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Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Council to discuss Bennett Middle again

SALISBURY -- Following a request for another meeting on the future of a new Bennett Middle School, the Wicomico County Council is scheduled to hold a special legislative session today at 11 a.m.
The meeting will be held just one week after the council voted 4-3 not to write a letter to the state Board of Public Works expressing continued financial support for the project.
That decision resulted in the Interagency Committee on School Construction preparing to reappropriate $3.85 million of the $4.5 million the state had planned to spend on construction of a new middle school within the county.
"We want to get all the options on the table, and if there is anything we missed I want to know about it," said Bob Culver, who voted against moving forward last week. "I wish we had the state's budget already decided on and we knew what's going to happen with passing down the teachers' pensions and that sort of thing, but it hasn't passed yet. We've got a lot to consider tomorrow."
The construction of a new Bennett Middle School and subsequent demolition of the old school is also tied to the completion of athletic fields for James M. Bennett High School, for which the county has bonded $7.3 million.
Because of the county's charter, if the old school remains, those millions cannot be moved to another project.
The State Board of Public Works meeting where representatives of the Wicomico County Board of Education were expected to try to keep the project's place for state funding is set for Wednesday.
Stevie Prettyman, who also voted against penning a letter, said because the council has received additional information, they should hold another meeting.
"Now that we have the alternative funding plan without the use of previous bonded money or an increase in the tax rate, I feel it's beneficial, not only to the council but to the citizens, for us to convene again," Prettyman said. "The vote may come out the same, but we do need to take a look at it."

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