Opening of Frederick D. Thomas Middle School celebrated in Lewes
At the Oct. 2 ribbon-cutting ceremony for the school named after his grandfather, Ray Thomas revealed what he described as a dark secret of Frederick D. Thomas Middle School Principal Dave Frederick.
As boys, the two attended Lewes Junior High and played baseball, with Thomas an outfielder and Frederick a pitcher.
“And I can say that Dave never had a no-hitter or shutout,” Thomas said to laughter from the crowd assembled to honor the first African American administrator in the Cape Henlopen School District.
Thomas said he was very young when his grandfather, known as Fred T., died and only realized how important he was to the Lewes community years later, after hearing stories about how everyone knew and trusted him, which was a big thing during segregation.
“Thank you for doing this for my grandfather,” he said.
Sabrina Balentine said she was Thomas’ stepdaughter, but he didn’t like that term, preferring to call her daughter. Balentine said she graduated from Cape High in 1972, and that was because integration was enforced her senior year.
Thomas was principal at Shields Elementary then, she said, and he made it easy for her to acclimate to her new school. A retired teacher, Balentine said Thomas instilled in her the drive to be the best and give your best.
“Fred was a humble man, but he’d be honored and I know my mom would be honored,” she said.
Thomas was a teacher, principal and community leader in Lewes from 1953 until his death in 1978. He began teaching in a one-room segregated schoolhouse, and later taught at and simultaneously served as principal of the DuPont Avenue School, now known as the Frederick D. Thomas Building. He was later principal at Shields Elementary and Lewes Junior High.
The 600-student school was approved by 73% of voters in a 2018 referendum. Construction began on the 95,104-square-foot, $63.9 million facility in 2022. ABHA Architects’ Bryan Williams, a Cape grad, designed the school. Construction management was overseen by Dean Johnson, CEO of Richard Y. Johnson & Son.
In 2022, the district welcomed community submissions for a name for the new school and received 125 nominations total, with 48 of them for Frederick D. Thomas Middle School. The board voted unanimously to approve the name.
Superintendent Bob Fulton said the school is the 10th new or renovated school the district has completed since 2014, and the first three-story project designed to fit within the space available. The school was desperately needed because of increasing enrollment, he said.
In addition to being a tribute to Thomas, Fulton said the new school highlights the City of Lewes with views of Blockhouse Pond and George H.P. Smith Park, named after the former mayor and longtime Cape district educator.
The beautiful school will provide a learning and teaching environment where teachers and students can thrive in accordance with the standards Thomas set well before Cape Henlopen School District existed, Fulton said.
“When I’ve talked to those who knew Mr. Thomas, some of the same comments were used to describe him, and they usually include words or phrases such as proud, high expectations, and his connection with kids was always at the forefront,” Fulton said.
School was where the kids were, and that’s what Thomas was all about, Fulton said.
“From all accounts, Fred was also a man who was about uniting, not dividing,” Fulton said. “Fred was a man about including, not excluding, and he was about lifting someone up, not bringing them down.”
School board President Alison Myers said the school celebrates the legacy of Thomas and referred to a dedication she read of him that described a wise counselor and firm friend who shared his time, knowledge, experience and affection.
“Those who have been here and those who are to come will profit from his good work and honor his memory,” Myers said. “Here, our students will not only learn the fundamentals of math, science and the arts, they’ll also learn the importance of compassion, respect and the pursuit of excellence. They’ll be encouraged to dream big, to think critically and engage with the world around them just as Mr. Thomas did.”
