SALISBURY – School construction plans for Beaver Run Elementary and Mardela Middle and High highlight a capital planning document approved by board members this week.
On Tuesday, the Wicomico County Board of Education voted unanimously to approve the Fiscal Years 2022-2027 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) and capital budget. The document will now be submitted to the county executive office and the state’s Interagency Committee on School Construction.
Facilities Planner Cayla Campbell first presented the proposed CIP and budget to board members in a work session on Aug. 25.
“This is where we budget, plan and implement for projects moving forward,” she said at the time.
Campbell noted the replacement of Beaver Run Elementary School and an addition and renovation at Mardela Middle and High School topped the school system’s priority list for the coming fiscal year.
“Our first priority is Beaver Run,” she said. “We are deep into construction with that project, so we will request county and state construction funding for that project. And priority number two is the Mardela Middle School and High School addition/renovation. Again, we will be requesting state and county construction funds.”
For the Beaver Run construction project, Campbell told board members the CIP includes $10.8 million in state funding requests and $4.7 million in county funding requests. The planning document also includes an estimated cost of $71.8 million – with $40.2 million in state requests and $31.6 million in county requests – for the Mardela project.
“The state portion has increased this year and that brings the county portion down …,” she said. “This change is based on many variables each year.”
Campbell noted the Mardela project has received state planning approval. And this month, the school system issued a request for qualifications from architecture and engineering firms. She said the goal is to begin the project in 2023, with building occupancy beginning in the 2026-2027 academic year.
But facilities staff said they anticipate reduced state construction funding in the coming years. In that scenario, they said, the school system would have to seek forward funding from the Wicomico County Council to keep the Mardela project on track.
“That scenario will need to be evaluated,” Facilities Director Leisl Ashby said. “We’re being transparent with what the variables are at this time … We’re constantly thinking of ways to move the train down the track, but it is getting more and more difficult to move forward.”
Other projects in the planning pipeline include a new roof at Westside Intermediate and Wicomico High School, HVAC and window and door replacements at Glen Avenue Elementary, HVAC and plumbing at Pinehurst Elementary, new bleachers at County Stadium, and security cameras and access control measures for all schools.
Board member John Palmer said he would like to see the school system consider ultraviolet lighting for its HVAC systems.
“We have a lot of HVAC upgrades, we have new buildings going up, and the coronavirus right now is the big thing. And I’m sure in the future we’re going to be having other diseases and germs come around …,” he said.
Chief Finance and Operations Officer Micah Stauffer said the school system had explored that option over the summer.
“We have had engineers walk through buildings this summer, specifically in elementary, middle, and high schools to look at our systems and outfit them completely in the UV light systems …,” he said. “We have been thinking about those things, looking at them and planning.”
