MILFORD, Del. - With students set to return to class in less than two weeks, the Milford School District is again asking the state for help with overcrowding and school renovations.
The Milford School District Board of Education recently approved submitting a Certificate of Necessity to the Delaware Department of Education for renovations at Milford High School and the district's elementary schools.
The move marks the district's fourth attempt to secure approval for the project.
Former Milford School Board member Matt Bucher said the district continues to reapply because the need for more space has not gone away.
"The need hasn't gone away. It's actually increased," he said.
Bucher said the high school is dealing with overcrowding, with students filling hallways and the district continuing to use aging modular classrooms.
"We first filed for a Certificate of Necessity four years ago because of our demonstrated need in the high school's building space for a massive expansion of the high school due to overcrowding," Bucher said.
The estimated cost of the renovations is nearly $81 million. If approved by the state, the district could move toward a local voter referendum, which would temporarily increase local property taxes.
Local property taxpayers within the school district could be responsible for roughly 23% of the total project cost, amounting to about $18.6 million.
Milford resident Ken Hunt said he supports the project, provided it does not add more burden to taxpayers.
"Without adding more burden onto the taxpayer, I'm all for it," he said.
Others WBOC spoke with said they would oppose a referendum, arguing the district needs to better manage the money it already has.
The board approved the latest Certificate of Necessity by a 4-0 vote on Monday night, with several members absent.
The Delaware Department of Education will begin reviewing local school district applications in the coming months. Milford's Certificate of Necessity will be considered for fiscal year 2028.
