State OKs funding to update Austintown schools

By Elise Franco

Reconstructing and renovating older buildings is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, the superintendent says.

AUSTINTOWN — The state has agreed to help the township school district breathe new life into some of its oldest buildings.

Superintendent Doug Heuer said the Ohio School Facilities Commission will fund 46 percent of a two-part construction and renovation project.

Rick Savors, OSFC spokesman, said a formula is used to determine how much funding school districts receive. Ranking is determined by adding a district’s taxable property and dividing it by the number of students.

“It’s called the adjusted evaluation of pupils,” Savors said. “Districts with a lower ranking are deemed to have less property value and receive more funding and higher priority.”

Austintown is ranked 320 out of 613, Savors said.

Heuer said he knows some residents might be wary because of the economic climate. But in this case, he said a bad economy may help the district save money.

“It’s a financial opportunity to come along for this district once in a lifetime,” he said. “Right now people in the construction business are putting in bids 15 percent to 20 percent below what they normally would.”

School board President Richard Zimmermann said taking advantage of the funds is critical right now. “Most of our elementary buildings are 50-plus years old and haven’t really been updated throughout the years,” he said. “If we don’t use the money now it’s going to go away.”

Heuer said the state has completed evaluations on all five elementary buildings — Watson, built in 1961; Woodside, 1946; Lynn Kirk, 1958; Lloyd, 1955; and Davis, 1954 — as well as Frank Ohl Intermediate School, built in 1961 and Fitch High School, 1968.

It was determined that it would only be cost-effective to put money into Fitch, Watson and Frank Ohl. The other buildings would be abated and demolished.

“The state has a formula that says if the cost of renovation exceeds two-thirds the cost of building a new building, they won’t invest any money,” Heuer said.

Savors said each building underwent extensive evaluation. “As part of the development of a facility master plan, we hire a team to go in and do a systematic evaluation,” he said. “They look at just about everything.”

Heuer said the district can choose from five potential construction models.

“Some of what we’re looking at right now is building one new building at an undetermined location on property we already own, and then renovating Frank Ohl and Watson,” he said. “Another is to replace all the elementary buildings with two new buildings.”

The district also has the option to renovate Frank Ohl and build a new elementary building; or renovate Watson and build two new buildings — one for kindergarten through second grade and one for fourth and fifth grade.

Zimmermann said the last option is one of the more popular among board members.

In each of the models, Fitch High School will be renovated after the elementary school phase is complete.

Heuer said reducing the number of buildings will reduce operating costs by $400,000 to $600,000 per year.

“This cost savings could be used by the board to pay part of the local share,” he said. “The loan payments would then be made each year from the savings generated from operating only two or three buildings instead of the current five.”

Heuer said that is just one option for raising the local share for the first portion of the project.

If the district chooses this route, a 2.17-mill levy that will generate $20.7 million will be put on the November ballot. If the levy is passed homeowners will pay an additional $66.46 per year.

Another option is putting a 2.81-mill levy on the November ballot that would raise $26.8 million. This would cost homeowners an extra $86.06 per year and cover the entire local share, Heuer said. This, he added, is “the simplest solution.”

Zimmermann said construction could begin by fall 2010 if a measure is approved by voters in November.

The board of education is set to vote on an architect contract at Tuesday’s meeting.

“The architect will work with the district, teaching staff and community to determine which of the five models is best for Austintown,” he said. “The board will pass a resolution in June stating which model they’ve chosen.”

In July, the facilities commission will look at the chosen model and give the district a final price tag, Heuer said.

efranco@vindy.com

SEE ALSO: Building plan models..

LOCAL SHARE

The Austintown School District is responsible for 54 percent, or about $50 million, of the cost to demolish then reconstruct buildings for kindergarten through fifth grade and renovate Austintown Fitch High School. Three options:

Option A

Paid for by levy

Issue size: $26.8 million.

Millage: 2.81.

Annual cost to homeowner: $86.06.

Monthly cost to homeowner: $7.17.

Option B

Paid for by levy and loans

Issue size: $20.7 million.

Millage: 2.17.

Annual cost to homeowner: $66.46.

Monthly cost to homeowner: $5.54.

Option C

Paid for by levy and loans Issue size: $14.3 million.

Millage: 1.50.

Annual cost to homeowner: $45.94.

Monthly cost to homeowner: $3.83.

Source: Austintown School District