Board would seek levy

The bond issue would pay for a renovated football stadium and a new track.
By TIM YOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
NILES -- The board of education intends to place a bond issue on the Nov. 7 general election ballot to raise $26 million for three new school buildings and other improvements.
The board voted unanimously and without comment at a special Thursday meeting on its intent to gain voter approval.
Superintendent Rocco Adduci said $55,825,519 is needed for construction of a new high school and two elementary buildings. The Ohio School Facilities Commission will contribute $37,961,353 with the local share being $17,864,166.
Rather than placing a bond issue on the ballot to raise just the local share of construction, a $26 million issue will be placed before voters.
The additional $9 million, the superintendent said, would be used to renovate the high school football stadium, including new artificial turf; install an eight-lane track on Dragon Drive; buy land around the high school that will be used for additional parking; and provide classroom space during construction.
Adrian Biviano, county auditor, said the millage request to generate $26 million is about 5.4 mills based on current valuation. The millage for $17 million is 3.7 mills.
Another special meeting will be at 6 p.m. July 19 at the administrative offices, so the board can approve the amount of millage required to generate the $26 million and officially place the issue on the ballot.
If approved by voters, the bond issue would be paid off in 28 years.
Construction plan
During its June 22 meeting, the board accepted a master plan to build the high school and two 610-pupil elementary buildings, which will replace the existing four elementary buildings.
Adduci said the new high school will be constructed on the current site, and the two elementary buildings will be built on the sites of the Lincoln and Bonham elementary schools.
This would give the district all new buildings with the construction of the middle school in 2003 that cost $14 million.
Adduci explained that as a building is being constructed, pupils vacating it will be moved to other schools or other temporary classroom space.
In addition to construction costs of the new schools, the state's share of the project includes razing the three buildings, helping to rent classroom space during construction, purchasing some land behind Bonham and buying a house on Rowland Drive for added land around the high school.
yovich@vindy.com