SALISBURY – Many supporters of the replacement of West Salisbury Elementary School attended this week’s County Council meeting, but they were disappointed to find the resolution to fund the project had been removed from the agenda and delayed till next month.
Earlier this month, Wicomico County Executive Rick Pollitt requested the County Council adopt a resolution providing the issuance and sale of general obligation bonds in an aggregate amount not to exceed $16,525,000. The proceeds are to be used for the public purpose of funding costs of certain capital projects.
The capital improvement projects include the Board of Education projects of about $5.7 million for the Bennett Middle School Project and $1.25 million for the replacement of West Salisbury School; $1,800,000 for Phase 3 of the Westside Collector; $500,000 for Lower Wicomico River Dredge Material Placement (DMP) Site and $500,000 for the Middle River DMP Site; the purchase of a State’s Attorney Building for about $4 million; the A.W. Perdue Stadium Restoration/Modernization Project for $1.58 million; $1 million for the Youth and Civic Center Upgrade and Expansion; and $200,500 for the contingency fund.
The resolution was scheduled to come before the council during Tuesday morning’s session but was removed due to County Executive-Elect Bob Culver taking office on Dec. 2. Culver will need time to review the list and choose to make changes.
Although the resolution was removed from the agenda, many were in attendance to voice their support for the replacement of West Salisbury Elementary School on West Road.
Salisbury City Councilwoman Shanie Shields, who attends West Salisbury School’s faith-based partner church, Wesley Temple, was disappointed the resolution had been removed from the agenda but looks forward to its return in December.
“You can see the community here is very concerned about that resolution because it is about one of our schools in our neighborhood,” Shields said. “A couple months ago, the Superintendent [of Wicomico County Public Schools Dr. John Frederickson] came to the City Council and showed us proposals for several schools in the county, and I noticed and was happy to see that West Salisbury was number one. I am hoping that this County Council will continue to make West Salisbury number one and pass the resolution for the $1.25 million to bring this school into the 21st Century.”
Shields recognized at least half of the room was filled with faith-based partners and community members who support the replacement of West Salisbury School.
“It is a very important asset to our community, and I hope if there is any doubt on any of the council members’ minds, I hope you can see the support,” she said. “When it [resolution] comes back in December, you will definitely see more people, standing room only, a majority of taxpayers who want to see this bond remain in the resolution.”
West Salisbury Elementary School Principle Melva Wright has worked in the Wicomico County Public Schools for 33 years. Eighteen of those years have been at West Salisbury School where she started as a first grade teacher and has served the past 11 years as principal at the school.
According to Wright, the amount of time West Salisbury Elementary has been included in the Capital Improvement Plan, the school should have been replaced by now but it fell behind the James M. Bennett High and the James M. Bennett Middle projects, and as those projects were delayed consequently the West Salisbury replacement was delayed.
“I was delighted to see during my tenure to see the project come back in the order where it deserves to be. We do need to have a major presence in the West Salisbury community, and certainly the current facility, and the age of the facility has been overlooked,” she said.
Wright pointed out West Salisbury and Glen Avenue Elementary schools are identical buildings but Glen Avenue has received two major additions and renovations.
“That somehow skipped West Salisbury. West Salisbury opened originally in 1964, I was four years old, and that building has had no renovations since its original construction. I certainly would love to see that project come to fruition prior to my retirement,” she said. “Our students deserve a state-of-the-art school that is equivalent to many of the other buildings that have been renovated in Wicomico County.”
Wicomico County NAACP President Mary Ashanti asked how the renovation of West Salisbury School had been allowed to go to the wayside.
“Think about what it says to that part of the community that it happened,” Ashanti said “NAACP supports keeping West Salisbury number one, and we hope that you support that to make it happen, and to show the West Salisbury community along with other communities their area of town is equally as important.”
County Councilwoman Sheree Sample-Hughes, who is leaving the council to serve as the new 37A State Delegate, urged the new council and county executive to support the project.
“The school needs to be replaced. I used to attend the school, and I live down the street from the school, and the taxpayers on the west side of the county expect and are deserving of having an equal school building for the children,” she said. “Wicomico County still needs to grow. We need to have quality of life.”