West G Board Rescinds Bond Issue from May Ballot
After community feedback, particularly from the senior population, West Geauga Schools Board of Education unanimously voted to remove a $128.2 million bond issue from the May 6 primary ballot during its March 10 meeting.
After community feedback, particularly from the senior population, West Geauga Schools Board of Education unanimously voted to remove a $128.2 million bond issue from the May 6 primary ballot during its March 10 meeting.
Treasurer Karen Pavlat said the 5.35-mill bond issue — which was slated to fund a new combined campus, auditorium and field house for school and community use — would have cost homeowners $187 per year per $100,000 property valuation.
The district has spent $56,000 on design plans with GPD Group, an architecture and design planning firm in Akron, Pavlat said.
Board President Christina Sherwood said it’s important the district considers the feelings of older adults in the community on fixed incomes who would be impacted the most.
“I really felt like this would be the right time in spite of everything and then I started listening to more and more people, and our seniors, in particular, are feeling a little bit squeezed — a lot a bit squeezed — and so that’s a large portion of our voting base,” Sherwood said. “To disregard what they have to say, whether it’s a real (threat), or just a perceived threat to their finances, is still real to them and that’s something that we need to consider.”
She said the community seems to generally agree new facilities are needed in the district, but are unsure about the timing.
“The one message that kept coming back was that we might not disagree that we need new buildings or a different plan for our kids, but it is probably not the right time, right now,”
Sherwood said, adding the public has also expressed a lack of understanding regarding the bond issue.
“They didn’t know that this plan was moving forward. It’s important that moving forward — if we decide to not put it on the ballot in May — that we do a much better job posting and getting out into the public and making sure the public really understands what it is that we’re asking for, why we’re asking for that, how that’s going to affect our kids (and) how that’s going to affect you, as community members,” she said.
Holding off on the bond issue will also give the board time to consider other funding options from the state.
Board member Pam Claypool echoed Sherwood, saying parents were in favor, but older adults weren’t.
“It’s wonderful that the parents are, you know, for it. I would expect that, but we do have a lot of seniors. We have a lot of people and I think one of the speakers mentioned that they’re very stressed,” she said, echoing Sherwood that their messaging needs to be better communicated in the future.
Sherwood recommended the community attend more board meetings to get accurate information.
In other business, Amy Davis, director of pupil personnel, proposed a new preschool at Westwood Elementary School.
“Transition to kindergarten would be much easier with the ability to interact with teachers and with families (in the same building),” Davis said.
The proposal states the preschool would house 32 students, five days a week.
“This also gives us the opportunity to intervene early, “she said. “We would have an opportunity to have half the class students with identified special needs and then also an opportunity for peer models to enroll, as well.”
Davis said she hopes to get the board’s approval for the preschool in April.
