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Sunday, December 21, 2014

Superintendent Fredericksen on Delay of West Salisbury Elementary

In the interest of transparency, please allow me to share some details for Wicomico County residents concerning the Dec. 2 Wicomico County Council vote to approve the County Executive’s revised bond bill. In this revised bond bill, the $1.25 million to draft plans for the replacement of West Salisbury Elementary School was eliminated.

County bond funding for planning would have helped demonstrate local support for this important project, for which state planning approval is pending. We can leverage local dollars to get substantial State dollars to help build the schools our students, teachers, and families need, but only if we have local support.

We anticipate at least a year’s delay now in beginning the design of plans for this project as a result of the decision to remove funding from the bond bill. That does not change the fact that West Salisbury Elementary students, staff and families need the improvements this project will bring:

  • Access to current instructional technology
  • An environment conducive to learning
  • Increased space for student learning and staff services
  • Improved operational efficiencies
  • Enhanced safety and security for all students and staff


This is a project that has been in the works for many years. Additions to West Salisbury Elementary were recommended 16 years ago in the 1998 Seidel Commission Report. Plans for a West Salisbury Elementary project have been in the Capital Improvement Plan and “Future Plans” section of the Facilities Master Plan each year since the Fiscal Year 2001 report, some 14 years ago. These reports go to the Board of Education and County Council each year, and are available to the public.

Over time, the West Salisbury Elementary project has been repeatedly delayed due to deferrals in both state and county funding for other previous capital projects such as James M. Bennett High School and Bennett Middle School. Project deferrals ripple out to slow down the entire Capital Improvement Plan schedule, and can impact that schedule many years into the future. This has occurred with West Salisbury Elementary, as well as with all of the other projects planned after it.

While planning and preparing for this replacement project, the school system has continued to perform appropriate and significant maintenance on the West Salisbury Elementary building over the years to help us keep the 50-year-old school in continuous service and functioning properly. Over the years we have also implemented several major systemic projects on West Salisbury Elementary including roof replacements , boiler repairs, parking lot additions, and water system improvement to name a few. All maintenance inspections have been performed and documented in our records. The 2011 MSDE (Maryland State Department of Education) maintenance report noted West Salisbury in the “good” category. The 2011 report from MABE (our insurance provider, Maryland Association of Boards of Education) also identified the school as having appropriate and timely maintenance.

West Salisbury Elementary is now set to be the next major school project, having waited behind the two Bennett building projects as the school system works to update facilities to effectively serve students, reduce overall costs, and cut maintenance and operating expenses. A major feasibility study, completed with financial support from the county, supported replacement of West Salisbury over renovation and additions. A detailed educational specifications study laid the groundwork for designing the new school. Both studies were reviewed by the School Building Commission and recommended to the Board of Education. The State supports the feasibility study and approved the education specifications.

This project received careful scrutiny prior to the school system seeking state planning approval and local support and funding for planning this fall. All of our major projects go through the School Building Commission, a body created by the County Council to help manage costs, reduce the likelihood of system failures, and plan effectively. The School Building Commission, made up of County Council members, Board of Education members, community members with skills and experience in the field, and facility professionals, recommended the West Salisbury replacement school project proceed to planning.

We know that we can and must adapt to the changes in education and our community. Our facilities must be structured to effectively teach students of all ages, with the ultimate goal of helping every student to be college and career ready. West Salisbury Elementary currently serves 310 students prekindergarten through grade 2, and our plan is to build a replacement West Salisbury to serve 650 students up through grade 5. We must recognize our slower recovery from the recession and take advantage of economies of scale by operating fewer, and slightly larger schools, spending dollars in classrooms instead of overhead.

The West Salisbury Elementary School project is an important step in positioning our facilities to deliver the best student learning possible. This project will help students, provide local jobs, and invest outside dollars in our community, making it a more effective place to learn and a more appealing place to live. As a school system, we look forward to continuing to work diligently at the local and state levels to ensure West Salisbury Elementary and other important school projects happen, for the good of the community.

Thank you.

Respectfully,

John E. Fredericksen, Ph.D.

Superintendent

Source 

18 comments:

Paladin said...

Dr. Fredricksen,

In short, you are lying - The BOE passed over this issue so many times in just the last 20 years alone to show that it was not a priority, and now it is? Your limited attempt to dissuade the populace is both naïve and futile in light of the change of the political landscape - frankly, it is pitiful and a sham that Mr. Culver will not only see through, but provide the germane facts that you have hidden and twisted to convince the constituency that you are working in their best interest - you clearly are not, hence your public appeal.

Paladin

Anonymous said...

Hey FRED maybe you should have saved some of the $$$ that pollitt gave you when you would ask for $5 million and where givin $5.5 million HUH,my property taxes went up over $300 in one freaking year,screw you and the school only needs minor upgrades re heating and A/C cost around $30.000 NOT $45 million.

Anonymous said...

Screw him now its a issue all of a sudden, he had 8 years to do it and NOTHING was done with his boy pollitt ? .

Anonymous said...

Maybe if you cut back the credit card spending from your people you'll have the money you need.

Anonymous said...

Does Frederickson come under the authority of the county exec? If so that would be another good place to do some cutting of useless personnel

Paladin said...

Dear 11:45 - You are quite correct, but are only scratching the surface of this. There is a lot more that the general populace does not know that stretches back to well before 1990. Bill Middleton knew of all of this and treaded water as he was on the way out by the time the major issues were surfacing and he passed them off to his predecessor. Fortunately, there are many of us that were directly involved (and objected in closed session), however, we were all weeded out shortly thereafter....
Paladin

Anonymous said...

Delay in project? NO permanently stopped.

Anonymous said...

"In the interest of transparency"?
Since when did transparency become something this clown believes in.
He blew it with the credit card scandal. Not sure anyone should believe a word that comes out of his mouth. He's seems very proficient as BS and nothing else. Remember how those under him are running wild.

Anonymous said...

11:57 - only part of their funding comes from the county...but we should audit every penny - meanwhile, the state/fed should audit the remaining pennies!

Here's where an elected school board would provide a localized benefit. Now that Norm's Goneway, we might be able to get that brought up again...it would have passed last time from what I understand were it not for Normie's obfuscation tactics!

Anonymous said...

Bob please watch the back stabbers that use to work for the old pollitt crew.

Anonymous said...

What about getting bathrooms and potable water to Beaver Run first??? The entire BOE plan for the next fee years is hideous with the addition of portables as a permanent solution at so many schools.

Anonymous said...

I believe Anderton is going to put in a bill for an elected school board.

Anonymous said...

In the interest of transparency, tell us about the move of central office folks to rented space. Then tell us why it's not in the facilities plan, why it's still not being told to the public and other info. He who thinks he is always the smartest person in the room is correct only when he's alone.

Anonymous said...

Fans of the elected school board should reflect on what the elected county exec has meant under Pollitt.

Anonymous said...

With a project like this you can expect that 45 million figure to end up around 60 million. Even at 45 that comes out to roughly 145,000 per enrolled student.

Anonymous said...

So why not close this school or use it for central office space? Why choose something as large as East Salisbury for the central office's skeleton crew?

Anonymous said...

Paladin, your insights seem to come from actual experience with how the central office works. We need your perspective as we try to bring accountability to those entrusted with our children's education.

Anonymous said...

Should have saved all those gift card money, by now you'd have enough to construct a new school.