Cecil County and Cecil County Public Schools (CCPS) have made significant progress in their collaborative planning efforts for the new North East Middle School construction project. An exciting outcome of these discussions has been the growing interest of both the County and the school system to expand construction to also include North East High School as part of the project.
This would create a comprehensive grade 6-12 middle/high school complex on property the County recently acquired in anticipation of the initial middle school construction project. While the two schools would be in the same complex, their main facilities would remain separated, much like Bohemia Manor Middle and High School. CCPS has made clear that public input will be taken into consideration when planning the design of these schools.
The County and CCPS anticipate that the proposal will generate a 15 percent -20 percent cost savings compared to completing the two construction projects separately.
“We are excited about the opportunity to further expand the middle school project to also include the high school,” stated County Executive Danielle Hornberger. “This is such a unique opportunity for the County to save money while improving school infrastructure. It makes sense to maximize this project to its full potential.”
“We are extremely appreciative of the support that we have received from County Executive Hornberger and the County government leadership regarding the possibility of expanding this project,” stated Jeffrey Lawson, Superintendent of Schools. “To be able to provide both the middle and high school students with a brand new education complex would be an incredible win for the North East community.”
According to a press release:
Project History & Next Steps
Contact has been made with the Interagency for School Construction to discuss the project and the possibility of combining the two capital improvement projects which originally were very close together in the five-year plan.
In September of 2021, the Board of Education will vote on a revised FY23 CIP that will include a request for planning of the new 6-12 complex. If approved, design of the new complex can begin in the spring of 2022. Design submissions for review will occur in September of 2022, and a new FY24 CIP request will be submitted to include construction funds for the project. Start date for construction could begin as early as July 2023. A three-year construction schedule is anticipated. The schools could be ready for occupancy by the 2026/2027 school year.