Milton Elementary renovation shaping up
Milton Elementary renovations are shaping up with a few weeks to go until the school opens its doors to students Tuesday, Sept. 7.
In December 2019, officials broke ground on the $35 million, 95,000-square-foot project, which blends historical elements of the original 1932 building with modern necessities and technology.
The renovation was approved by 74 percent of district voters as part of a March 2016 referendum that also included new schools at H.O. Brittingham and Rehoboth elementaries, and renovations to the Lewes School.
More than 500 students are projected to attend the school, which has a capacity for 620 to 650 pupils. The original building will house first and second grades on the first floor, and third and fourth grades on the second floor. The two-story addition will have kindergarten on the first floor and fifth grade on the second floor.
The main building was gutted so that new walls, ductwork, wiring and plumbing could be installed, said Cape Director of Capital Projects Brian Bassett, and an elevator now connects floors. Original classroom wood floors and brick were saved whenever possible.
Rather than using a standard drop ceiling in the second floor, workers exposed the original brick, and added arches and chandeliers reminiscent of Harry Potter’s Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
During construction, Milton Elementary students attended classes in the old HOB building, where asbestos removal is currently underway. That structure, located in front of the new HOB building, will eventually be demolished to make way for two tennis courts and three multipurpose fields, Bassett said.
