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Poland Schools to host tour of Union Elementary to highlight infrastructure issues
POLAND
The school district, as part of its initiative to pass the bond issue Poland voters will see on the ballot Nov. 3, will host a tour of Union Elementary at 7 p.m. today.
School officials have set up building tours as a way to highlight what they say are infrastructure issues at each of the school buildings. They propose to build a new kindergarten through eighth-grade building, thereby eliminating the need to make some of what they say are costly repairs and replacements.
The ballot measure voters will see asks them to authorize the school district to issue bonds – to be repaid over a maximum 34-year period – in the amount of $28 million, to levy a 4-mill property tax to pay for the bond and to levy an additional 0.5-mill property tax for maintenance of the proposed facility.
The $28 million figure represents the local share of the project cost; state funds would cover 19 percent of the approximately $35 million cost.
School officials previously hosted a tour of McKinley Elementary and the middle school, which reportedly have issues with their heating and electrical systems, lighting and moisture in the foundation.
Officials will highlight similar issues at Union. Superintendent David Janofa cites a leaky roof, electrical problems and a failing heating, ventilating and air conditioning system as the most significant infrastructure issues at Union.
At a board meeting Monday, members addressed an infrastructure problem at the high school. The board voted to award a $73,000 contract to Conti Corp. of Lowellville to replace the high school’s hot-water system.