

Image credits: Cat Cutillo

This School In Vermont Has Been Installed In A Former Macy's And The Vibe Is Unlike Anything Else, Not Only Because Of The Escalators (20 Pics)

Image credits: Cat Cutillo

This School In Vermont Has Been Installed In A Former Macy's And The Vibe Is Unlike Anything Else, Not Only Because Of The Escalators (20 Pics)

Image credits: Cat Cutillo

This School In Vermont Has Been Installed In A Former Macy's And The Vibe Is Unlike Anything Else, Not Only Because Of The Escalators (20 Pics)

Image credits: Cat Cutillo

“Honestly it feels genuinely better than the old BHS campus. You can truly feel how much time and effort went into building it,” Aria Batten, 16, told BuzzFeed News.

“They truly thought out the safety and construction behind it, and it makes me feel really good.”

This School In Vermont Has Been Installed In A Former Macy's And The Vibe Is Unlike Anything Else, Not Only Because Of The Escalators (20 Pics)

Image credits: Cat Cutillo

This School In Vermont Has Been Installed In A Former Macy's And The Vibe Is Unlike Anything Else, Not Only Because Of The Escalators (20 Pics)

Image credits: Cat Cutillo

Here’s what people said about the conversion

This School In Vermont Has Been Installed In A Former Macy's And The Vibe Is Unlike Anything Else, Not Only Because Of The Escalators (20 Pics)

I'm a visual editor at Bored Panda. I kickstart my day with a mug of coffee bigger than my head, ready to tackle Photoshop. I navigate through the digital jungle with finesse, fueled by bamboo breaks and caffeine kicks. When the workday winds down, you might catch me devouring bamboo snacks while binging on the latest TV show, gaming or I could be out in nature, soaking up the tranquility and communing with my inner panda.

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Rokas is a writer at Bored Panda with a BA in Communication. After working for a sculptor, he fell in love with visual storytelling and enjoys covering everything from TV shows (any Sopranos fans out there?) to photography. Throughout his years in Bored Panda, over 300 million people have read the posts he's written, which is probably more than he could count to.

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What do you think ?

POST

birdie asf 3 years ago

That sounds super cool - honestly I would probably look forward to going to school if it were in a former Macy's building just because it's a pretty crazy experience. This is what should happen to all unused buildings, we should re purpose them instead of letting them just sit there and take up space.

56points

K. 3 years ago

I’m glad you think that way. We have to be flexible where we can and adapt to meet the challenges we face.

12points

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Little Dino 3 years ago

I think that this is great. the mall is large enough and gives them space to social distance while remaining to be safer than their original school. cool!

24points

Joonscrab 3 years ago

Right! I see no downsides! Plus, it's easier for kids to carry their heavy bags on an escalator than climbing up :D

25points

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"Simo Häyhä" 3 years ago

It sounds great but then you think about the fact that it means America's malls work better as schools than the actual schools.... (Not trying to turn this into something negative, it IS a good thing none the less)

11points

Alexis draskinis 3 years ago

Its probably because most malls were built after the school building were & were already prepared for large amounts of people. Granted, i dont like in VT but it live in CT & a ton of our schools were built ages ago. They were made to hold 1 grade lv at a time vs having 3 8th grade groups sharing rooms for example. Or were made to have a school total of a few hundred kids & now have to house 100 kids just in 1 grade lv. They're def trying to play catch up &/or build more schools BUT that usually means more taxes. Being our taxes are already pretty high for the US, it can be slow...

2points

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birdie asf 3 years ago

56points

K. 3 years ago

I’m glad you think that way. We have to be flexible where we can and adapt to meet the challenges we face.

12points

Load More Replies...

Little Dino 3 years ago

I think that this is great. the mall is large enough and gives them space to social distance while remaining to be safer than their original school. cool!

24points

Joonscrab 3 years ago

Right! I see no downsides! Plus, it's easier for kids to carry their heavy bags on an escalator than climbing up :D

25points

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"Simo Häyhä" 3 years ago

11points

Alexis draskinis 3 years ago

2points

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This School In Vermont Has Been Installed In A Former Macy’s And The Vibe Is Unlike Anything Else, Not Only Because Of The Escalators (20 Pics)

Burlington High School was closed due to chemical contamination concerns

But it reopened in an old Macy’s building

Both teachers and students are pretty excited about the changes

Inside, some classroom walls still remind students of the products that were sold here

The escalator leads to a former jewelry section

Here’s a video tour of the premises

The school district highlighted that getting a safe space for in-person classes has been a priority

Gov. Phil Scott, R-Vermont, also shared some good news

The governor announced all Vermont teachers, school staff, and employees of child care centers will be eligible for COVID-19 vaccines starting next week

The conversion took about 10 weeks

And had a budget of $10 million

Here’s what people said about the conversion

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Mindaugas Balčiauskas

Mindaugas Balčiauskas

Rokas Laurinavičius

Rokas Laurinavičius