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Funding Background:
.....Voters in 2007 approved a bond issue to build three
new state-of-the-art schools, a $1.5 million annual cost savings
measure that will be achieved through a streamlining of operations.
.....The Ohio Schools Facilities Commission (OSFC) is paying
$57.2 million of the $90 million cost to construct the buildings.
Money raised from the bond issue cannot be used to fund daily
operations. By law, it can only be used for construction.
Construction Background:
.....The opening date for the junior high/senior high school
has been delayed by sixth months to 2011 because of the late
opportunity to purchase the Standard Publishing land and the
option to save an additional $1.8 million from the OSFC for "going
green."
Going green means all three new buildings will be designed and
built to meet specific environmental requirements measured through
a design process called LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design). This LEED certification will incorporate building designs
that include greater efficiency in water and energy usage and
greater quality in building materials and indoor environments.
Improved efficiency translates into annual savings in operating
costs.
.....In
May, the district invited staff, community leaders and residents
to a cookout at the Standard Publishing site to view renderings
of the new buildings. The gathering, called a Glimpse of the
Future," also included a performance of the high school
jazz band and a construction update from Superintendent Dave
Horine.
.....The elementary buildings will incorporate a small-school
environment, while junior high students will have a separate
educational space from high school students, with a sharing of
common facilities. Shared staff and resources will save the district
money and provide educational opportunities for advanced middle
school students.
.....Staff
and students at the new junior high/senior high will enjoy the
use of an auditorium, a first for the district as the current
high school now uses the gym to host artistic performances, making
them one of the few (if not only) schools to do without this
amenity. .Looks good with the following:
Citizen Watchdog:
.....The Citizens’ Financial Advisory
Committee (CFAC) began in 2003, when the school district was
trying to pass an operating levy for new taxes. Since then, the
group of community members, several of whom are retired Procter
& Gamble employees, has been meeting on a regular basis to
discuss and advise on financial issues and decisions with top
district officials. When the district learned of its eligibility
for funds from the Ohio School Facilities Commission to build
new schools, the CFAC joined discussions on how a new district
configuration could financially benefit the district. During
the bond issue campaign, the district promised to establish a
CFAC sub-committee to monitor and oversee the spending of money
raised from the bond issue. The district and the CFAC sub-committee
have kept their promise and meet monthly to review and question
invoices regarding the building project.
Next Phase:
.....After the October groundbreaking, contractors will
install underground utilities for sewer, water, gas and electricity.
After the final elementary groundbreaking in the spring, construction
on all three buildings will begin with the digging and pouring
of concrete footers and formation of exterior walls.
As of now, a large mountain of gravel is piled up at the former
Standard Publishing site, a result from the crushing of concrete
from the building that once resided there. The gravel, Horine
said, will be used in construction of the new schools for road
and parking lot underlay, as well as under building slabs. The
outcome of using recycled material will yield an additional $100,000
in savings.
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