Board approves submitting Certificates of Necessity for full renovations and major projects at Mount Pleasant and Concord

The Brandywine School District Board voted Aug. 18 to submit Certificates of Necessity (CNs) to the Delaware Department of Education requesting state consideration for a slate of major capital projects, including full renovations at Mount Pleasant Elementary and Mount Pleasant High School, inclusive playgrounds at most elementary schools, a dedicated site program facility, athletic‑field upgrades across the district and an initial request to get in line for a future Concord High School project.

Mister Reed, who presented the capital needs assessment and the CN packet to the board, said the Department of Education asked districts to provide CNs as a state inventory of needs even though the state has warned districts it may not have funds to support projects this year. "They told us the Certificates of Necessity are a way for them to determine what the needs are throughout the state," Reed said.

Key project estimates shown to the board: Mount Pleasant Elementary full renovation, $76 million; Mount Pleasant High School renovation, $92 million; inclusive playgrounds across eight elementary sites, roughly $5 million; a new site‑program facility (19–22 program for transition to employment), $11.7 million; major athletic field work, about $41.8 million. Early planning figures put a future Concord High School rebuild in the rough range of $135 million if the district seeks a new school rather than another renovation cycle.

Reed explained practical problems driving the requests: Mount Pleasant Elementary’s roof is original slate from the 1930s, classrooms and kindergarten wings are far below current DOE size recommendations, and the building includes many later additions that complicate modernization. "The roof on the building is now 93 years old," Reed said, noting multiple additions and accessibility issues at the site. He described Mount Pleasant High as having lower‑level spaces that are effectively inaccessible for students with wheelchairs and an interior layout that isolates instructional spaces; the district would prefer renovation because the existing building’s square footage and structural value make renovation less costly than building anew.

The board asked several implementation questions; Reed confirmed the CN process is the first step. The department has until October to review district submissions, and if projects move forward they would return to the board for scope, financing options and eventual voter approval. Board members also asked about relative urgency for specific items and whether any roofs in the state are older than Mount Pleasant’s; Reed said he was not aware of an older slate roof and recounted a drone inspection that identified areas needing targeted repairs.

Why this matters: Certificates of Necessity document district capital needs and determine eligibility for state funding participation in major cap projects. Reed and other staff stressed the CN submission does not obligate voters or the district to immediate borrowing or construction; rather, it places projects on the state’s timeline for future review and possible funding.

Board action: The board voted to submit the CN packet to the Delaware Department of Education. The motion carried by voice vote.

Next steps: District staff said they will continue to refine cost estimates, pursue available grants for items such as playgrounds where grant funding may reduce local need, and return to the board for further scoping and voter approvals if projects advance.

Background: Reed showed examples of program needs — a dedicated site program building for 19–22 year‑old transition students to provide a visible retail‑facing training space, modernized music and performance rooms at Mount Pleasant High, replacement of aging track surfaces and adding ADA‑compliant access to athletic facilities districtwide. The CN packet included the required local‑state cost splits (local share ~40%, state share ~60% for the estimates Reed presented).