SPARTA — In March, the Highland school district will be asking voters to approve a 4.4-mill bond levy, which is only 2.2 mills more than is currently being collected. That is an annual increase of $67 for the owner of a $100,000 home. The money generated by the levy, if passed, will be used to upgrade and expand classroom facilities to meet today’s standards.
The master project plan includes: Building a new high school; totally renovating the existing high school and using it for a middle school; and enlarging and renovating the existing Central Elementary/middle school building to house all of the district’s elementary pupils.
The Highland school family — parents, students, community residents, teachers, levy committee members — gathered at the high school on Thursday evening to talk about the levy with administrators and school board members.
Kathy Belcher, school board member, said it is very important for all the voters to learn the facts about the levy, to make up their own minds and get out and vote.
Levy committee chairman Eric Thacker agreed. He said the levy committee would like everyone to come out and vote, and would appreciate everyone’s support for the levy. In August, only 8 percent of the 1,000 registered [Highland district] voters between the ages of 24 to 35 actually voted. “Only 82 showed up and voted,” Thacker said. “Someone was there for us when we went to school, so now it is time for us to step up and support our children. We have an excellent administration which has done its homework. It is time for this community to reinvest in this school system. On average it would cost $1.30 a week for the average taxpayer in order for us to get a new high school as well as renovate the high school to code and renovate the middle school to code.”
“It’s an excellent opportunity — the time is right,” Thacker continued, “The Ohio School Facilities Commission is willing to fund 75 percent of the project costs; the local share is 25 percent. If someone would give a a return of 75 percent, three to one — you put down a dollar and someone gives you three more to build something — that’s why it has become so easy for us to afford this. I understand that times are tough, but at $1.30 a week ... If not now, when?”
Treasurer Jon Mason was on hand to explain the economic impact of trying to maintain old buildings that are not up to current code, and the cost of the increasing number of modular units required to house classrooms. In response to one question from a community member, Mason said, “We’ve had to replace and repair roofs, and major repairs such as doors, windows and flooring have been put on hold as much as possible. In 1996, our latest project added a wing to the high school, so the newest parts of the high school building are 12 years old. However, they don’t meet the new requirements for things like sprinkler systems, lighting, air circulation, heating and cooling. ... But it’s our oldest buildings, West and North, that are most in need of infrastructure for technology and classrooms. Besides being full, the classrooms are small, and don’t meet the state square footage requirements. ... To bring these building’s up to today’s standards for classroom space, air quality and life safety is cost prohibitive.”
“If the community ultimately decides to continue to maintain our current facilities, we know that more classroom space will be needed,” Mason said, “Temporary buildings such as the portable classroom at Central Elementary will likely be added at the high school and West Elementary. From an operational standpoint, these temporary buildings are very inefficient and are the district’s most expensive square footage to heat and cool.”
Informational posters spotlighting the points of view of students and teachers from each of the buildings were also on display, and Beverly Thompson, a third-grade teacher at Central Elementary, was one of instructors at the gathering representing the teachers’ viewpoint. She wanted to help the community understand how new buildings will help the children get the best education Highland can possibly provide them.
“We are lacking in a lot of things, especially space or extra classrooms,” Thompson said, “Our classrooms are overcrowded with students and it’s very hard to get one-on-one when you have 27 to 30 students in a classroom, or more. We actually have classrooms in our district that have more than 30 students in them right now. That makes it very difficult to help the children with that teacher-student ratio.”
Megan Davis, an eighth-grader at Highland Middle School, said she wants the levy to pass: “I think we need new schools because everything is crowded.”
School board member Ken Stuff still has reservations about the levy, especially given the current economic situation. He said he wouldn’t mind having new buildings, but is unsure about having enough money to operate them. And, he said, “a new house doesn’t make you a better parent and a new classroom doesn’t make you a better teacher.”
Bill Short, school board president, said, “As a school board, we understand the tough economic times that our citizens and voters are in. However, there will never be a greater opportunity for Highland voters, parents, community members, to get a $45 million complex for two additional mills. That financial gain can never be matched. We gotta have it and we gotta have it now.”
