Officials pushing for levy

A new state program will train bus drivers to recognize terrorist threats.
By SEAN BARRON
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
NORTH JACKSON -- Now that a 3.85-mill levy to build a new school has been placed on the May 2 ballot, school district officials are hoping voters will approve the measure.
The continuous improvement levy would generate about $14.5 million that would be used to build a new Jackson-Milton High School/Middle School on about 125 acres the district owns between Mahoning Avenue and Interstate 76. The facility, which would be for grades six through 12, could be roughly 95,000 square feet and have a capacity for about 525 pupils, Superintendent Buck Palmer said at Thursday's board meeting.
Treasurer John Zinger said the district decided to take out a 30-year lease/purchase agreement as an alternative means of funding for the new high school/middle school, slated to cost between $13 million and $14 million. Under the agreement, the board has flexibility to build and finance construction with guaranteed sources of revenue, Zinger explained. The state will reimburse the district for about 17 percent of the cost, the treasurer noted.
Someone living in a $100,000 home in the district would pay $118 worth of new taxes annually, Zinger said.
Other matters
In other business, the board heard about a School Bus Watch Training program that all bus drivers in the state will be required to participate in. The program is set up to make drivers more vigilant about potential threats such as bombs as well as suspicious people, activities or items left on a bus, explained Darlene Pellin, transportation supervisor.
Many buses, especially in rural areas, are parked near roads, at drivers' homes or in other unsupervised spots and could be a target for terrorism, Pellin said. As a result, drivers need to know who to contact and how to assess such threats, she added.
Board members also saw a demonstration that Sue Prozy's kindergarten class conducted using a Smarts board. The interactive device is connected to the Internet and allows pupils to learn math, letters and other concepts by using a colored marker or their finger to trace and move items on the computerized board.
Miranda Keck and Haley Lengyel, both 5, said they liked being able to move various coins on the board as part of the math lesson.