Voters in the Twinsburg School District are expected to consider a $107 million, 36-year bond issue on Nov. 5 to replace three school buildings with a new building for kindergarten through sixth grade students.
The Twinsburg School Board recently approved the first step in putting the bond issue on the fall ballot. This legislation will be sent to the Summit County Fiscal Office, which will determine how much millage is needed to raise the funds.
The projected 3.99 mill would cost the homeowner $140 annually for every $100,000 in value, according to the tax office’s assessed value.
The plan provides for the construction of a new stadium behind the high school and the construction of the new school on the site of the current stadium.
The funds from the bond issue will be used to build a new kindergarten through sixth grade school for the district, replacing Wilcox Primary, Bissell Elementary and Dodge Intermediate schools, and to relocate Tiger Stadium, said School Superintendent Kathryn Powers.
The playing fields would then move to the current location of Dodge Intermediate.
“Our schools are a vital part of our community and we must ensure that they are safe, functional and educational,” Board President Lea Travis said during a public forum in May. “The input we receive from our community members is critical in making the best decisions for the future of our district.”
Powers said the district participates in the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission’s Expedited Local Partnership Program. As a result, the district could get back nearly $14.9 million from the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission, which is about 17 percent of the cost of building the new school and demolishing the three schools. It would not include the cost of the stadium.
A report from the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission found that four out of five schools in the district are now at a point where needed renovations account for 66 percent or more of the cost of building new facilities, Powers said.
“This threshold, known as the ‘two-thirds rule,’ suggests that building new facilities may be more cost-effective than continuing with expensive repairs,” Powers said. She said the high school, which opened in the winter of 1999, was the lone exception.
According to Powers, the school buildings aren’t the only district assets that need attention.
“Our athletic facilities also need attention,” Powers said. “This spring, the track at Tiger Stadium needed emergency repairs, and our stadium now needs to be upgraded to meet safety standards for hosting student sports and community events. The grass at Tiger Stadium is nearly 10 years old and needs to be replaced.”
Powers said the school board is expected to vote to send the ballot to the Summit County Board of Elections at its July 17 meeting.
Reporter April Helms can be reached at ahelms@thebeaconjournal.com
This article originally appeared in the Akron Beacon Journal: Twinsburg schools plan to put $107 million bond issue on ballot
