By Elle Wood

MILFORD — The Milford School District is amid a strategic development plan, including the rebuild of a school that has been shuttered since 2013.

“Charting to the Course of Excellence” began in May 2023 and will continue for four more years. The goals are to develop academic excellence, student support, recruitment and retention, and the district’s facilities and systems.

One part of the mission has been to reconstruct the old Milford Middle School on Lakeview Avenue, which has been out of use for 11 years. Currently under construction, it is scheduled to be ready for the start of the school year in 2025.

Ahead of its opening for fifth and sixth grades, the board of education announced April 16 that its name would be retained.

Citing the title’s strong significance for alumni, students and faculty, board members said they want to preserve its heritage.

“The name ‘Milford Middle School’ has been in place since the 1970s,” said Dr. Sara Hale, chief operating officer for the district. “The name is not rooted in historical significance other than it has been the long-standing name for the building, which is a historically significant building to our district community.”

It also holds value because of the success of former students, she said, like the Milford 11 and the Milford Seven — two groups that paved the way for Milford schools’ integration in the 1950s and ’60s. In 1954, the Milford 11 were the first Black students who attempted to integrate the high school. Then, in 1965, the Milford Seven were the first to successfully do so and go on to graduate.

In a press release, the district announced that the Milford 11 and the Milford Seven will be honored with a historical marker at the completed middle school.

Discussion about the name of the rebuilt facility began in February, when the school board was presented with various choices.

“The board considered many options, including recommendations from the Naming Committee,” Dr. Hale said. “Some of the proposed ideas included Lakeview Avenue Intermediate School, Lakeview Intermediate School on the Milford 11 Campus, Milford Schelhouse School and Marvin P. Schelhouse School.” Mr. Schelhouse, who died in 2022, was a decadeslong school board member who was influential in several projects, including the football stadium’s pirate ship.

Regarding the status of the construction at Milford Middle, Dr. Hale said work is on schedule, with all bids having been awarded.

For information about the strategic plan, visit milfordschooldistrict.org.