Funding Approved For New Bennett Middle School - WMDT 47 News - Delmarva's Choice

WICOMICO CO., Md. - It's now official: there will be a new Bennett Middle School.  At a meeting on Tuesday, October 2nd, Wicomico County Council members voted to approve the bonds that will pay for the new facility.

In a press release, Tamara Lee Brooks, Wicomico County Public Information Officer said the council

"Voted to accept the bid on the county's bond issue made by CitiBank with a true interest cost of 1.819 percent, the lowest rate of the 13 bids received for this offering. The lower than anticipated interest rate will save county taxpayers approximately $1 million in debt service savings over the life of the transaction."

For Bennett Middle School principal, Liza Hastings, this money means more than just a new building, it will bring resources to the students and faculty that will take them into the 21st century, saying, "we're looking at all of our opportunities for technology that we'll be able to have in the new building.  It's a way to really make learning come alive."

Hastings isn't the only one excited to get construction underway.  

Wicomico County Executive Rick Pollitt said "The Bennett Middle School is long overdue.  This'll be great news to the staff and the pupils that go to school there."

He also reiterated "none of this would've happened without a really strong effort by our community."

The plan is to break ground on the new Bennett Middle School, at a site in Fruitland, at the beginning of 2013, and the prospective move-in date is scheduled for Fall of 2015.