Austintown schools to revisit bond issue next year

AUSTINTOWN — Vincent Colaluca believes in the old adage that if at first you don’t succeed, you must try again.

The superintendent of Austintown Local Schools said he is confident the district’s bond issue will pass if placed on the May ballot. About 56 percent of township residents who went to the polls voted against the proposed 2.9-mill bond issue earlier this month.

“The community told us something, and now we have to evaluate our plan,” Colaluca said.

The bond issue has been a hot topic in the township for months. It would fund the school district’s share of a $50 million facility expansion project. The school district would fund about 53 percent of the cost – roughly $26 million – while the state would fund the remaining 47 percent at about $23 million.

The money would build two new facilities on the district’s campus. One building would be for kindergarten through grade two and the other would house grades three through five.

Unofficial results from the Mahoning County Board of Elections show township residents voted 5,233 in favor of the issue and 6,599 against. Colaluca said he will talk to the board of education – which had three new members elected to it – about putting the bond issue on the ballot for May’s primary election.

He said the final decision is up to the board.

“We have one year to pass it, according the Ohio School Facilities Commission, so we have until next November to pass it,” he said. “We could do a special election, but that would cost more. My suggestion is to look toward the May election and determine which way to go.”

Read more in Wednesday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com