Greenon seeks bond, income tax support for new schools

Greenon board members will vote at a special meeting tonight on the final resolution to put a combined bond issue and income tax on the November ballot to pay for the local cost to construct two new schools.

The district plans to build a pre-kindergarten through sixth grade building where Indian Valley Middle School currently stands and a seventh through 12th grade building at the Greenon High School site, Superintendent Dan Bennett said. The district currently has two elementary schools, one middle school and one high school.

“We’ve got to consolidate, based on our declining enrollment and based on the aging facilities that we have,” said Bennett. “We’ve got to take action one way or the other, and by consolidating it’s going to give us a better opportunity for our kids.”

The meeting begins at 7 p.m. today in the Indian Valley Middle School media center.

The 38-year, six-mill bond issue would cost the owner of a $100,000 home about $184 a year in property taxes and the .75-percent earned income tax — which does not apply to unemployment, pensions or social security — would cost $300 per year for every $40,000 of income.

The Ohio School Facilities Commission would pay for 40 percent, or $22.5 million, of the basic costs of construction. The combined bond issue and income tax would cover the estimated $42 million to $43 million local portion and operating costs for the new buildings, Treasurer Ryan Jenkins said.

“We’re not looking for Taj Mahal type things,” Jenkins said. “We’re trying to build smart, energy-efficient classrooms that are designed to meet our kids rapidly changing technological and educational needs.”

The local portion of the estimated $65 million project includes basic construction costs, locally funded initiatives not covered by the state commission, he said, and construction contingencies to cover rising costs during the planning and building phases.

“It’s a long-term fix and a long-term solution to our schools,” Bennett said. “The buildings are falling down around us, we’ve got some real problems.”

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