Perrysburg school board to put levy on Nov. 4 ballot

Request for 2.94 mills to pay for a new school

7/21/2014

The Perrysburg Board of Education voted unanimously Monday to place on the Nov. 4 ballot a $38.9 million levy that would be used to build a school for fifth and sixth graders.

If approved, the levy would not be collected until 2016, after another 1.85-mill levy that paid for Fort Meigs Elementary School is retired. To build the 900-student building for Perrysburg’s fifth and sixth graders and pay for a few other district needs, the district will ask for 2.94 mills.

That is an additional 1.09 mills, or $76 a year, for the homeowner of a $200,000 house. In total, the district’‍s levies would cost $206 annually for the owner of a $200,000 house.

“This is the right time for the right project,” Superintendent Tom Hosler said.

Along with a new school building, the levy will pay for air conditioning and electrical work at Perrysburg Junior High School, safety and security entrances at the elementary schools, and an auxiliary gym at the high school.

“It is always stressful whenever you are asking the voters for support,” said board member Walter Edinger. “But the timing is right.”

Board President Gretchen Downs said she’‍s excited by the plan, which gives the district flexibility for growth.

Mr. Hosler said the school district’s levy campaign will aim to educate voters rather than advocate for the tax measure.

Proponents of the levy are likely to cite the district’‍s use of 20 portable classrooms to accommodate a growing enrollment. Mr. Hosler said the district has needed to build a new school every decade for the past 70 years.

Board members also said they were pleased to shave more than $4 million off the original plan. The board eliminated several projects to pare the total amount down from the initial $43 million proposal.

“We had more than one disagreement,” board member Cal Smith said. “In the end, I think we’re getting an excellent product and we all like it, we’‍re not all just putting on a nice face.”

Contact Matt Thompson at: mthompson@theblade.com, 419-356-8786, or on Twitter at @mthompson25.