PERRYSBURG — A new elementary and a major high school addition may be in the future for Perrysburg schools.
Costs for recommended facility upgrades at facilities totalling $201 million, and running through 2040, were presented at the school board meeting on Monday.
The plan was presented at a special meeting on March 1, but estimated costs had not yet been determined.
“We had to wait until the committee had said that this is the project that they want,” Hosler said. “When they came up with their priorities, that’s when we began to feather in the costs to go with them.”
Superintendent Tom Hosler and Treasurer Randy Drewyor worked with the Fiscal Analysis Subcommittee and the Fiscal Office from the end of February to through March, they then were able to present the figures to the board.
“It’s good news, bad news,” Hosler began the presentation. “Perrysburg remains a destination district.”
The growth the district has seen is expected to continue, which will require accommodations for the students. However, he also provided some alternative options that were requested at the meeting in March.
The committee recommended full plan would also include funding, likely from new levy or bond proposals and partial funding from the state through the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission. Eligibility is determined by the state.
Based on conditions of the buildings, Drewyor estimates that in approximately four to five years the district would be eligible for up to 30% reimbursement by the OFCC.
With reimbursal at the full 30% of the $201 million recommendation from the committee, or $60.5 million, the district would need to find approximately $141 million in new funding.
Drewyor determined that the levy needed to cover that amount is 9.60 mills. For the property owner with a $250,000 home, the month property taxes would be $69.90. However, there are two levies expiring in 2024. The net tax levy would be 7.98 mills, or a net cost to a $250,000 home per month of $58.10.
The committee’s recommendations through 2040 are:
● Build one new 800 student K-4 elementary school
● Repurpose Frank Elementary School
● Upgrade and expand Toth, Woodland and Ft. Meigs Elementary Schools
● Expand Hull Prairie Intermediate School by eight classrooms
● Upgrade and expand Perrysburg Junior High School by 12-14 classrooms
● Upgrade and expand Perrysburg High School by 36-40 classrooms
● Address fine and performing arts and athletics needs
● Address all deferred maintenance
● Eliminate long-term use of portables
The unanimous desire of the facilities committee was to avoid using portable classrooms. The portables are inefficient and last a fraction of the time that a permanent building will last. Estimates of the lifespan of the units range from 10 to 30 years, but they start needed repairs around 10 years.
Board member Sue Larimer pointed out that portables also lack safety features, primarily because the students need to walk outside, between the buildings.
With the state requirement of approximately 25 students per classroom, by 2040 there would be an additional 40 portables required, plus two toilet facilities. With the required infrastructure, the cost would be $7.5 million, plus the deferred maintenance costs of the current buildings, at $60 million.
An alternate funding plan would break the construction projects into two phases, each with their own levy. It would spread the costs out more, instead of requiring 100% up-front funding with reimbursal. However, the combined cost would be approximately $160 million.
