Proposed biliteracy school in southern Delaware awaits approval

The dual-language immersion model aims to change that dynamic by helping children maintain their cultural roots while excelling academically.

The school will be housed in Georgetown’s historic ice house on Depot Street, which has seen decades of use and disuse. Once a cornerstone of the town’s industrial and commercial identity, the brick structure has been a warehouse, a home to businesses, and even considered for apartment conversions before falling into neglect.

“Right now, the building’s not looking like much, but we have some great plans,” López Waite said. “We’re working with a great architect to really transform that building into a beautiful school.”

Renovations will begin as soon as the project receives final approval from the State Board of Education. The process will take about 18 months. The first phase will focus on the ground floor to accommodate the initial cohort of students in September 2026.

“We’re going to renovate the first floor first, and so that’s enough space for us to house kindergarten, first and second [grades],” she said. “Then [we] will continue to renovate the other floors and be able to accommodate the growth each year as we add a grade. And so at our full capacity, we’ll have 400 students in kindergarten through fifth grade.”

Through it all, they aim to serve as a bridge that unites the community, fostering connections across cultures, resources and opportunities. By working closely with local nonprofits such as La Esperanza, La Red, La Plaza, the Sussex Health Coalition, and the Georgetown Town Council, they hope to build a foundation of collaboration and shared progress.

Ultimately, the school’s impact is envisioned as going far beyond education.

“We want us to be able to come and basically help our communities come together because we do believe that the majority of our residents have a desire and are hopeful that that can happen,” Waite said. “But there really hasn’t been, I guess, sort of the catalyst, sort of the gel that brings these things together. And they are optimistic that having their children attending a school together could be maybe that catalyst.”

The State Board of Education is expected to rule on the school’s proposal at its meeting on January 16.