The application is being filed with the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission.
The district, which anticipated being on the state funding list in 2024, was notified recently by the OFCC that it was in line for possible funding this year instead.
If funding were not sought this year, OFCC “cannot give any assurance as to when the school district would next be eligible for funding,” according to a letter from OFCC provided to the board Monday.
A district building committee had started work earlier this year on discussing options and looking at possible campaigns for funding in 2024. It has had to step up its efforts since the district was notified of the “surprise” funding availability in April.
The committee continues its work and hopes to have a recommendation to the school board by month’s end on the proposed locations for the new buildings, said Sue Borchers, board of education president. The four buildings would replace seven now in use.
The board plans later this month to vote to ask the Miami County auditor to certify the dollar amount of a bond issue that would be needed for the elementary buildings project. The school board then would vote in July to ask the county Board of Elections to place the tax request on the November ballot. The school district’s filing deadline to put something on November’s ballot is Aug. 9.
The board resolution to OFCC lists the total project budget at $114.96 million, made up of a $45.66 million state share and a $69.3 million local share. The local total includes $3.59 million in locally funded initiatives — parts of the project that are desired locally but not eligible for funding as part of OFCC’s share.
In a letter to OFCC, Superintendent Chris Piper outlined the proposal for four buildings along with abatement and demolition of Kyle, Hook, Heywood, Cookson, Concord and Van Cleve schools.
The district also would do abatement work at Forest Elementary School, which would be retained for other uses, and at the high school, where needs would be addressed in the second project segment down the road.
“The district would like to focus on the elementary schools in the first phase so we can more efficiently deliver elementary programming in four buildings instead of seven,” Piper wrote.
“The district would like to hold off on addressing needs at the high school and junior high school (grades 7-8) until a future phase, due to the condition of these facilities and the district’s desire to prioritize improvements at the elementary schools first.”
Contact this contributing writer at nancykburr@aol.com
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