IRSD moving forward with expansion of Sussex Central High School

SUSSEX COUNTY, Del. – Indian River School District (IRSD) is making progress on upgrading and expanding Sussex Central High School.

Growing Population, Expanding School

The Board of Education (BOE) recently approved the design of the base project, and a budget of $148,254,000. “There’s a lot on the table in terms of master plan of the project. But, we’re just really excited to get moving with the project,” said IRSD Superintendent Dr. Jay Owens.

Currently, the 1,500 student capacity school is home to about 1,900 students. Dr. Owens says with the expansion. they’ll be able to bump that capacity up to 2,200 students.

Plus, the base plan includes a larger cafeteria, and larger classrooms, hallways, and stairwells. The school is also slated to have state of the art technology, and expanded athletic facilities. “We want to be able to provide a state of the art facility for our students. This is a growing area, with a growing population, and our schools need to support that. Having a larger building will allow us to spread out,” said Dr. Owens.

Finding More Funding

A mini bond bill provided $13.5 million for IRSD to get the project rolling. Now, Dr. Owens says the BOE is working to get more funding to complete the portion they must match.

IRSD will have to match 40%, which is about $5.4 million. “It does help us to develop some of the alternates, including our science wing, and our updated auditorium. It is important to note that the school will connect to the existing school. So, we’re able to utilize some of those classrooms in the arts areas, as well as our theater,” said Dr. Owens. “We’re hoping to potentially generate some additional funding down the road. Hopefully, that will be with some support of the state to allow us to look at some alternates, like ROTC facilities or additional agricultural facilities.”

Breaking Ground

This summer, the project will go out for bids. Dr. Owens says IRSD is hoping to break ground on the new school in the Fall of 2022. The school district is aiming for an opening date in Fall of 2025. “We’ve got the best students in the world here in Sussex County. So, we want to make sure we can support them with the best possible school,” said Dr. Owens. “There’s a lot that goes into looking at the different elements of what makes up a school, and the existing staff at Sussex Central has been unbelievable with providing feedback as to how we can upgrade this school, and make it the best it can possibly be.”