Top stories of 2017: Voters pass levies for new local schools

Pictured is ceiling tiles that fell down at Greenon High School.

Pictured is ceiling tiles that fell down at Greenon High School.

Here’s a look at one of our top stories of 2017.

Voters in the Greenon Local and the Clark-Shawnee School Districts agreed to provide new schools to students in the areas when they passed two key bond levies this year.

Greenon Local passed a $36 million bond in May which will allow the district to build a new pre-k through 12th grade building. The bond will cost a $100,000 homeowner just over $20 a month. The Ohio Facilities Construction Commission is also providing $18 million for the project, for a total of $54 million for the new school.

» READ MORE: Shawnee fails, Greenon passes on bids to get new schools

But voters initially voted down a $37.2 million bond for the Clark-Shawnee School District by 100 votes — on the same day Possum Elementary School was released early due to a gas leak. It was the second time the levy had failed. However, when the bond was raised again on the August ballot, voters approved the measure, which will allow the district to build a new school across from Shawnee High School and also let them renovate the high school. The state of Ohio plans to cover 30 percent of the cost of the project.

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