During tonight’s WBOC broadcast I spoke about the Milford Middle School Referendum. I appreciate the opportunity to talk about this important project and I am glad to see that they used the part of my interview where I urged residents to do their own research, talk with people in the community, and be educated on what the vote includes. The portion that was left out of tonight’s broadcast that I assume was because of time restraints, which happens often with television, was the discussion on the positive impacts that I believe revitalizing the Milford Middle School will have on our community.
As many Milford School District residents understand, our schools are already over capacity at every level and the rehabilitation of this new school will allow for additional space for educational opportunities in Milford, among our three elementary levels. Over the last ten years, the U.S Census data reported that the City of Milford grew over 22%, with 26% of that population being children under 18 years old. In addition to the current overcrowding concerns, our community continues to grow with these trends projected to accelerate.
This project also continues our positive gains in economic development with an investment in public education. Bayhealth Sussex Campus recently invested in its residency program to attract primary care physicians and our local healthcare workforce. Just down the street from the Middle School location, the Milford Wellness Center has created 200 plus jobs in the past 18 months. These professionals are looking to live and invest in a community that supports its local school system and understands the value it provides to the community at large. This project will also include new recreational facilities for the public, meeting spaces, and continuing education classrooms for adults.
Over the last five years, the Milford School District has lowered its tax rate and the bond schedule for the proposed referendum takes a fiscally responsible approach as years two and three are the only years that see a tax increase for residents. With the expiration of a current bond obligation in 2023, the overall taxes will decrease every year from year 4 to year 20, the end of the new obligation.
For many in the Milford School District, this property also holds a historical significance in our hearts as the home to the Milford 11 as they attempted the first desegregation of schools in Delaware and the students eight years later that successfully integrated Milford schools. The courage of these children and their families will have the ability to live on and educate future generations on the local, impactful history of the civil rights movement.
For these reasons, I believe that our collective investment as residents of the Milford School District can make a positive impact on the future of our community, families, and our children. As a local small business owner and homeowner, I will be placing our family’s investment into rehabilitating the Milford Middle School and I ask that you please give it consideration.
Again, do your research, ask questions, and do not hesitate to call the Milford School District to ask questions about what this will mean for your family. As your local State Representative, I invite all opinions and will listen to all concerns regardless if they are consistent with mine. I want to know your ideas, your concerns, and what you want the future of our community to look like.