2013 VOTERS GUIDE

Rossford, Northwood districts request funds for building projects

Anthony Wayne, Springfield, andOttawa Hills seek approval of levies

11/2/2013

Voters in Toledo-area school districts will decide a variety of funding requests on Tuesday.

The Rossford and Northwood districts hope to replace their aged buildings with new or renovated facilities that would provide a better learning environment and cost less to run. Both have multimillion-dollar plans formulated over years with deep public involvement.

Rossford’s request is for approval of a 37-year, 4.6-mill bond issue that would raise $32.2 million for the construction of two buildings to replace Indian Hills and Eagle Point elementary schools as the first phase of a long-term plan for the reconstruction and renovation of the district’s buildings.

The entire renovation project would take years and is projected to cost $76 million. District officials want to start with the elementary schools on the recommendation of the citizens’ panel that developed options for the school system’s master plan. The new tax would cost the owner of a $100,000 home an additional $161 annually.

In Northwood, voters will decide a continuing combined property tax/​earned income tax to pay for construction of a new school for students in prekindergarten through 12th grades. The requested property tax is 4.9 mills, while the proposed earned income tax would be 0.25 percent.

The new Northwood building would cost about $33 million, with the Ohio School Facilities Commission paying about a third.

The owner of a $100,000 home who has an earned income of $50,000 would pay about $300 a year in additional taxes.

Northwood has a smaller tax base than Rossford and qualifies for more state funding. Rossford declined to use state funding after calculating that the cost of following the accompanying state rules would exceed the value of the funding.

Both northern Wood County districts have old buildings.

Rossford’s Eagle Point Elementary, for instance, dates to 1929, the year of the Great Crash and the start of the Depression. Northwood’s buildings are 50 to 75 years old.

There are many school requests for new operating income and renewals as area districts cope with declining enrollments and higher costs. Seeking new money are the Anthony Wayne, Ottawa Hills, and Springfield schools.

The Anthony Wayne district is asking for an additional 4.9-mill continuing levy, its first new operating request in 10 years. If adopted, the new tax would generate just under $4 million annually and cost the owner of a $100,000 home $171.50.

The Ottawa Hills district is seeking a new, continuing 6.9-mill levy that would raise $1.05 million annually and cost the owner of a $200,000 home $483 per year.

The Springfield schools are asking for adoption of a 2.9-mill continuing levy that would produce about $1.86 million a year and cost the owner of a $100,000 home about $100 annually.

Area districts with operating-levy renewals on the ballot include Woodmore, with 5.75 mills for five years, and Benton-Carroll-Salem, with 3.9 mills for five years. Benton-Carroll-Salem also is seeking renewal of 1.2 mills for five years for permanent improvements.

The Eastwood schools are requesting renewal of a 2-mill permanent improvement levy for five years, and the Evergreen schools are pursuing renewal of a 0.75 percent income tax for five years.

The Elmwood district has two income tax renewals for operations on the ballot: 0.5 percent and 0.75 percent.

Contact Carl Ryan at:

carlryan@theblade.com

or 419-724-6095.