With a more solid plan in place New Philadelphia School administration is hoping voters will approve a 6.2-mill bond and a 1.0-mill permanent improvement levy.
Issue 19 would cost a homeowner about $252 per $100,000 valuation. The bond would be on for 37 years and the levy is for a continuing period.
With buildings averaging 80 years old, Superintendent Amy Wentworth says those structures don’t meet today’s educational requirements.
“Not only do they not have appropriate heating and cooling most importantly they don’t have up-to-date modern safety features. They’re also not handicapped accessible. So, in combination with the age of the buildings, which is requiring continuing and on going maintenance, they just don’t meet the needs of our students.”
Wentworth says the money generated would construction new buildings for the district as a state assessment determined it would cost more to remodel.
“In fact, right now, we have five buildings that need new roofs, at least $2.5 million. We have nine modulars, trailers essentially, that we utilize as classrooms. Each of those has come to the end of their life. They all new need roofs and they’ve been deemed if we’re going to continue using them, we’re going to have to replace them. That’s almost $1.1 million.”
Wentworth acknowledges the expense but notes the need of doing something will remain.
“And in fact, it’s not going to get any cheaper. We are going to have to do something for our buildings going forward or they’re not going to continue to be functional at all.”
Wentworth adds that the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission approved the districts master facilities plan, making them eligible for $80 million in state co-funding, equaling about 55% of the total $145.5 million project cost.
“We have within out budget funds to completely demolish our existing buildings and return that area to green space so we’re not going to do something that’s going to leave a blight of old buildings on our community. Potentially sell it for other purposes and that’s built into the cost.”
The bond would construct a new PreK – 6th elementary at the current South Elementary location and a new 7th – 12th grade middle/high school would be built on the current high school site. The levy portion would dedicate funds for long-term maintenance and repairs.
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