The results of a four-hour financial meeting were so daunting, Bowling Green City Schools should segment
its facilities plan, according to the board of education president.
Ginny Stewart said Tuesday she found the results of the financial meeting earlier this month “somewhat
alarming as we begin to consider taxation options for not only these levies but also future facilities
options.”
The board met with financial consultant David Conley earlier this month to learn the best scenarios for
taxation options for existing operating and renewal levies.
“It does not appear that this is the optimal time to finance both the elementary and high school facility
solutions,” she said at Tuesday’s board of education meeting.
She suggested segmenting the plan.
“The emphasis of the facilities task force has been on the elementary school buildings and I think it
makes sense for the board to focus on that as our first segment of facilities needs and address the high
school later.”
Although she is not attending the meetings, she said she has seen the video of each.
She said Conley, with Rockmill Financial Consulting, would like to conclude the financial task force,
which he is leading, by early March so that results can be included in the plans to deal with the
district’s operating renewal levies.
The board is looking at five possible levies in the next five years: a current expenses levy and an
emergency levy that both expire in 2020 and an income tax levy that expires in 2022. The remaining two
are for new money in 2021 and a bond issue for facilities.
“We have a lot to accomplish and having this information sooner rather than later will be beneficial to
the process,” Stewart said.
The board canceled a meeting last week to discuss the option of a renewal on the May ballot, and the
issue was not addressed at Tuesday’s school board meeting.
“The board has not fully discussed it,” said Stewart.
The deadline to have an issue on the ballot in May is Feb. 6.
The district tried a bond issue to build one consolidated elementary and add on and renovate the high
school. That $72 million, 5.7-mill issue was defeated in November 2017 and May 2018.
“Those who think a city is only as good as its schools to stand up and support (the district),” Stewart
said.
Superintendent Francis Scruci said he met with local economic development leaders to discuss a way to
help business and industry fill vacancies.
He said parents and students need to be informed of the opportunities that are coming with First Solar
and the Amazon plant, planned in Lake Township and Rossford, which will be filling 2,000 jobs.
“We have to figure out a way to fill those positions,” he said.
He also said the district has the chance at a grant valued up to $25,000 for STEM education but must be
nominated by someone in the rural community.
Grant Chamberlain volunteered to assist.
“That is a great start but there is a lot more out there,” he said.
He also encouraged administration to share a detailed budget with the financial task force, adding that
both task forces are begging for more information and don’t want to rush the process.