In December, the board will vote on a resolution to put the levy on the spring ballot. But during last Thursday’s school board meeting, the district’s treasurer and superintendent asked the board for their thoughts.
The five board members each said the 4.9-mill, $265 million levy, which would cost $171.50 per $100,000 in property value if passed, deserved another chance.
If approved, the bond would go toward building a new high school and renovating other buildings. Beavercreek school officials say the current high school is too small for how many students it has and the district is expected to grow in the next few years.
About $260 million of the $265 million total project is expected to go toward constructing a new high school complex at an 89-acre property on the southeast corner of South Alpha Bellbrook Road and Indian Ripple Road. The site is in Beavercreek Twp., just south of the Russ Research Center property, a half-mile west of The Narrows Reserve.
Paul Otten, the Beavercreek superintendent, said this option was the only one that could be completed in a reasonable amount of time before the next election. Other options would not adequately serve students or would take too much time, he said.
Otten said if the levy fails again, he and treasurer Joy Kitzmiller would not recommend trying the same levy again. Instead, the district would seek other options, he said.
Board President Jo Ann Rigano noted that a group of more than 60 community members proposed the updated facilities bond and it did not come from the board.
“This community of 60 people came up with a plan and presented it to the board and said this is what we feel our kids and our community needs,” Rigano said.
She said she supported another try at a levy.
“We will listen to our residents, but I also believe we owe it to that group and we owe it to our kids that we don’t give up on this plan,” Otten said. “This plan deserves more than one shot. So I believe we’ll take one more shot, and if it does not proceed at that point, then I recommend we look at something different.”
Kitzmiller said in a presentation Thursday that the district would also need to seek renewal levies in 2026 and 2028, which would go to the district’s general expenses, for the district to continue to be financially sustainable. Right now, the district is not in deficit spending, but by fiscal year 2028, the district expects to spend more than it brings in.
As of the May 2024 five-year forecast, the district has 48% of its yearly budget in cash on hand. Beavercreek reported $47.7 million in the bank in May.
London Bishop contributed to this story.
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