First look: Appo's Everett Meredith Middle School reopens after 2 years of reconstruction

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the total cost of the Everett Meredith Middle School renovation project.

For the Appoquinimink School District community, September marks more than a new academic year. It’s the return of Everett Meredith staff and students to their home turf after two years of reconstruction.

Since 2020, Everett Meredith Middle School students and staff have been relocated to other schools around the district during the rebuilding of their original campus, which first opened in 1929.

“We’re just looking forward to coming home. I keep saying, ‘504 South Broad, we’re home,'” said Beth Everett, principal of EMMS. “It feels amazing.”

Though the halls of the Middletown school were empty on Tuesday, the sounds of construction crews finishing up last-minute jobs echoed through the building in preparation for the first day of school.

Shiny patterned floors gave way to open spaces for collaborative learning. Chairs and walls in various shades of blue, a nod to the school’s colors, filled the building. And natural light washed the central atrium in a golden, midday glow.

The cafeteria boasted new learning stairs, a place where students can hang out or reflect on the school’s pillars of learning emblazoned on the steps. Across the lunchroom, an Everett Theatre sign hangs above the walkway, a gift from Middletown’s 100-year-old theater a few blocks away on Main Street.

“I love this building. This building is my home. Meredith is my family,” said Olivia Suchanec, an instructional coach and social studies department chair.

Suchanec has been a staff member there for 17 years. Her growth has coincided with that of the school, and the community it has fostered is what keeps her coming back year after year.

“That’s what’s so great about this town. It’s big but it’s small,” she said.

Just up the hall, sixth grade social studies teacher Brian Conway, also in his 17th year, said he's grateful for the opportunity to teach at a building of this caliber.

“I think it’s amazing. I never thought I’d be in a new school,” he said. “It’s important what they’ve done. We’re fortunate. Many teachers don’t have a fraction of what we do.”

Other new additions include a library media center overlooking Broad Street, rehearsal rooms for band, chorus and orchestra, a 500-seat auditorium and an arts wing with an art room, a STEM workspace and an agriculture classroom.

And, it wouldn’t be an updated Everett Meredith without something for the mascot, too.

The crusaders have even added new gleaming gold shoulder pads to the armor of their trademark mascot.

The school renovation had a total cost of $57.5 million, with $43.1 million covered by the state and $14.4 million allocated locally. For projects like these, both portions vary by district and are established by the Department of Education, said Eric Loftus, director of finance for the Appoquinimink School District.

On Wednesday, the school will have a dedication ceremony in the auditorium at 6 p.m. Following the event, an open house for sixth grade students and families will be held. They will have the opportunity to meet staff, discuss classes and schedules and learn about anything else related to the coming school year.

Seventh and eighth grade students and their families will have a separate event in early September.

Even with all the new additions, staff relish the familiar feeling of the building and the Everett Meredith charm it still carries.

“It seems like a huge school, but the way it’s laid out, it makes it feel very homey, comfortable,” Conway said. “I’m looking forward to the kids taking ownership of it. Hopefully feeling as proud of it as we do as teachers.”

As an ode to the far-reaching history of Everett Meredith, a history wall was placed in the hallway outside the gymnasium. It holds bricks engraved with names, brief inscriptions and dates belonging to former members of the EMMS community.

Next to the wall are preserved pieces of the original building, including heart pinewood flooring, the 1929 datestone from the school’s opening year – when it was formerly known as Middletown School – and the cast stone window surround.

“I went through the whole transition and to come back, I was so excited,” said Dan Sullivan, assistant principal and former teacher at Everett Meredith. “The location is just so important because it feels like we’re in the middle of the community.”

Despite all the newness, Sullivan says the new building doesn’t feel sterile and already has that lived-in feeling.

For a community that eagerly awaited the completion of the building for two years, finally getting to open the doors of Everett Meredith Middle School in just under a week feels just like it always has − like home.

“Even though they rebuilt it, it still feels like old Meredith,” Suchanec said. “It always has that nostalgic feeling.”

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Everett Meredith Middle School reopens for the first time in 2 years