PERRYSBURG — The Perrysburg Schools facility improvement plan has been called a “priority project” for the Ohio Facilities and Construction Commission and the school board has taken the first official step toward possibly putting a levy on the ballot for November.
“We need more space for the students who are here and the students that are coming,” Superintendent Tom Hosler said at the regular Monday board meeting.
Hosler and Treasurer Randy Drewyor explained that the OFCC looked over the schools and agreed that more space is necessary.
At this point the application for a $41 million reimbursement on a two-phase project has been submitted and a student forecast has been completed. The money would be reimbursed on Phase 1, $140 million, but the money for that has to come from a levy. The reimbursement would then be used for Phase 2, which is estimated at $63.7 million.
“We’re not putting anything on the ballot today,” Board President Eric Benington said.
There are several factors going into the final decision to put the levy on the ballot. A big one is the state legislature’s decision to base school funding on 2018 funding numbers or 2022 numbers.
Drewyor forecasted the five-year budget plan using the two basis figures, extended out for five years. With the calculated with 2018 numbers the district would be in the red $7.9 million, but with 2022 they would be in the black $4.3 million.
Drewyor said it’s in the Senate’s hands, and his opinion is that they will end up somewhere in the middle.
Another factor in a building project is inflation.
“You have to have two votes to get there. It’s two steps. So this was step one, Which was to get the information to get the county to get the information to get the specific numbers for the millage,” Hosler said. “You have to pass that resolution of necessity. If you don’t do that, you can’t be on the ballot.”
The $140 million bond would be for the Phase 1 part of the facility improvements, including:
New 800 student elementary $33 million
Deferred maintenance – Toth, Woodland and Fort Meigs $27.5 million
High school classroom, cafeteria additions and site work $32.5 million
Junior high school additions, deferred maintenance and site work $15.5 million
High school boilers/chillers $1.5 million
Toth, Woodland and Fort Meigs additions $23.5 million
Steinecker Stadium restroom, entrance and safety exits $4.6 million
Transportation garage addition $1.45 million
Totals $139.6 million
Phase 2 (Starting in 2028 )
Junior high school additions, deferred maintenance and site work $29.7 million
Hull Prairie Intermediate additions $5 million
Multi-purpose space at the high school $23.3 million
Deferred maintenance – Frank $5.8 million
Totals $63.8 million
The board voted unanimously for the resolution of necessity.
“Once I have this, I will take it to the county auditor (Matt Oestreich) and he will sit down and calculate what the estimated millage is going to be. So 5.4-6% is going to be the range, but Matt has the final say at where it ends up,” Drewyor said. “So, it allows me to talk to Matt, have him do the calculations and then we know what will go on the ballot.”
Drewyor will then take the terms of the bond issue to the board, likely for the June 20 meeting. Then they will vote on whether or not it is put on the ballot to be voted on by the public in November.
It could be later than June 20, but Drewyor said it would then almost have to be a special election.
“By the time we meet again in July, we would miss the filing deadline in July for the November election,” Drewyor said.
Then the decision to fund it will be left up to the voters.
“The voting public is going to have to say ‘this is important to us,’” Drewyor said. “They are going to have to advocate for themselves.”
The board did authorize an LED lighting retrofit agreement with Energy Optimizers, USA LLC for $3.7 million. The savings are expected to pay for the deal in approximately four years, or less.
“(The board) approved my ability to do a lease/purchase agreement,” Drewyor said. “The resolution authorizes me to make the deal that’s appropriate.
Drewyor first needed to get that authorization, which he explained can include several different factors, with time span and interest rate the top question.
He has 67 requests for proposals ready to send out, now that he has the authority to do so.
It will be a turnkey project including all necessary energy and electrical engineering, project development, project management, and a complete project one-year warranty.
