“I think the county can afford to build a new school. And it will not burden the taxpayers.”
– Kent County Commissioner John Price, August 5, 2025
This bold and encouraging statement—delivered at the August 5th meeting of the Kent County Commissioners—could mark a turning point for the future of education in Kent County. Diligent financial analysis by Commissioner John Price and County CFO Pat Merritt has yielded a clear and achievable plan for building the new middle school our community so urgently needs—without raising taxes.
Let us repeat that: we can build a new school without raising taxes.
The current middle school is a liability to our students and an embarrassment to our community. Built in 1946 and last renovated in 1975, it suffers from broken floors, leaking ceilings, rampant mold, and plumbing so old that students had to miss several days of school last year. Needless to say, the school also falls far short in meeting the technological and learning opportunities our students need and deserve.
From comprehensive strategic planning, to unanimous support of the Board of Education, to lobbying our state representatives for financial assistance, work on the project has been under way since 2017—only to be consistently stalled by lack of funding.
Now that barrier has been lifted. Due to Commissioner Price’s leadership, we have a plan forward.
Here’s what Commissioner Price’s financial analysis identified:
- Nearly $1 million in annual savings from changes in the county correctional system, shifting from operating a full local facility to utilizing an existing MOU with neighboring counties to house Kent County inmates — without cutting any jobs or benefits for county employees.
- $947,000 in reduced annual debt service costs.
- New revenue projections of $3.3 million for the next fiscal year.
- A tax increase already in effect, generating $250,000 in year one and growing to $700,000 annually — no further tax increases required.
- $13 million in available capital in the county’s undesignated fund balance, specifically earmarked for capital projects like school construction.
Using a combination of these resources, along with a bond to cover the local share of construction, the county can move forward now—responsibly, affordably, and without delay.
And—it bears repeating—without raising taxes.
This plan should be put to a vote at an upcoming County Commissioners meeting to give the Board of Education the decision they need to move forward. Now is the time for our community to voice their enthusiastic support for this proposal to channel fiscal inefficiency into transformative opportunity for our students.
Commissioner Price has reached out to SOS to say he welcomes feedback from the community about the plan, but would like to make clear that there is still work to be done to raise more funds for the project at the state level.
We urge all Kent County residents to thank Commissioner Price for his detailed, data-driven plan and to encourage all three commissioners to move forward with this exciting opportunity to fund our new school.
We must let the Commissioners know that we see a new middle school as a necessary investment in our children’s future, our community’s growth, and our county’s long-term vitality.
Here’s how you can help:
- Submit a letter of support to the County Commissioners: https://forms.gle/G8LkJMf1BgUoKXoD7
- Watch the 8/5/25 Commissioner’s meeting and hear the proposal for yourself: https://www.youtube.com/live/45a7PGc_ri8?si=dm_IfsOb1ab5ulPC&t=1833
- Share this article—and your support for the new school—with your friends and neighbors.
Thank you for helping to ensure Kent County students have the learning environments they deserve.
And thank you, Commissioner Price, for leading the way forward. SOS is excited to be your champion and partner in the work ahead.
— Support Our Schools (SOS)
Kent County, Maryland
About KCPS SOS
Formed in 2015, we are a grassroots effort devoted to increasing awareness of and support for the needs, challenges, and untapped potential of the Kent County public school system – both for the sake of the current student population and for its opportunity to serve as a catalyst for economic development. Founding members include Robbi Behr, Jodi Bortz, Piers Heriz-Smith, Rebecca Heriz-Smith, Francoise Sullivan, and Elizabeth Tussing.
For more information on SOS please visit our Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/kentcountyschooldistrictparents/
John F. Price says
This is a great article and very accurate except for one very important piece of information. The county cannot afford to build a school and annually fund the ever increasing cost of the Blueprint. We can certainly fund one or the other, but not both. The Blueprint funding is a state mandate. All 3 commissioners support what’s best for our children and teachers. This is far from a done deal. We will continue to work on bringing additional state funding back to Kent County with our elected representatives of the 36th district and others in Annapolis along with Dr McComas and elected school board members. In my opinion raising taxes is not an option. Doing so would crush any progress on the horizon related to economic development and hurt seniors on fixed incomes along with young families trying to meet the needs of raising a family. So please remember that although we have made positive progress, we still have work to be done. Speaking for myself, I will continue marching forward and I believe my fellow colleagues will as well.
Sincerely,
Commissioner John F. Price
Jason Halpin says
It would be helpful to have some additional detail in this article to better explain how funds can be expensed on a new school with the certainty of not raising taxes.
Firstly, are we to assume the cost to renovate the existing school is more costly then to build new? I would assume a cost benefit analysis has already been done – acknowledgment of this detail will help the reader move past that question.
How are we creating the “$947,000 in reduced annual debt service costs” – that sounds pretty fantastic in this time of higher interest rates…? What is the current annual debt service? It would be helpful to know if the $947,000 is 1% change to the current debt service or a 50% change. Knowing the details of the plan to reduce the annual debt service would help the reader know if this reduction is permanent or temporary.
What is the term rate of the bond(s) – is there a plan to payback the bond before it terms out or the rate adjusts?
What are other uses of the $13 million in available capital that we would be forgoing – what are the opportunity costs? knowing the trade-offs of ‘what’s not going to be done with the $13M’ would be extremely useful information. How long did it take the county to accumulate this $13M surplus – how long is it projected to re-accumulate once these funds are spent on this project?
Francoise Sullivan says
I’ll do my best to answer your questions:
1) Yes, during the feasibility study it was determined that the cost to renovate the building would be equal to or greater than new construction. The IAC also noified KCPS that because of the condition and age of the building the state would not contribute to the cost of renovations. So Kent County would be on the hook for 100% of renovations.
2) If you watch the County Commissioners meeting referenced in the OpEd you can hear Pat Merritt describe where the debt service savings are coming from. There were some projects, including the Worton Community Center, that still had a debt service owed on them that are coming to an end.
3) The County estimates a 5% rate for 30 years on the bond. Again, this is an estimate. No plan was discussed for rate adjustment or payback on the bond.
4) The most recent Kent County Government Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (CAFR)(FY24) lists four major projects – KCMS, courthouse renovation, expansion of 911 and sheriff’s office and participation in the construction of a mid-shore regional detention center. In that report (FY24) the fund balance is listed as $22 million with $14 million in unassaigned. Here is historic information from previous years’ CAFRs:
FY23 – $16 million fund balance / $12 million unassigned
FY22 – $16 million fund balance / $9 million unassigned
FY21 – $12 million fund balance / $8 million unassigned
FY20 – $9 million fund balance / $5 million unassigned