Brian Bassett: The man behind the schools

Days before Cape Henlopen students begin a new year in September, the man responsible for planning and designing the renovation and construction of 10 district schools is set to hang up his hard hat – for now.

Brian Bassett, Cape director of capital projects for the past 10 years, will retire Sept. 1. 

Under his direction, additions to Beacon and Mariner middle schools were completed in 2015 before a string of new schools got finished every year:  Love Creek Elementary in 2017, H.O. Brittingham Elementary in 2018, Rehoboth Elementary in 2019, Sussex Consortium in 2020, Milton Elementary and the Cape High addition in 2021, and Lewes Elementary in 2022.

A new middle school is set to open in 2024-25 on the grounds of the former Shields Elementary in Lewes. It’s the 10th project Bassett has overseen. 

“That about 5,000 students have had new seats to sit in in the last 10 years is pretty crazy,” Bassett said with a smile. “We’ve learned something new every time, and that middle school is going to be beautiful.”

Whether discussing tiles and pipes on the job site or presenting design options and change orders to the school board, Bassett has become known for his unflappable nature, deadpan humor and the ability to deliver stunning, individualized buildings on time and under budget.

Just over nine years ago, Bassett said, the district formed the first facilities task force charged with convincing the community that the population is growing and something needs to be done.

“If we hadn’t built, today there would be 1,500 students in modulars and old buildings,” he said. “If the referendum for Love Creek didn’t pass, where would we be? Thankfully, the community supported us, and I hope for the district’s sake there will be a break, but that’s not realistic given the numbers are still growing.”

To address future growth, Bassett said he’s been looking at land acquisition opportunities; in November, he presented a long-range plan to the board, which gave him the go-ahead to move forward with a state Preliminary Land Use Service review of possible parcels. 

State guidelines that dictate where schools can be built can prove challenging, Bassett said, as they must be constructed in what is considered a growth area. Although the entire Cape Region appears to be a growth area, the state has final say on school locations.

The Cape district has effectively used all of its owned land, Bassett said, and local builders are able to snatch up larger parcels that would otherwise be suitable for a campus with several schools.

“We have some leads. Hopefully, something will pan out,” he said, noting the district has enlisted the University of Delaware to compile a new enrollment study. “It will probably show some scary forecasting.”

All of the school projects have been fun for different reasons, Bassett said, but providing the Sussex Consortium with its own facility, and even a replica of Blockhouse Pond in Lewes, was special.

Bassett worked hard to ensure certain touches were applied to make each school unique. 

A nod to Milton’s shipbuilding history is evident at H.O.B. Elementary, where a ship mast rises from the first to second floor near the staircase. At Rehoboth Elementary, replica fire control towers occupy the same space. At Milton Elementary, enlargements of historic photos Bassett sourced from Delaware Public Archives line hallways.  

All the long hours and sleepless nights are worth it on what Bassett refers to as “opening day” – when students first enter their new schools, wide-eyed, grinning and excited.

Early career and family

Bassett began his career at Polytech, where he taught math for eight years before taking an administrative position for four years. He then moved to Woodbridge School District, serving 10 years as director of operations, which included overseeing facilities and construction. Next, he joined Cape. 

For the first two years, Bassett worked out of offices in the old Lewes School and Fred Thomas Building before taking over a little trailer he pulled around from job site to job site. 

“I pretty much lived out of that trailer and a work truck the last eight years,” he said. “Some days, the truck is the office.” 

As a kid growing up in Felton, Bassett looked up to his father and grandfather, both builders. His uncles owned construction companies, and he learned about the business at a young age.

“So when I was old enough to hop in the truck with Dad, I was old enough to help,” he said. 

His father was adamant he go to college, knowing the toll construction work can take on the body.

“I always had a math mind,” he said, so he enjoyed the budgeting and bidding parts of his job as well as the design aspect. “A math mind is usually not creative, but as a kid, I loved art. It’s a weird, rare combination – math, creativity and construction. I don’t know of any other job that had all these pieces come together.”

Bassett has lived his entire life in Delaware, except when at college and for two years as a teen when his father’s job took the family to Kansas. He graduated from 5,000-student Shawnee Mission, which also claims “Ted Lasso” star Jason Sudeikis, “Ant Man” star Paul Rudd and comedian Rob Riggle as alumni.

When the family returned to Delaware, he became reacquainted with a Lake Forest student named Susan, now his wife of 32 years, who is a Cape High social studies/psychology teacher. Their son, a youth pastor in Virginia, is married with one son and a daughter due by the end of July. 

“Watching him mature and grow into a respected leader, I couldn’t be more proud of him,” he said. “The most rewarding part of the new school construction was that my grandson got to play on the playground here. To see him enjoy something I was a part of was really neat.”

Bassett’s daughter, a recent college graduate, majored in interdisciplinary studies, communications and fine art.

“She got the creative side of my brain,” he said. “She likes to write short stories and novels, and she may need to be near a city to do what she wants to do.”

Future plans

While Bassett originally planned to retire after the new middle school was complete, a local legislator gave him the idea to “take his show on the road” and help other Delaware school districts. 

So, he looked into the private sector as a way to expand his creativity and knack for cost-effective design and timely construction statewide; his new position will be announced in September. 

The Delaware Public Integrity Commission dictates he cannot perform work for Cape for two years, he said, which happens to coincide nicely with the completion of the new middle school. 

In the meantime, Bassett looks to try his hand at other projects like churches, banks and police departments. He said he hopes to help with future Cape construction projects through private-sector work or on a district committee.

“If they’ll have me,” he said with a smile. “What I will miss is the same thing I will be doing – creating a space that benefits kids, teachers and the community. I’ll be doing it with a bigger reach, so it will be exciting.”

With his goals checked off to open Lewes Elementary and secure bids for the new middle school, the district is in good shape, Bassett said, noting his successor has already been named for a seamless transition.

For now, he and Susan plan to stay in Lewes for at least five more years, where he looks forward to bringing his grandchildren to the playgrounds he designed.

“I wish for nothing but success for Cape,” he said. “The Cape community is very tight, and hopefully, Cape will still consider me part of their community.”