PEMBERVILLE — Eastwood Local Schools is going to ask voters to renew the district’s 2-mill permanent improvement levy, which has been collected for more than 40 years.
The levy will be on the Nov. 7 ballot.
The board of education unanimously passed the resolution at its Monday meeting.
The board had originally planned to place the renewal on the ballot in May until members found out it could cost the district an estimated $20,000-$25,000 as it was the only issue scheduled.
Entities on the ballot are required to split the costs of an election. The more ballot issues, like in a major general election, the lower the cost.
By comparison, the district paid $10,000 for a May 2022 issue, $2,129 for a May 2020 issue and $204 for a May 2019 issue, said Treasurer Monica Leppelmeier in February when the board decided to remove the issue from the ballot.
Leppelmeier said Tuesday she had not yet been told what the cost of this request will be.
Eastwood’s PI levy is expected to collect $755,000 annually (minus fees and an adjustment for NEXUS, which will reduce this amount), according to Leppelmeier.
It is expected to cost $67 annually for the owner of home with an appraised value of $100,000, she said.
Voters first approved the issue in 1980.
Permanent improvement funds can only be used for capital improvement projects including building maintenance and repairs, school buses and educational equipment that is designated to last five years or more. Ohio law prevents these funds from being used on staff salaries or benefits.
According to Superintendent Brent Welker, the PI levy provides resources for the district to help support the 1:1 Chromebooks for students, the preventative maintenance programs for mechanical systems at the middle school and high school as well as ongoing roof repairs on those two buildings, technology replacement, maintenance, and upgrades, and overall facility improvements
The levy also funds the replacement of big-ticket items like water heaters, food service equipment and maintenance equipment, Welker said.
“Our PI levy provides a dedicated revenue stream for these facility and maintenance needs that would otherwise have to come from the general fund,” he said.
Also at the meeting, the board:
• Approved letters of resignation from Tutsy Asmus as elementary school counselor, effective Aug. 31; Sarah Krock-Landrum as preschool intervention specialist, effective Aug. 31; bus drivers John Stewart and Stacy Shammo, effective Aug. 1 and Aug. 31 respectively; and elementary paraprofessional Jessica McClure, effective July 31.
• Approved one-year contracts for Nicole Ohms as elementary guidance counselor and Julie Sirse as preschool intervention specialist.
• Accepted donations of $100 to the Key Club from Troy-Webster American Legion Auxiliary, $100 to the musical from Terry and Lori Speck, $100 to after prom from the United Methodist Church in Pemberville, $1,000 to the band from Eastwood Community Improvement and $2,500 to the cross-country program from Sara Brockschmidt.
• Approved extended field trip requests from the high school girls soccer to travel to Warsaw, Ohio, Sept. 3-4 for the Riverview Labor Day Showcase, and from the robotics team to Denver, Dec. 14-18, for the BEST Robotics Regional Championship.
The robotics team has not yet qualified for the Denver trip but wanted to get approval for the trip in advance, said Welker.
