To the Editor:
The majority in the Perrysburg School District, like me, want to maintain, quality education that is
cost-effective.
Educational excellence won’t disappear if we pause by voting no on a $52 million levy to create a
strategic plan for our future. We need a levy, just not this one.
When a business needs capital, lenders require a detailed plan. Taxpayers should require and be a major
part of creating our district’s strategic plan before approving any levy. Unfortunately, they do not
have a true strategic plan.
When I asked for a copy of the district’s strategic plan, the administration referred me to its Vision
2020 Master Facilities Plan that only identifies basic information: maintenance needs, capacity, etc. A
true strategic plan should include soliciting feedback from the community regarding critical questions.
Do we want to be a one or two high school community? Elementary schools through fourth or fifth grades?
Should we sell, lease or keep the Ohio 199 and Commodore properties? Should we expand facilities or
build new? The answers don’t matter to me as long as there is significant input from the community with
cost information. What is built and where it is built will have a significant impact on operational
costs.
By copy of this letter to our school board, I respectfully request that they form a committee of
citizens, both for and against this levy, to create short and long-term strategic plans. I hope to be
invited to participate on this committee. According to Superintendent Tom Hosler, Perrysburg ran a
“planned” deficit in 2018-19 that initiated a state mandated audit. Residents learned of this from a
Facebook post from a resident. It is time for the community to get involved.
“When your outgo exceeds your income, the upshot may be downfall” – Paul Harvey
Maria Ermie
Perrysburg