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First new school opens in Wilmington since desegregation busing in the 1970s

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First new school opens in Wilmington since desegregation busing in the 1970s


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This story was supported by a statehouse coverage grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.


Students will soon begin attending classes in the Maurice Pritchett Sr. Academy, the first new Wilmington school in 50 years.

A ribbon cutting and block party last week drew hundreds of people, with Christina School District staff, Gov. John Carney, U.S. Sen. Chris Coons, state lawmakers and the Pritchett family speaking to the crowd.

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The $84 million building was named after longtime educator Maurice Pritchett, a student at the Bancroft School in the city’s East Side neighborhood who served as the school’s principal from 1975 to 2005. Pritchett died last year. Construction for the school that will serve students in grades one through eight was fully funded by the state.

The playground at the the Maurice Pritchett Sr. Academy, the city of Wilmington’s first new school in 50 years. (Sarah Mueller/WHYY)

Carney said he hopes the new facility will attract kids currently going to schools outside of the city.

“I firmly believe that this building will bring a lot of those families back to this neighborhood and into this beautiful school, and that’s part of what we’re trying to do,” he said.

Friday’s ribbon cutting was also a celebration of Pritchett and his life’s work of helping students learn. Some of the speakers shouted his name in a “call and response” rhythm with the crowd at the event.

Sen. Darius Brown was one of several who honored the former principal.

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“He was not just the school principal, but he was one of us,” Brown said. “He was from the neighborhood because he grew up right here on Wilmington’s East Side. I see so many of the kids that grew up with me on the East Side here today, and it is a tribute to the legacy of Mr. Pritchett.”

Darius Brown speaks behind a podium
State Sen. Darius Brown speaks at the ribbon cutting of the Maurice Pritchett Sr. Academy in Wilmington, Delaware. (Sarah Mueller/WHYY)

Pritchett’s widow Juanita Pritchett said students will succeed if the new school is filled with love.

“Nothing happens unless there’s the love. As the children enter and receive love, they will leave. They will carry that love that they received from the Maurice Pritchett Sr. Academy. These children, as they leave, will heal the world because of the love given to them here.”

Bancroft has been one of the lowest performing schools in the state. Delaware Department of Education data from the 2022–2023 school year shows less than 7% of the school’s students were proficient in English and less than 4% were proficient in math.

Christina Interim Superintendent Bob Andrzejewski said it was possible with this new school to raise student performance.

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“I just encourage all of you, the family, the friends, the community leaders and others to support the young people here and the staff and the leadership to make Maurice Academy the super special place that it is,” he said. “Because we don’t want just the new building. We want to be able to see our students do better and better.”

The history wall inside the Maurice Pritchett Sr. Academy
The history wall inside the Maurice Pritchett Sr. Academy, the city of Wilmington’s first new school in 50 years. (Sarah Mueller/WHYY)



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Delaware

PennDOT, hardware stores prepare for first snow of season in Delaware Valley

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PennDOT, hardware stores prepare for first snow of season in Delaware Valley


PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — Crews and customers across the Delaware Valley are gearing up for the region’s first accumulating snowfall of the season, expected late Saturday into Sunday morning.

PennDOT says it has more than 100,000 tons of salt ready and plans to deploy over 400 trucks across the region for this event.

Road crews began brining operations Friday, which will continue through the weekend with plowing on Sunday.

READ MORE | Accuweather Alert: Light snow to blanket the region Saturday night into Sunday morning

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“Maybe 1 to 3, maybe a little bit more depending on how the storm tracks,” said Brad Rudolph of PennDOT.

He added that timing is key with the snow beginning to fall on Saturday night, while many may be out and about, and with thousands expected to travel to Lincoln Financial Field Sunday for the Eagles game against the Raiders.

Preps underway for first snow of the season in Delaware Valley

“People are going to travel, they’re going to need to take it slow. We’re going to push back snow from travel lanes, we’ll make the roads passable. They may not be completely clear of snow and ice, something to consider,” Rudolph said. “We expect this storm to push out relatively early Sunday, well before that Eagles game, but we still might have some cleaning up to do. We’ll be working long after this snow is done.”

At Stanley’s Hardware in Roxborough, workers spent Friday unpacking boxes and moving thousands of pounds of salt and other supplies to fill commercial and individual orders.

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“Our aisle is filled right now. We have tons of skids of rock salt, ice melter, shovels,” said Joe Jaconski of Stanley’s Hardware.

Customers were already stocking up.

“We have food, we have shovels, just had to get some salt just to make sure we’re keeping the sidewalks nice and safe for everyone,” said Matt Skomsky of Roxborough.

Customers were steady at Stanley’s Friday, and business is expected to pick up through the weekend, but managers say don’t wait to get ready.

“I recommend just being ahead of it. Try to beat the storm because when the storm comes, it gets very busy in here-the lines wrapped around,” Jaconski said.

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PennDOT urges drivers to keep their distance from plow trucks and check the forecast before heading out.

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Done Deal: 695 Delaware Avenue – Buffalo Rising

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Done Deal: 695 Delaware Avenue – Buffalo Rising


Ellicott Development has expanded it local property portfolio. Ellicott’s 4628 Group Inc. purchased 695 Delaware Avenue on Wednesday for $1.025 million. Fred Kaplan Living Trust was the seller. The 8,454 sq.ft., three-story barn-like structure with mansard roofed addition is occupied by media production and marketing firm Crosswater Digital Media. It was the home of WKBW radio for a number of years. The property totals 0.4 acres in size with a large parking lot fronting Delaware Avenue.

The property is bookended by the Westbrook Apartments and Wilcox House apartment buildings, both ten-story structures. It sits across the street from 700 Delaware, the former Computer Task Group Building Ellicott purchased in 2018 and is now occupied by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation.



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Man, 77, dies after collision with teen driver near Hartly, police say

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Man, 77, dies after collision with teen driver near Hartly, police say


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A 77-year-old man died following a two-car crash near Hartly on the morning of Dec. 10, Delaware State Police said.

The man, from the Dover area, has not been identified by police pending family notification.

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According to police reports, the man was driving a Honda Accord east on Judith Road approaching Hartly Road about 9 a.m., as an 18-year-old woman was driving a Ford Focus south on Hartly Road approaching Judith Road.

Police reported that a preliminary investigation shows the Honda moved from the stop sign into the Ford’s path, causing a collision.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene. The woman, from Hartly, was treated at the scene. Police said she refused to be taken to a hospital.

Send tips or story ideas to Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299 or eparra@delawareonline.com.

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