Spring Ridge M.S. Principal Angela Fulp (l) show school board member Rita Weaver the renovated cafeteria. (Photo by Dick Myers) 

Leonardtown and Lexington Park, MD — As more than 18,000 students returned to classrooms Aug. 19 in St. Mary’s County Public Schools (SMCPS), two of those schools were especially in the spotlight. The squeaky clean, brand new Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary School in Leonardtown officially opened its doors. And students returned to Spring Ridge Middle School in Lexington Park with part of the major renovation/addition complete but their school still very much a work zone.

The BayNet accompanied school board member Rita Weaver and Assistant Superintendent of Supporting Services Jeff Walker on a tour of Spring Ridge conducted by Principal Angela Fulp. She showed the expanded office area, brand new band, choral, and orchestra rooms, new classrooms and the renovated cafeteria and kitchen. And she showed the next sections getting ready to be renovated.

Project Management Coordinator Todd Whitlock told the BayNet before the tour that nine classrooms at a time are being renovated, with those students moved to mobile classrooms. Eighth graders and part of the 7th grade are in the mobile units now and the next up will be the rest of the 7th grade and the 6th grade. Construction is anticipated to be complete by the start of school next year.

The construction schedule was accelerated for the final middle school in the county to be renovated after a fire destroyed nine classrooms. The project was given a push by the advance funding of $10 million by the county commissioners.  The $20.7 million contract was awarded to J. Vinton Schafer and Sons of the Baltimore area.

Fulp said the opening day for her more than 1,000 students went smoothly and that staff is pleased with the work completed so far.

At Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary School, buses unloaded almost 600 students as everyone learned the logistics of parking and who was to go where. Open houses Monday and Tuesday helped ease the logistics as students and parents were shown their classrooms.

Earlier in the week Principal Beth Ramsey gave The BayNet a tour of the new school: See story at http://www.thebaynet.com/articles/0815/studentsreadytosoaratnewschool.html

A formal school dedication is planned for the end of September.

See the attached Photo Gallery with the Spring Ridge tour by Dick Myers and the Captain Walter Francis Duke opening by Ron Bailey.

Contact Dick Myers at dick.myers@thebaynet.com