Cape school board moves ahead with more building plans

Cape Henlopen school board will seek state approval to expand Cape High and build a third middle school.

"We need a green light to officially get started," said Brian Bassett, director of facility operations and construction, at the June 8 board meeting.

With little discussion, the board approved the plan by a vote of 5-0. Board member Jen Burton abstained and board member Janis Hanwell was absent.

Board members heard the plan to build more classrooms at Cape High and construct a third middle school during a May board meeting. A facilities task force recommendation is for 20 new classrooms to be built along Kings Highway, with two hallways connecting to the existing high school. Four new classrooms could be built for the Sussex Consortium; they would be paid 100 percent by the state.

A third middle school could be built next to the Lewes School after the old Shields Elementary is demolished.

The cost of the high school expansion, which would make room for 350 more students, is about $16 million. The third middle school would serve 600 students and cost $40 million.

With board approval, Bassett said, he can prepare the major capital improvement request for state approval.

He said the district tax rate – already approved by voters for elementary school construction – would stay the same; no tax increase would be needed to pay for construction. Low interest rates on bonds have helped keep projected costs low for the elementary school projects, saving the district money.

However, the state must provide Cape Henlopen school district with a certificate of necessity, in which the education officials agree to pay 60 percent of the building project cost.

Bassett said he will prepare the request and submit it to the state in July. If the state issues a certificate of necessity for the building projects, the board would then finalize plans for a referendum, which must be approved by voters. Voters would have to agree to keep their tax rate at the same level for the building projects. If the referendum is defeated, the district tax rate would go down.

Superintendent Robert Fulton said a referendum could be presented in spring 2018. "We are very excited to be moving forward with the beginning stages of possible major capital projects for middle school and high school," he said. "With our continued enrollment growth, the additional classroom space is desperately needed."