Scott plan to cost $38.3M

The state schools commission will not pay for all aspects of the renovation of Scott High School, such as the terra cotta window trim or the 6,700-square-foot auditorium. The local share of the total $38.3 million cost to renovate the Old West End School should be known later this week.

Now that the reassessment of Scott High School is complete, Toledo Public Schools officials know that it would cost $38.3 million to renovate the historic school building in the city's Old West End.

What they still don't know, however, is how much of that project would be paid by the Ohio School Facilities Commission, a figure that is needed to determine the amount to be paid with local funds.

Superintendent John Foley expects to know the state share this week, and he estimated the local portion would be between $5 million and $9 million.

The relationship between the state and local portions is determined by the district's Building for Success program, a long -term new building plan voters approved in 2001.

Under that program, the facilities commission contributes 77 percent of the cost and the remaining 23 percent is paid locally.

Once completed, the Building for Success program will provide the district with more than 40 new schools, of which 23 are completed and open.

The latest assessment of Scott details the current value and cost to renovate each part of the building.

The facilities commission will not pay for all aspects of the renovation, such as the terra cotta window trim or the 6,700-square-foot auditorium.

School district officials are waiting for details of those excluded projects.

Scott is among eight buildings to be renovated if voters approve a $37 million bond issue next Tuesday.

The local portion of the Scott renovation project would come from selling bonds.

Based on previous assessment data, the local share would have been about $14 million.

But Mr. Foley said if district officials can cut that number in half, which would fall within his estimated range, "we can assume that we could move forward."

That would be welcome news for the Save Our Scott coalition, a grass-roots effort advocating for renovating the school that was built in 1910.

Taron Cunningham, an alumnus of the high school and spokesman for the coalition, said the group was still digesting the reassessment information to see what that means for the future of the building.

The group will hold a final rally to save the high school at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday on Scott's front lawn.

Mr. Foley said it would be nice to know exactly how much of the project would require local funds prior to the election, but said plans would progress regardless.

The school board is expected to make a final decision about renovating the school at a special meeting Nov. 7, three days after the election.

Contact James Joyce III at:

jjoyce@theblade.com

or 419-724-6076.