Milford Middle School (MMS) will open for the 2025-2026 school year.
After a few months of consideration with plenty of public input, the Milford School District Board of Education finalized a name Monday night for its new middle school.
The new Milford middle school, a key component of Milford School District’s strategic plan to accommodate rapid enrollment growth, will be called “Milford Middle School.”
Opening in fall 2025, the building had a nine-person naming committee, which throughout the process of naming considered: long-term grade configurations, community and history and already established commemorative and historical items.
A statement from the district Tuesday said the district “proudly announces the preservation of the Milford Middle School title for the new school opening in August 2025.”
The board’s approval reaffirms the district’s commitment to honoring the legacy and history rooted within the school and community, the statement read.
Other names presented to the board in February by the naming committee included: Lakeview Avenue Intermediate School, Lakeview Intermediate School on the Milford Eleven Campus, Milford Schelhouse School (M.S.S.) and the Marvin P. Schelhouse School.
Marvin Schelhouse was a longtime Milford resident, active in the community, who died in September 2022. He graduated from Milford High School in 1955 and then joined the Marine Corps in 1956, serving for 21 years.
The district said the decision reflects the district’s dedication to preserving its rich heritage while embracing progress and inclusivity.
In a unanimous vote, all school board members supported naming the building Milford Middle School.
“Our community strove for years (2015-2021) through workshops, community meetings, and an overwhelmingly supportive referendum,” said Board Vice President Matt Bucher on Facebook before the meeting. “You did all this to save, modernize, and honor this grand old building and once again, have a facility in the MIDDLE of the district, for the MIDDLE grades, of which the Greater Milford School District community can be proud.”
The building will accommodate the district growth of more than 150 new students a year.
“In a world of constant change, the decision to maintain the name Milford Middle School reinforces the school’s commitment to stability, tradition, and the values that have guided it throughout its history,” the district stated.
The decision also honors the contributions and accomplishments of past students, staff, and community members who have been instrumental in shaping the school’s identity, including the historic Milford Eleven and Milford Seven, the district said.
Those historic groups, which were pivotal to the desegregation of schools in Delaware, will also be honored with several commemorative items such as the Delaware Public Archives historical marker that will be rededicated to the new campus.
“Milford Middle School has been a cornerstone of the community for decades, nurturing generations of students and fostering a culture of academic excellence, inclusivity, and respect,” the district stated. “The name holds significance not only for alumni but also for current students, staff, and our wider district-community.”
Milford Middle project timeline.
Grade reconfiguration
The district is reshuffling which grades will go into each school starting in the 2025-2026 school year, which is the year the new middle school opens.
Currently, the district is structured pre-K and kindergarten together, grades one through five together, grades six through eight together and grades nine through twelve together.
When the new middle school opens, the district will shift to kindergarten through grade four at its four elementary schools (Morris Early Childhood Center, now serving pre-K and kindergarten, will become the fourth elementary school), grades five and six at the new middle school, grades seven and eight at Milford Central Academy, and grades nine through 12 at Milford High School.
Raised in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, Jarek earned a B.A. in journalism and a B.A. in political science from Temple University in 2021. After running CNN’s Michael Smerconish’s YouTube channel, Jarek became a reporter for the Bucks County Herald before joining Delaware LIVE News.
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