Howland schools look ahead, and back

By ED RUNYAN

runyan@vindy.com

HOWLAND

On an unusually warm evening, small children played in a blow-up obstacle course as older kids enjoyed knocking a kid into a dunk tank. Food vendors sold dinner in the parking lot, not far from Howland fire trucks available for inspection.

Inside Howland High School, adults looked at old yearbooks and had a chance to purchase old Howland Tiger football and basketball jerseys.

Elsewhere, students were celebrated for their creative writing, singing and technological achievements.

It was the school district’s second ‘All One’ student and community showcase, billed as an opportunity for members of the Howland community “to unite for the common goal of celebrating what Howland students do” each day.

But schools Superintendent Kevin Spicher also wanted community members to know that the district is moving forward with improvements to its facilities such as new field turf and air conditioning in all buildings.

Howland is among only 25 percent of school districts in Ohio that have not replaced its buildings through the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission. Howland’s reason is the commission will only contribute 16 percent of the cost, leaving residents of the district to pay the other 84 percent.

Despite having some wealth, the district also has many low-income residents, Spicher said.

“We’re not going to try to compel a bond issue on our local taxpayers for 30 years when we are so locally funded,” Spicher said. “No way can our taxpayers afford that.”

So the district went to Plug Smart Intelligent Energy Solutions, through which the district replaced all of the lighting fixtures, cutting its electric bill by 53 percent. The payback period will be 10 years.

As part of the project, the district will begin installing air conditioning in the high school and middle school starting Monday and the three elementary schools soon after. Air conditioning is expected to be operational by the end of the school year.

“None of this has anything to do with going out for more taxes,” Spicher said during a kickoff awards ceremony at the high school main entrance. The district is benefitting from a new 5.9-mill operating levy voters approved last year.

Thursday’s event was intended to celebrate the “old school” traditions of Howland while having a “vision” for new schools some day, Spicher said.

Howland officials and leaders of other school districts in a similar circumstance plan to talk to lawmakers in Columbus in several weeks, seeking help in getting the percentage they must pay for new buildings reduced.