The Caesar Rodney School District is looking at a long and costly list of new construction and improvements to submit to state officials.
Each year, school districts are required to submit applications for certificates of necessity, which if approved by the Department of Education, gives the district the go-ahead to begin development. The certificate of necessity also lays out the project’s scope, its maximum budget, and how much of the project the state will pay for.
Certificate of necessity approvals, at least those that require state funding, have seen a dry spell in recent years. That caused consternation for school districts across the state looking at overcrowded schools and the need for new infrastructure. However, appropriations in this year’s budget raised hopes for a return to state dollars becoming available.
The Caesar Rodney School District’s list of potential requests includes two new schools and the land on which to build them. Topping the list of proposed priorities are two land purchases, 43 acres for a new John S. Charlton School, and an adjoining 163 acres for a new high school and other future expansion. The price tag for the proposed Charlton site would be some $2 million, fully funded by the state, while the larger site would cost more than $7.5 million, with 80% of the cost coming from state funding. However, those estimates are based on older valuations and the actual cost could be higher.
The Charlton School serves special needs students across Kent County, and houses the Delaware Autism Program and Early Intervention Program.
Allison Shockley with Becker Morgan Group says the school building is more than 60 years old, and is in desperate need for an upgrade.
“It's also needed because of the overcrowding of the existing school, the safety concerns, and the age of the existing school is very outdated and does not meet the needs of the specialized equipment and programs,” she told board of education members.
Construction costs for a new Charlton School are estimated at $130 million, all of which would be provided by the state.
Board of Education members will also be deciding whether to ask state officials for money to build a new high school. Becker Morgan Group is still working on cost estimates for that potential project, but Shockley says the district’s sole high school is bursting at the seams.
“The existing high school right now is sized for about 1,800 students,” she said. “We know that we are closer to 2,400 students in the existing high school. And beyond that, there are concerns about safety and operations and administration.”
While adding on to the current Caesar Rodney High School is an option, it is not a viable one, Shockley added.
“We looked at the renovation and addition, which would only solve the current student capacity, but projecting out many years past this, it was not going to be a long term solution,” she said.
If the board signs off on the request and state education officials approve it, the district would need to fund 20% of the project’s cost. That would mean going to the voters for a referendum. CRSD voters approved an operating referendum earlier this year, and board member Mike Marasco says he thinks a capital referendum would be a success as well.
“I think it's going to be an easy sell - easier than we think,” he said. “Just with the families that are in our school district now as they move up.”
Final cost estimates and a vote on whether to submit some or all of the proposed projects to the Department of Education are expected on August 10.
