SPRINGFIELD, Ohio -- The Clark-Shawnee Local School District bond issue will be the only item on the Aug. 8 ballot, according to the Clark County Board of Elections. The last day to certify issues for the August election was May 10.
The bond issue will likely be on the ballot as Issue 1, elections board director Jason Baker said. All of the issues will be numbered moving forward, he said. The special election will cost the school district about $15,000.
It will be the third consecutive election the issue is on the ballot.
The Clark-Shawnee Board of Education voted earlier this week -- one week after the latest bond issue failed at the polls -- to ask residents to approve a $37.2 million bond issue on Aug. 8.
If approved by voters, the district would spend a total of $52.8 million to build a new elementary school across the street from Shawnee High School and renovate the high school. Possum, Reid and Rockway elementary schools would close. The 5.3-mill, 37-year issue would cost the owner of $100,000 home more than $15 a month.
The Ohio Facilities Construction Commission would pay about 30 percent of the costs of the new schools, about $15.6 million.
The district has three opportunities to receive guaranteed money from the state, school leaders said this week. If the issue fails again, the district isn't guaranteed the money, but could apply to the OFCC for help.
Voters have turned down the issue twice -- in November by 174 votes and last week by 113 votes.
If the levy doesn't pass, the district will still have to raise money to maintain its current buildings, which have several issues, including roof leaks and gas line repairs.
Some classrooms at Reid School have buckets to catch water from roof leaks. Possum School was closed earlier this week due to repairs being made to gas lines.
The average age of the district's schools is 92 years.
Some residents against the bond issue have said the community can't afford to pay higher taxes, especially those in the Rockway school area. The bond issue failed at that precinct by more than the difference of the election.
