Appoquinimink superintendent says Summit Bridge schools face $57 million shortfall; urges state action

Superintendent Matt Burrows told the Appoquinimink School District Board of Education that the district faces a roughly $57 million funding shortfall on its Summit Bridge Middle School and Summit High School projects and urged immediate action from state officials and legislators.

The shortfall stems from a state construction funding formula that limits allowed square footage and prescribes per-square-foot spending. "We're currently $57,000,000 short in being able to build those buildings," Burrows said, and outlined a multi-year gap that would require $21.8 million in FY2027, $13 million in FY2028 and $8.7 million in FY2029 to complete both schools as approved by the community and state.

Why it matters: final drawings for Summit Bridge were scheduled for board approval the next month with bids planned in April. Burrows warned that pausing the project risks escalating costs over time and that proceeding to build only the high school would leave the middle school unbuilt despite prior approvals. "If we do not receive the needed funding... those options are 1, put a pause on the project... 2, proceed with the funding we have and just build a high school," he said.

Board members pressed for examples of other districts that received market-pressure (additional) funding from the state and discussed whether the district could cover part of the gap from local sources such as voluntary assessments (VSA). Burrows and staff said other districts had received supplemental funding historically, but that local VSA reserves would be insufficient to bridge the full gap; staff estimated Appoquinimink would need to cover roughly $14 million locally if the state contributed the remainder.

Board members and administrators described a multi-year effort to raise the issue with the Department of Education (DOE), the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and legislators dating back to early conversations in 2022 and routine follow-ups since. Burrows said the district had raised concerns about the formula before applying for a certificate of necessity and had value-engineered proposals, but that $57 million could not be removed by typical value engineering without eliminating an entire building.

What comes next: the board was asked to increase pressure on state legislators for market-pressure funding and to continue conversations with DOE and OMB. Burrows said he would continue pursuing legislative support as the district moved toward final drawings and the April bid schedule.

The board did not vote on any change to the Summit Bridge drawings at the meeting; the presentation concluded with members asking staff to continue outreach and to brief legislators immediately on the funding gap.