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Issue 8 will not increase taxpayers’ current costs. It will eliminate disparities across the district, wipe the slate clean on millions of dollars in maintenance costs to our school buildings, and add value to our community.
WHAT does the Issue 8 provide?
- Thirteen replacement elementary school buildings, two renovated elementary school buildings (Buckeye Woods and Darby Woods) and a new Franklin Heights High School to replace aging and outdated facilities.
- Improvements to every elementary school in the district and our oldest high school, which will free up funds to be used to benefit students and other buildings.
WHY do replacement or renovated buildings matter?
The buildings to be replaced have:
- $40 million in current deferred maintenance costs, which does not include further structural issues. If not addressed, these rising costs could result in extended building closures and/or safety issues. The current annual expenditure of $1 million per year cannot keep pace with the repairs needed in the buildings.
- Obsolete electrical systems that cannot support modern educational technology.
- Inefficient heating and ventilation systems that are outdated and provide inadequate air quality – making it difficult to regulate classroom temperatures throughout the buildings.
- Classrooms that are too small to meet today’s educational standards.
- Power outages, frozen pipes, and other building failures that distract students and hamper learning.
- Antiquated security systems and inadequate handicap accessibility that limit the ability to provide the safety features necessary in the world today.
- Insufficient space to consider optional all-day, every-day kindergarten.
The replaced and renovated school buildings will:
- Eliminate disparities among our elementary school buildings by ensuring up-to-date learning environments.
- Allow for financial savings through new energy efficiencies and an administrative reduction.
- Provide current technology, learning environments and educational resources students need as well as the space for all-day, every-day kindergarten.
- Help our schools, homes and community stay attractive to families and businesses.
HOW do the economics work?
We will receive more than $120 million in State funds toward the cost of the project, if we pass Issue 8 to fund our local share.
- Without the matching funds provided by Issue 8, the State will send those dollars elsewhere.
- If we wait, the State’s program could end.
We can fund our local share without increasing annual costs to taxpayers.
Passage of Issue 8 (2.9 mill bond issue) will keep our current collection rate at or below 2012 levels because of retiring debt.
We can eliminate $40 million in current deferred maintenance costs saving taxpayers money.
All of the State funds & the bond issue funds will be used for new facilities, building renovations and other permanent improvements. None of it will be used for operating costs, salaries or benefits.
Here are printable fact sheets in English, Spanish and Somali.
And here is a very informative presentation from the October 24, 2011 school board meeting about what could happen to district buildings with the passage of Issue 8 and funding from the Ohio School Facilities Commission.
