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Facilities and Equipment

Shaping our schools' future with word bubbles

Takeaways on Facilities and Equipment:
The age and appearance of our buildings was the leading topic, with additional conversations about the future of the Worton building and whether or not to move the Central Office. We need to look at our buildings, review how they are being used, make updates and plan for the future.

Kent County Middle School photo

The Conversations

What we asked about Facilities and Equipment
  • How would you compare Kent County Public Schools’ buildings with other nearby school systems?
  • How well do you feel our current building facilities and technology resources like smartboards and Chromebooks support the needs of our students?
  • How can we improve our building’s accessibility, spaces and resources to better support students with special education needs?
  • Kent County Public Schools currently bases its transportation and maintenance operations at the former Worton Elementary School building. What other uses do you think we could add to that building through community partnerships?
  • You’ve talked about a lot of other subjects related to education at our tables tonight, how can some of the issues you’ve discussed be addressed through facilities improvement?

Stakeholders were provided with the following information
Our Buildings
  • Galena Elementary School: Built 1949; targeted renovations in ‘10s
  • H.H. Garnet Elementary School: Built 1949; addition in the ‘60s 
  • Kent County Middle School: Built 1949; additions in the ‘50s and ’60s 
  • Rock Hall Elementary School: Built 1949; targeted renovations in ‘10s
  • Kent County High School: Built 1972, major renovations in the ‘00s and roof replaced in ‘20s
  • Worton Operations Center: Built 1969, closed as a school in 2017 
  • Central Office: Built 1975, school closed and renovated for administrative offices in ‘00s

Kent County Middle School
Plans to replace Kent County Middle School at its current campus continue to move forward. We are currently reviewing prospective architecture firms for design.

Something to think about ...
We are at the end of our Six-Year Strategic Facilities Plan. What could the future of our seven buildings look like?

Did you know ...
We are raising money to renovate the planetarium at Kent County High School? While still functional, the equipment is very old, with manual dials and switches for controls and cassette tapes and slides for media. The planetarium has so much potential, not just for our students, but also the broader community. Learn more: www.kent.k12.md.us/Foundation.aspx.

Stakeholder Sentiments

House-shaped word cloud. See comments below

Leading Discussion Topics
  • Worton building uses
  • New middle school
  • Fifth grade at the middle school
  • Age, appearance and functionality: room audit, HVAC upgrades, energy efficiency review
  • Buildings are a selling point for KCPS: We are frequently compared to Queen Anne's and Cecil counties and Middletown, Del.
  • Identify a task list for building improvements
  • Strategizing inclusivity: playgrounds, bathrooms, access to second floors, bleachers
  • Security: fencing, door knobs
  • Buildings are clean
  • Age-appropriate furniture at all levels, for students and staff, including standing desks for staff
  • Central Office location
  • Buildings are clean
  • Address classrooms without windows/natural light
  • Improving building facades and lobby areas to make more inviting: opportunity for garden clubs, etc.
  • Science classrooms are outdated: potential targeted renovation for KCHS
  • Install turf athletic fields
  • Consider dual purposes for rooms like the media center
  • Kent County High School auditorium upgrades: lighting, sound and squeaky seats

Questions to Answer
  • Do students internalize the age of buildings?
  • What would newer buildings do to students' sense of value?
  • Do we need to consider redistricting?
  • What should the future of the planetarium be? Are there better uses for the space or additional uses for the planetarium equipment beyond astronomy?
  • Can we engage clubs to perform small upgrades on the buildings?

New/Interesting Ideas
  • Sensory sensitivity: lighting and sound dampening, sensory stimulation rooms, calming rooms for elementary schools
  • Onboarding locations for ML students
  • Consolidate all facilities, sell properties and use funds for other strategic purposes
  • Crossing guards at main intersections near GALES and KCMS

From Our Staff

Professional Development Day Question
What are some creative ideas for underused spaces in schools and buildings that could better support students or create opportunities for community agencies and organizations?

Answers Included
  • Resource rooms for small groups
  • Kent County High School has "random rooms that aren't being used, like old book rooms”
  • Rock Hall Elementary School needs a conference room
  • Can we split the art room at Galena Elementary School into two spaces?
  • Look at the uses of existing outdoor spaces at all buildings
  • Remove asbestos tiles
  • More bottle fill stations
  • Improve HVAC controls in all buildings
  • Classroom furniture — no more desks attached to chairs
  • Parking issues at Galena Elementary School and H.H. Garnet Elementary School

Ideas for the future of the Worton Building

Worton building exterior

We asked stakeholders what ideas they have for the former Worton Elementary School building, which is currently our bus depot and operations center.

Ideas included
  • Space for outside youth programs like Scouts
  • Temporary housing with nonprofit support such as the Samaritan group
  • Alternative program
  • Food pantry
  • Kent Blended learning Academy (current use)
  • Adult education
  • Chesapeake College
  • Tutoring
  • Summer camps
  • Arts and music
  • Wet lab
  • 4-H needs meeting space
  • Conference center
  • Childcare space for staff
  • Support for pre-K expansion for 3-year-olds
  • Food service relocation to Worton: possibly already outfitted for that purpose; could require significant capital improvement; finding ways to incorporate fresh food; large centralized kitchen; could lead to cost savings; grants through USDA for partnerships between farms and schools  
  • One centrally located elementary program
  • Expanded partnership with Choptank Health
  • Food bank site to address food insecurity
  • Adult education center at Worton: GED and adult learning; satellite learning through Chesapeake College
  • Push it out to community groups to offer ideas: possible RFP
  • Homeschool community clubs
  • Makerspace at Worton: How is that going? Does it need work? Are there other programs at Worton like that?
  • How are we engaging local business to use the space?
  • Repurpose kitchen for commercial kitchen for culinary students or as a demonstration/commercial kitchen, including adult cooking classes
  • Lease space to Board of Elections
  • Space for middle schoolers to access high school, college classes and after-school programs
  • Space to conduct fundraising
  • Homeless shelter
  • Performing arts space, theater, art, music, mini-library, acting space
  • Collaborative space: organizations like RiverArts, Church Hill Theatre
  • Could relocate the Board of education and save the costs of operating that building
  • Use of acreage for subdivision: teacher housing
Oval word-cloud. See comments above.



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