Financing plan for $24M project being prepared
By Mary Smith
MINERAL RIDGE
A plan for detailed financing of a proposed $24 million renovation, demolition and construction project by the Weathersfield school district is being prepared for a July vote by the Ohio School Facilities Commission.
The approval March 4 of a 6.6-mill, 30-year bond issue that will generate $8.4 million and an additional 1-mill continuing levy to generate $85,521 means the district can now move ahead in seeking matching state money for the proposed $24 million project.
The state portion would be $15.6 million.
Schools Superintendent Damon Dohar has told the board of education that a facilities commission liaison, Jeff Tuckerman, will prepare a complete financial breakdown of expected expenses for the schools’ renovation plans.
Dohar said that because the district is considered a lapsed district — not passing a levy for original plans for renovation when the district was first approved for a $19 million project in 2009 — it must go through a different procedure to secure funds to proceed.
He noted that a lot of planning still has to be done from start to finish and anticipates that ground will be broken on the projects in June 2013.
Plans are to construct and renovate at the high school, turning the building into a building for grades 7-12; demolish the middle school; raze portions of Seaborn Elementary School and convert the building into a K-6 building.
The gym, administrative offices and bus garage at the middle school will not be torn down. Junior high students will use the gym.
Dohar noted it took four tries to get local voters to approve plans for renovations with an Ohio School Facilities grant, including in the spring of 2009, when the issue failed by 77 votes; fall 2009, when it failed by 150 votes; fall 2011, when it failed by a mere 16 votes; and the March 4 election, when it saw a 198 vote margin in favor.
“We have to thank everyone who helped us on all the bond issues,” the superintendent said, adding he was “very proud” that the issue has passed, and thanked “the community for their wonderful support.”