PERRYSBURG – Voters on Tuesday rejected a 5.95 mill bond issue for the Perrysburg school district.
According to unofficial numbers from the Wood County Board of Elections, the issue was defeated with 7,371 (56.04%) voting against, and 5,783 (43.96%) voting for the issue.
“Clearly it’s not the outcome that we are hoping for, but at the same time it certainly is not the solution that the community desired at this time,” said Superintendent Tom Hosler Tuesday night. “That’s kind of the reaction that we have this evening.”
That millage would have raised $140 million to construct new school facilities, renovate and expand existing buildings, furnish and equip buildings and acquire land.
The cost to taxpayers would have been $520.63 a year (or $43.39 per month) for a home with an appraised value of $250,000, and $728.88 annually (or 60.74 per month) for a home with an appraised value of $350,000 according to numbers provided by the Wood County auditor’s office. The millage was to have been collected for a period not to exceed 36 years.
Plans for the $140 million had included a new 800-student elementary school in the southwest quadrant of the district; high school classrooms, cafeteria additions and site work; deferred maintenance at Fort Meigs, Toth and Woodland elementaries, and additions at those schools; deferred maintenance at the junior high; new restrooms and entrance at Steinecker Stadium; an addition to the transportation garage; and boilers and chillers at the high school.
Since 2012, the district has grown by 19%, or 919 students.
Asked about next steps, Hosler said “I think that the (school board) will probably want to have time to process the results. The committee that worked on the recommendations, I know that we’re really proud of the work that they’ve done and there’s some really good information there. Our charge will be to continue to provide our students with great, quality education and do it with the resources that we’re given. We’ll continue to do that and reflect, and process.”
