BERLIN– Teachers spent the early part of this week moving into the newly completed wing at Stephen Decatur Middle School.
The new addition to the school, which held asynchronous learning on Monday and Tuesday to give teachers a chance to move into their new classrooms, will open to students Wednesday. The addition increases the school’s size by 24,000 square feet and eliminates the need for the portable classrooms that have sat behind the school practically since it opened in 1997.
“It’s really nice to all be under one roof,” Principal Lynne Barton said.
In 2021, construction of a 24,000 square foot addition began at Stephen Decatur Middle. The $11 million addition had been identified as a need by school system officials for years, as the middle school had nine portable classrooms and was crowded when it opened. Funding constraints limited the size of the facility built in 1997.
Construction crews were putting final touches on the addition this week as teachers spent Monday and Tuesday moving into their new classrooms. The new wing, which includes 12 general classrooms as well as four science labs and storage and meeting space, will house two seventh grade and two eighth grade teams. Crews demolished the nine portable classrooms behind the school, as the old trailers weren’t worth reusing elsewhere.
Despite the laborious move-in process Monday, teachers were excited about moving into their new spaces. A group of the school’s retired educators even stopped by to help teachers unpack in their new rooms.
Barton said the new wing eliminated the need for portable classrooms and also freed up some multipurpose rooms that had been needed for classrooms.
“It’s so nice to reclaim those spaces,” she said.
If building continues in the surrounding areas (5-10 year projects in the hopper), that new classroom space will fill up and outside classroom (a la double wides) will return. Happens everywhere over the last 15 years. Building is inevitable which will bring folks and families.
Growth is ok as long as its planned with schools, medical and other daily amenities in mind. AND ROADS too!
Dear Readers,
At the risk of overstating the obvious, I would like to offer my thoughts on this, such as they are.
Like many, I am pleased that the necessary wing is complete, but the individual posting at 10:50 am is quite correct. Having been directly involved in several school renovation projects over the years, it was maddeningly frustrating dealing with the state/county agencies and their calculus for determining projections.
Many times my colleagues and I presented information supporting larger (and sometimes much larger) student growth projection numbers that were taken under advisement, and promptly ignored. The school transportation directors in both Wicomico and Worcester both stated numerous impact studies pointing to traffic patterns and the additional needs for not only improvements to existing roads, but additional access. This was ignored as well by SHA/state folks and sure enough in each case, the transportation directors were correct.
I cannot speak to the other entities impacted (like the medical community), but it would seem to me that it would feasible to determine additional proposals that would address the entire community.
Kind Regards,
Paladin