Cape superintendent gives update on schools to Milton council

Cape Henlopen School District has spent nearly a decade preparing for an influx of student enrollment in the region’s schools, and according to the district superintendent, that influx is already here.

Superintendent Bob Fulton gave a presentation to Milton Town Council Jan. 9. Milton has three schools within the district: Milton Elementary School, H.O. Brittingham Elementary School and Mariner Middle School. H.O.B. opened a new school in 2018, while Milton Elementary was retrofitted with expanded capacity, opening in 2021.

Fulton said the district has tried to be ahead of the curve, undertaking 10 projects totaling $300 million within the past decade to increase capacity. At this point, the district has 6,381 students, part of an upward trend not expected to slow until 2030. Fulton said the majority of the influx of students comes from people moving from other surrounding districts or from out of state. 

Fulton said the district is looking ahead to increasing its capacity through purchasing land and future plans to expand the existing Cape Henlopen High School and the Sussex Consortium. He said district officials have also been kicking around the idea of a natatorium, or an indoor swimming facility. Fulton said the idea would be to allow kids from around the district to have access to the pool, and perhaps public use as well. 

Besides construction projects, Fulton also played up the district’s academic accomplishments, including, he said, having SAT scores higher than the state average and scoring higher than state averages on standardized tests at the lower levels. Fulton said while he’s proud of these accomplishments, the district is always aiming to do better.

Fulton wrapped up his presentation with some words on Milton schools. He said he was proud of the two elementary schools, first for the construction, with H.O.B. having a shipbuilder theme, tying in with the town’s history with shipbuilding, and Milton Elementary mixing the facade of the old school with modern features. 

At Milton Elementary, Fulton said the district plans to make further additions, including additional fencing around the playground areas, new grass, sidewalks and exit areas from the playground. He said at H.O.B., the athletic fields and tennis courts have been completed, and the tennis courts have been lined for pickleball for community use.