PERRYSBURG – The decision whether to build a new school will rest with voters in November, with the
school board taking final action Monday to place a levy on the ballot.
The board expressed confidence in its building proposal, which has been developed with architects in the
last several months and with a community-led facilities team over nearly two years.
After several months of discussion, the board is unified in supporting the project as the best way to
address current and future needs in the district. Originally presented was a plan about $4 million more
expensive.
"What we’re going to the voters with has been screened and vetted and red-lined, and this is
something that is important to this board in keeping those costs down to a minimum," Superintendent
Tom Hosler said.
Board member Sue Larimer acknowledged the need for the project while lamenting that a local tax levy is
the only way to fund it. She noted that the district is not allowed to assess fees to land developers
and home buyers, as can be done for other infrastructure projects like roads and sewers.
Board member Cal Smith suggested that as the city continues to expand, so will its tax base, eventually
reducing the cost to ratepayers.
"I think that’s something that a lot of people don’t seem to understand," he said.
A 2.94-mill tax would generate $38.9 million to build a new school for fifth- and sixth-graders.
Collections would begin in 2016 immediately after the expiration of a 1.85-mill levy used to construct
the district’s last elementary building.
The result of voter approval would be a tax increase of $76.30 per year for the owner of a $200,000 home.
In addition to the school – necessary because of overcrowding at the elementary level, a result of the
city’s steady expansion – the levy would pay for several renovation projects. Thus, as board member
Jarman Davis noted, the levy would have an impact on students of every age, not just those who will
attend the new school.
Air-conditioning would be added to the junior high, originally opened as a high school in 1964, and
safety upgrades would be addressed at elementary buildings, all constructed before security needs grew
to current expectations.
Finally, an auxiliary gym would be added to Perrysburg High School, built in 2001 without that structure
in order to keep costs down. The single gym on campus is used 14 hours per day on many occasions and
leads to frequent conflicts, Hosler reported.
A site would not be purchased until the levy is approved, but all signs point to a location in the
expanding area south of Interstate 475 and west of Interstate 75, where many lots remain ready for
development.
The board also approved an architecture contract with The Collaborative for the school building. Hourly
fees have not yet been billed, and would be covered by a successful levy; otherwise, the district will
pay for what work has been done to that point. Some elements such as design renderings have been and
will be put off until after the election, Hosler said.