FY 2021 Educational Facilities Master Plan

Community Analysis Findings

In juxtaposition to the issues associated with an aging population which has been more of a national issue is the concept of family friendly communities. The APA conducted a national survey in the spring of 2008 to assess attitudes about and barriers to creating family friendly communities. The report makes note of the need to create ".... more family friendly communities with housing at affordable prices, access to child care, parks, pedestrian pathways, quality public schools, safe neighborhoods, and many other potential features that promote family well-being." It also points out that the AARP has documented that the elderly want to age in place and endorse walk-ability, public transit, affordable housing, convenient services and parks which are also applicable to family friendly communities. Part of the survey involved child care and only 20% of the respondents believed their community had an adequate supply and only 14% of the communities provided financial support for development or operation of child care facilities. Child care is often related to our public school population and those students who are in before and/or after school child care programs. Additionally, 59% of respondents said that schools function as a center of their community and acknowledged that schools are used for a variety of community functions such as child care, continuing education courses, public meetings, and community recreation. All of these functions apply to Wicomico County Public Schools. PUBLIC UTILITIES Wicomico County recently hired an engineer to complete a Water and Sewer Master Plan (WC-WSMP) to outline a technical, managerial, and financial approach/ policy for adoption by Wicomico County to provide safe drinking water and clean water discharge for all residents of Wicomico County in the form of a Master Plan document to update the 2010 approved Water & Sewerage Plan. The issues of water and sewer access and availability in Wicomico County continue to be important factors for future planning and development of school sites. In Wicomico County many of the soils are poorly suited for septic systems and the Environmental Health Division of the Wicomico County Health Department has put into place a land evaluation process which involves (for a fee) evaluation for subdivision to sewage area modifications. This process among others was established as part of their mission to help protect public health through the control of vital environmental factors. Water and sewer facilities often stimulate growth and should be addressed within appropriate areas. The largest, most recent water and sewer expansion was in 2004 on the east side to service Wor-Wic Community College and the Shorebirds Stadium. While Salisbury and Wicomico County continue to work towards addressing these issues, there remain capacity and access issues to water and sewer.

Wicomico County Public Schools Educational Facilities Master Plan FY 2021

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