New Philadelphia school officials are bringing the community inside their buildings while again asking voters to help fund new ones.
The School Board Monday approved putting a 5.9-mill, 72-million-dollar bond issue and 1-mill permanent improvement levy on the May ballot. It would raise taxes to build a new elementary school and set the stage to get state funding for a new middle and high school building in the future.
Superintendent Amy Wentworth says it’s the same issue that failed in November, with more than 60 percent of voters saying “no.”
She notes this time around officials want to make sure the community understands the challenges they face at the aging schools.
“That’s one of the things we heard is that people didn’t understand why our current facilities weren’t adequate, so we said let’s let people get in and see the spaces. See how creative in using our spaces as well as the challenges that we have with our aging facilities.”
The first tour was yesterday at South Elementary. Future tours at other elementaries will take place before school board meetings on the second Monday of the month in February, March and April.
In addition, New Philadelphia schools will host a community meeting on the district’s facility needs this Thursday at 6:30 at the administration building. Everyone is welcome.
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