Too good a deal to pass up

Too good a deal to pass up

Austintown voters have one last chance to pass the Austintown Schools 2.9-mill bond issue for the construction of two new schools for our elementary students and demolishing our six aging, deteriorating elementary buildings with the State of Ohio paying 47 percent of the project costs. The offer expires August 2010. If the bond issue fails in May, we will become a “lapsed” district and the money will be allocated to another school district.

Voters, this opportunity is too good to pass up. A yes vote will mean financial savings; safe, secure and modern learning environment, and new schools that will attract families to our community.

A no vote will mean that Austintown taxpayers must repair or replace the old, deteriorating buildings at 100 percent of the cost.

Eventually, the buildings will be beyond repair and we will be burdened with 100 percent of the cost to replace these buildings that were constructed in the 1940s, ’50s and very early ’60s.

Our current elementary buildings were already evaluated by independent engineers and found that basic repair costs would exceed 66 percent of the cost of new buildings. Consequently, the State of Ohio is offering to pay for almost half of the project costs.

As a parent, resident, business owner and taxpayer, I ask that Austintown voters not let this opportunity lapse. Please vote yes for our kids, our community and our future.

Lori Gavalier, Austintown