Invest in Austintown

Invest in Austintown

EDITOR:

I am an Austintown parent, an Austintown business owner, and an Austintown resident. In addition, I was born, raised and educated in Austintown schools. They built my foundation to move on to higher education and reach my goals. We have a chance to give-back to our children what our parents gave to us — a good education in modern learning environments. Every student in the Austintown Schools deserves the best education we can provide.

On the Nov. 3 ballot, Austintown Schools has a very important 2.9-mill bond Issue for our consideration.

It will finance new schools to replace old, deteriorating schools built in the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s and provide the latest technology and teaching environments.

The state of Ohio will pay 47 percent (or $23 million) of the total cost of the project if we act now. The money won’t likely be available later.

Construction jobs over a 3 to 5 years will boost Austintown’s economy and businesses.

Taxpayers will save $500,000 in operating costs due to the centralized Falcon Campus.

Can Austintown Taxpayers afford to pass this opportunity up? No.

On the ballot, the Bond Issue specifically states 2.4 mills for the bond issue and a half mill for improvements required for these new buildings only in the future. The Ohio School Facilities Commission mandates schools who receive state money to include this initiative. The money generated by this bond issue can only be used for the construction of the new schools. This is not an operating levy for teachers’ salaries, etc.

The Austintown School Bond Issue proposes the construction of two new schools and the demolition of five elementary buildings and one intermediate building and returning the “old” sites to green. Our students of Austintown deserve the latest technology and learning environment to receive a well-deserved education. The cost of this 2.9 mill bond issue will cost the owner of a $100,000 home about $7.40 per month (about $0.25 per day). In return, the community will attract more families to Austintown, raising our home values. As new families decide where to live and raise their children, good, modern schools are key elements.

Voters of Austintown, please consider the benefits of this bond issue and vote yes for our children, for our schools, for our community and for our future.

LORI A. GAVALIER

Austintown