The district said it continues to look at options for Broadway Elementary School, stating in its facilities plans that if a buyer is not attracted following state requirements, it will be demolished.
“Decisions regarding the fate of the Broadway Elementary site will be made in consultation with the Board of Education, local government officials and community stakeholders,” the plan posted on the district website said.
The district also is in line for up to $30 million in funds from the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission, if voters approve the local bond issue.
The bond issue would cost a homeowner $304 for each $100,000 of appraised property value, according to the Miami County Auditor’s Office. If approved, collection of the bond issue would begin in 2025.
Voters rejected a proposed bond issue in 2019 by a vote of 53 percent to 47 percent.
Martin English, a retired veterinarian, and Kevin Cox, managing partner in the Royal Crest insurance agency, are heading up the schools’ levy committee for the Moving Forward Together Campaign.
“Tipp City is at the crossroads in deciding if we (as a community) want to reinvest and address the critical infrastructure needs of the schools or continue to kick those costs down the road. I trust the school district and the comprehensive plan that has been placed on the ballot,” said Cox, a Tippecanoe High School graduate. He encouraged taxpayers to take time and read the district plans.
Information on the proposal and an FAQ document are available on the campaign committee website at http://www.movingtippforward.org.
“This bond, if passed, will extend its benefits across the entire district for generations to come. I hope the citizens of this amazing community agree that it’s time to bring our facilities up to a 21st century level of learning,” Cox said.
Among those opposed to the bond issue is district resident Kathy Bone, a frequent speaker at Board of Education meetings. Bone said she doesn’t think the district has used taxpayer money wisely overall. She also questions campaign information telling voters that they will pay less than the 8.68 mill bond issue due to the planned pay off later this year of the bonds for the high school construction. That bond amount is 2.13 mills.
“We are voting on an 8.68-mill levy. There is no adjustment on it,” she said of ballot language before voters.
The campaign committee has included on its website a “cost estimator” for taxpayers to use to figure the impact of a bond issue on their taxes.
Contact this contributing writer at nancykburr@aol.com
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