Weathersfield BOE restarts bond and levy process
By Mary Smith
MINERAL RIDGE
Still in limbo over whether the Nov. 8 election was a win or a loss, the Weathersfield Board of Education has again started the process to place a bond issue and continuous improvement levy on the March 6 ballot.
The board approved a resolution Tuesday declaring the need for a bond issue to generate $9.056 million and an additional 1 mill continuous levy to pay for general improvements, at about $85,521.
The county auditor must now certify the millage of both for the March ballot.
The district wants to obtain a $15.6 million Ohio School Facilities Commission grant to help pay for a $24 million renovation of school buildings.
But the outcome of this month’s election still hangs in the balance.
“I want it to pass — very much,” schools Superintendent Damon Dohar said. “We want to progress forward. It is very important for our children.”
He said if the result of the Nov. 8 election is failure, “We’ll give it another try.”
The current tally shows 974 for and 993 against.
Dohar said he was informed by the Trumbull County Board of Elections all absentee ballots had to be counted by Friday, then 40 provisional ballots must be counted.
Provisional ballots mean a voter forgot their ID, changed their name or address or had an absentee ballot, but lost it and came in to vote in person.
Dohar said a final count must be given to the elections board by next Wednesday. He said he may know the outcome by next Monday or Tuesday.
The final vote will still be subject to a recount, because the margin between the yes and no votes is only 1 percent, he added.
The board is continuing with resolutions to place the issue back on the ballot to meet state imposed deadlines.
Weathersfield is considered a “lapsed” district, because it had funding through OFSC for a $19 million project in 2009 but failed to generate the local share.
Two attempts to gain approval of local voters for a 6.4-mill bond issue to generate the district’s $8.4 million local share and a 1.6-mill permanent improvement levy failed.
The board honored Loren Lindvig of 21 WFMJ-TV, whom the district nominated to the Ohio School Board’s Association Media honor roll. The board also accepted donations of $500 to the Middle School Principal’s Fund from the Middle School Home and School Association and a donation of a year of The Vindicator and Smithsonian magazine for the high school and middle school libraries, and Muse magazine for the middle school library and approved a list of books for the library from Mr. and Mrs. Fred McCandless.
The board has set a special meeting for 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.