Committee approves amendment to remove enrollment cap language from Sussex Technical bill

Representative William Short, sponsor of House Bill 90, told the House Education Committee that an amendment to HB 90 ‘‘removes the tax provisions from the bill, leaving the current tax restrictions in the code’’ and ‘‘eliminates the enrollment information on the original bill.’’

The change addresses the rebuilding of Sussex Technical Vocational High School and aligns the bill with a certificate of need that ‘‘delineated that the enrollment can go to 1,800 students,’’ Short said. He asked committee members to focus on the amendment because ‘‘the amendment virtually becomes what the bill is.’’

Short said the original draft included an enrollment limitation that would prevent the reconstructed school from gradually admitting freshman classes toward the 1,800-student capacity. Superintendent Kevin Carson of the Sussex Technical Vocational High School appeared with the sponsor to answer questions.

No in-person or virtual public commenters spoke against the amendment during the committee hearing. After committee discussion, the chair called the vote; committee members recorded their support and the motion carried.

Why it matters: removing the enrollment limitation clears a statutory obstacle to the district operating up to the capacity authorized by the school’s certificate of need, permitting the district to add cohorts of students as the rebuilt school opens. The amendment also leaves existing tax restrictions unchanged, according to the sponsor.

What’s next: The committee released HB 90 from committee. The sponsor and the district will have to implement the changes in coordination with construction and enrollment planning.