Sussex Consortium
Sussex Consortium is a public K-12 school in an unincorporated area in Sussex County, Delaware, with a Lewes postal address,[1] and a part of the Cape Henlopen School District.
It serves students, aged 3 to 21,[2] with autism throughout all of Sussex County.[3]
In addition to special needs students attending the Sussex Consortium school building, the institution also serves special needs students attending standard Cape Henlopen comprehensive schools.[4]
History[edit]
The school was established in 1983 and was housed in various facilities. In 2013 it moved into the former Lewes School in Lewes.[4] As of 2018[update] it was the school with the highest increase of students.[5] The Consortium was previously located in the former Lewes School in Lewes.[6]
In 2015 the State of Delaware gave a certificate of necessity that allowed Cape Henlopen school district to establish a new building.[4] The State of Delaware funded 100% of the construction of the current facility.[2] In 2016 the State of Delaware planned to acquire 26 acres (11 ha) of land,[7] with $1.8 million, and then create a 28-classroom 67,000-square-foot (6,200 m2) facility worth $22 million.[5] In 2017 all four members of the Sussex County Council voted to allow Sussex Consortium to get a new building.[8] In 2018 the state of Delaware paid $13 million to add additional space: an indoor pool, a second gymnasium, and 18 classrooms.[5] The construction timetable was changed after, in August of that year, the state awarded the additional funds.[3] The classrooms include a vocational area and another pre-Kindergarten wing.[5] The total price was around $44 million. Its opening was scheduled for March 16, 2020.[6] However an unexpected school closure scheduled until May 15 meant that the district could finish additional work.[3] Its new opening day was September 16, 2020.[9]
Campus[edit]
The total size of the school is 111,000 square feet (10,300 m2).[5] This was the first building of Sussex Consortium specially built for its purpose.[8] Students are separated by age with the second floor having older students.[7]
The school has blue lights lit at night so the district can publicize its autism awareness campaign.[7] Water-related decorations were added as other area schools had such decorations.[3] Groundbreaking occurred on May 14, 2018.[10] Ellen Driscoll of The Cape Gazette wrote "Like all recent school designs that incorporate Cape Region elements, the student drop-off overhang resembles the Indian River Inlet bridge."[7]
The classrooms have individual temperature controls due to some students being sensitive to heat, as well as in-suite bathrooms. Two-way glass is a feature for transparency reasons.[3]
Operation[edit]
The State of Delaware funds the school as it serves all areas of Sussex County.[4]
As of 2019[update] the school has about the same number of employees at Sussex Consortium that it has at Cape Henlopen High School. The employee-to-student ratio at Sussex Consortium, which had about 300 students, is much higher.[11]
Transportation[edit]
As of 2019[update] the school has 27 buses. Because it has students from all of Sussex County, it has more buses than most elementary and middle schools in the Cape Henlopen school district.[11]
Student body[edit]
As of 2021[update] the school has about 200 students.[2] About 70% of the students reside in the Cape Henlopen School District and 30% reside elsewhere in Sussex County.[6]
References[edit]
- ^ "Home". Sussex Consortium. Retrieved 2021-06-16.
17344 Sweetbriar Road, Lewes, DE 19958
- The location is not in the Lewes city limits: index map and pages 1 and 2 of the 2010 U.S. Census. - ^ a b c "Now Open!". Cape Henlopen School District. Retrieved 2021-06-16.
- ^ a b c d e Driscoll, Ellen (2020-03-19). "Work continues at new consortium building amid school closure". Cape Gazette. Retrieved 2021-06-16.
- ^ a b c d Bleweis, John (2016-01-12). "Sussex Consortium looks forward to future in new home". The Daily Times. Salisbury, Maryland. Retrieved 2021-06-17.
- ^ a b c d e Driscoll, Ellen (2018-11-20). "Sussex Consortium plans expand". Cape Gazette. Retrieved 2021-06-15.
- ^ a b c Driscoll, Ellen (2020-03-10). "Sussex Consortium to open March 16". Cape Gazette. Retrieved 2021-06-17.
- ^ a b c d Driscoll, Ellen (2020-09-06). "Finishing touches applied to Sussex Consortium". Cape Gazette. Retrieved 2021-06-16.
- ^ a b Hughes, Gray (2017-03-07). "Sussex Consortium gets green light for new building". The Daily Times. Salisbury, Maryland. Retrieved 2021-06-17.
- ^ Driscoll, Ellen (2020-08-20). "Sussex Consortium nears completion". Cape Gazette. Retrieved 2021-06-16.
- ^ Driscoll, Ellen (2018-06-11). "Sussex Consortium construction underway". Cape Gazette. Retrieved 2021-06-16.
- ^ a b Roth, Nick (2019-07-17). "Lewes planners review new Shields Elementary site plan". Cape Gazette. Retrieved 2021-07-05.