Caroline County is Making Stormwater Management Functional, Educational, and Beautiful

If you hadn’t seen the state of Denton Elementary School’s parking lot this summer, here it is! Stormwater management systems like this are usually only installed during new builds, so this project being completed voluntarily is just one of the many things that make it unique. While this scene certainly looks better now, the entirety of the project will not be completed until November, when the warmer and drier than usual conditions no longer pose a threat to new plant life.

Photo by Kennedy Thomason Schultz

Engineers and contractors are installing multiple bioretention areas near the school’s parking lots. These areas look like big holes in the ground at first, but they serve an important purpose. Not only do they create a space for stormwater to go, the native grasses that will be planted here will be able to absorb the water and filter out unwanted nutrients before the water eventually reaches the near-by Choptank river.

Photo by Kennedy Thomason Schultz

Another major feature is the use of permeable pavers in portions of the parking lot and walkways. These surface materials are sturdy enough to support vehicle traffic but allow rainwater to seep through into a stone base below, where it can be stored temporarily and then slowly soak into the ground. This design also reduces standing water and cuts down on polluted runoff that would otherwise flow directly into storm drains and to the Choptank.

Photo by Kennedy Thomason Schultz

As for the courtyard next to the school’s entrance, “We’re doing a native conservation landscaping project,” said Grunden. While most of the existing plants and shrubs will be left alone, they will plant native species like viburnum, inkberry, sweet spire, winterberry, and coral bells to give the area pops of color throughout all four seasons. Not only are these plants fun to look at, they offer local birds, bees, and butterflies resources to strengthen their habitats.

Photo by Kennedy Thomason Schultz

Of course, most exciting to the students and teachers alike will be the new “outdoor classroom.” Grunden explained that there was an exceptionally long planning process for this space as they wanted teachers to be involved in shaping how the space will function. It will be used for lessons on ecology, stormwater, and native plants for students from Pre‑K through 5th grade.

Photo by Kennedy Thomason Schultz

Additional partners, including the Caroline Career and Technology Center and Shore Rivers, will play key roles as the project moves into its educational and landscaping phases. The plan is to have Denton Elementary students help with the planting of native plants and trees this fall, while construction students at CCTC work on benches, tables, and signage for the outdoor classroom. Pictured left to right reviewing the site plans are Vernon Murray, Amanda Pollack, Leslie Grunden, Connor Burton, and Emily Tretheway.

Photo by Kennedy Thomason Schultz

Posted Sunday, September 13, 2026 12:00 am

by Kennedy Thomason Schultz

Students, staff, families, and the greater Denton community have a more beautiful and functional Denton Elementary School campus this year, and it is all thanks to a stormwater management project that has grown far beyond its original intent. These photos showcase the work as it was being completed over the 2026 summer break.

Funded by a roughly $610,000 grant that covers full engineering and construction costs, the project is a partnership between Caroline County Public Schools, Caroline County Planning and Codes, Environmental Construction Company, Rauch Engineering, and the Center for Watershed Protection. The original goal was to transform the way that rainwater is mitigated on and around Denton Elementary’s parking lot as the school has struggled in recent years with standing water. But the vision of these partners is to also create new opportunities for habitat growth, waterway health, and educational use for students at the same time. And it just so happens to look pretty, too.

Caroline County is Making Stormwater Management Functional, Educational, and Beautiful

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