DOWLING – The Eastwood Board of Education took the first step Monday to seeks funds for a new elementary
school.
The board voted unanimously to send a request to the Wood County Auditor for certification and receive
back the millage amount for an $11 million bond issue.
The board plans to ask voters in November to support the tax for a new elementary and make its Sugar
Ridge Road site a centralized campus.
It would close the aging elementaries in Luckey and Pemberville. The Luckey school was built in 1926,
while the Pemberville building dates back to 1936.
Currently, Eastwood’s state share of the costs for a qualifying Ohio Schools Facilities Project project
is 35 percent for a new school.
Constructing a new elementary would cost about $18.5 million, with the state paying $6.7 million, leaving
about $12 million for the district to cover
The general fund will cover the difference, according to Treasurer Dave Michel.
There is currently about $9 million in that fund.
To build a new elementary, an estimated 2.1-mill bond issue would need to be passed this year, according
to figures previously released by the board. The district would then start collecting the monies in
2015, and would stop collecting funds that year from the current 1.45-mill bond issue, making those
payments using $300,000 of the Home Depot monies.
Home Depot will give the district $675,000 annually in tax abatement monies for its distribution center
in Troy Township.
The district also would reduce collections of the current permanent improvement levy from 1.1 mills to
0.5 mills starting in 2015. That action would actually slightly reduce the collections of current levy
monies.
Also at the meeting, Denny Henline told the board he has a local business willing to remove what he says
is mold under windows at Pemberville Elementary at a cost of $5,700, and two local businesses willing to
pay it. He said he has spent two years talking to board members to get the work done.
"In 30 days I want a decision," he stated.
"The public does not need to know who is paying for it," he added.
Board President Denis Helm was quick to point out "it’s not a health hazard to the kids."
It was also reported that the new scoreboard at the football stadium was done, and was paid for entirely
by advertisers.
The roof at Pemberville will be repaired, not replaced. The board will ask for bids on the project.
In personnel action, the board approved the resignation of assistant band director Michael Procyk; the
retirement of sixth-grade teacher Anne Michel, effective Monday; hired Katie Schmidt and Molly Burdette
as teachers for the 2014-15 school year; and approved a one-year, part-time administrative contract with
Patricia Hyland as student services coordinator.