To build or renovate? Officials seek opinions from residents

By VIRGINIA ROSS
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
NORTH LIMA -- South Range School District is edging closer to deciding how to proceed with its proposed building/renovation project, and administrators are looking for input from residents.
School officials are mailing out districtwide surveys to find out what residents' opinions are on several issues such as renovation as opposed to reconstruction.
Also, Superintendent Dennis Dunham has scheduled more meetings on the matter. Those meetings are Thursday and Dec. 12 at the middle school and Dec. 5 at the high school. All meetings will start at 7 p.m.
"We're getting there," Dunham said. "We're getting closer to the time when we'll need to make some decisions to decide what direction to take."
The school district is considering working with the Ohio Schools Facilities Commission to either renovate some of its buildings or construct new ones.
A core committee made up school officials, residents and area business people has been meeting regularly to discuss possible options and building configurations for the school district.
Dunham is encouraging anyone with questions to contact him or attend one of the meetings.
The school district, due to receive financial assistance from the state in 2009, is eligible to get 52 percent of the total cost from the state. The other 48 percent must come from district residents.
Resolution passed
South Range Board of Education recently passed a resolution to enter into the Expedited Local Partnership Program with the OSFC. The program allows schools to initiate a building project before they are up for commission funding.
Through ELPP construction could be started as soon as the district comes up with its share of the money, possibly through a bond issue.
District Treasurer James Phillips explained the school district is debt-free, therefore now is the time to pursue the project.
In 1992, voters approved a 4.5-mill levy to renovate the buildings. A 28-year bond issue was used to produce 3.75 million for the work. That debt was to be paid off in 2018, but the district recently paid off the bond 12 years early, saving more than 1.25 million in interest, and eliminating the need for that levy, school officials said.
Next year, residents would need to approve three new mills above what is now on the 2006 tax duplicate to finance the district's share of the building project's cost.
"We are in a great position right now to pursue this, with the state footing 52 percent of the cost," Phillips said.
An OSFC assessment provided to the school district earlier this year shows the state listed the district's three buildings as borderline for new construction or renovation. That means the OSFC considers renovating current buildings comparable financially to constructing new ones.
The superintendent said the district has not yet determined whether to renovate its buildings or construct new facilities.
"We are looking for response from our residents," he said. "This is a major undertaking and we are taking every step of it very seriously and we want to give everyone an opportunity to get involved."
Dunham may be reached through e-mail at sran_djd@access-k12.org, or by calling (330) 549-5226. He said school officials are willing to meet with the public in residents' homes or at club, church and social events. Correspondence may be forwarded to Dunham, care of South Range Local Schools, 11836 South Ave., North Lima 44452.