Kent County Schools Superintendent Dr. Mary McComas says the years-long effort to build a new middle school in Chestertown is now approaching a critical crossroads. one she describes as a test of the community’s commitment to its children and its future. “This is a defining moment for Kent County,” she says.
“This is not all of a sudden,” McComas said. “The Board did not make this decision in isolation. We engaged the community extensively over several years, examined the options, and the overwhelming preference was to keep the middle school in Chestertown proper. This is the course of action we have been on for years.”
The process began nearly four years ago with an educational specifications study that presented multiple options for the aging 70-year-old middle school. Community engagement sessions narrowed the list to two, and the Board ultimately endorsed the Chestertown site with “full community support.”
Since last fall, the district has used state and local funds to work with architects on design and engineering. A presentation of the finalized plans will be made at the September Board of Education meeting, followed by community meetings at Kent County High School. McComas hopes construction can begin by late winter or early spring.
“We’re not just talking about bricks and mortar,” she said. “We’re talking about whether we as a community choose to invest and renew our school system, symbolized in a new middle school — or whether we do the very least we can.”
McComas says that under Maryland’s school construction cost-share formula, Kent County was initially responsible for 50% of eligible costs, with the state covering the other half. McComas explained that “eligible” space includes instructional areas, such as classrooms and a portion of the gym, but not community-use space like spectator seating.
Because of the district’s high poverty rates and the age of its facilities, the state’s share has risen to 60%. Legislative advocacy has also secured a pre-authorization for an additional $8 million state grant and $3 million from the Interagency on School Construction for the first year of construction.
The County Commissioners recently suggested a target of 80% state funding, which McComas welcomed. “I appreciate their partnership,” she said. “We will work that issue until the very last moment.”
Why Not Worton?
Relocating middle school students to the unused Worton Elementary building has been floated as an alternative, but McComas says it’s a poor fit and not cost-effective.
“The roof alone needs $2.2 million in repairs,” she noted. “There are ventilation and boiler issues, no full-size gym, no science labs, restrooms sized for small children. It simply wasn’t designed for middle school education.”
She added that the Worton “cafetorium”, a combination gym, cafeteria, and auditorium, would create daily scheduling conflicts for lunch, physical education, and music programs. “On the surface, it sounds practical,” she said, “but when you look at the truth of it, it’s not a viable solution and it ignores the community’s decision to keep the school in Chestertown.”
This is Part One of a two-part interview. The second will be posted on Tuesday.
This video is approximately eleven minutes in length.