Plastic tarpaulins and trash cans protect the floor of Union Regional High School’s gymnasium from water leaking through the roof. (Photo provided)
BELMONT — When Union Local School District voters rejected a $62 million bond issue for school improvements last fall, the district’s needs were not addressed. So administrators and board members listened to the public, scaled back the plan, and imposed a $34.6 million request. The upcoming November 5th vote.
That dollar amount represents just over half of what the district asked voters to approve a year ago, Superintendent Zach Shutler noted in an interview last week when he outlined how the money would be used. A fact sheet about the proposed bond issue states that the plan is currently “primarily focused on critical infrastructure items needed to operate the District long-term.” The school system’s most pressing needs include repair or replacement of roofs, plumbing and pipes, sidewalks and asphalt, and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems in all three buildings.
“We went from $62 million to $34.6,” Shutler said. “The bond committee, of which I am a member, wanted to make it something the public could support.”
After the 2023 bond issue was rejected by a landslide vote of 2,269 to 723, the commission asked residents to fill out a survey about the district’s biggest needs and how they should be prioritized. .
About 300 people responded to the initial survey, Shutler said.
“So based on that research, we eliminated almost everything that didn’t have at least 60% public support.As a result, what tended to be cut was a lot of extracurricular activities and aesthetic improvements. ” he said. “So, for example, we removed the main gate to campus.”
The original plan was to install the main gate on the middle school side of the high school complex. It would have created a central entrance and featured information about the history of the district. However, because the public did not support the initiative, it was removed from the plan.
The public also did not support installing science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) or laboratories in elementary schools, or purchasing new furniture, installing new flooring, or other aesthetic improvements to buildings.
“We removed all extracurricular and athletic improvement because there was no support for any type of extracurricular or athletic improvement,” he said.
Shutler said voters may wonder why repairs and renovations that were deemed necessary a year ago were being removed from the plan this time.
“I think that’s a valid question, but the reality is, those are all things we need for us to become a full-service, full-fledged school district. We need a new main entrance. We will also need a STEM lab. Our extracurricular facilities are in need of major repairs, especially the lighting and track.
“But it would have been foolish on our part to put them back on the ballot if the community didn’t support them,” he said, noting those are needs that can be deferred to the future. .
Shutler said district leaders and community members know the building needs air conditioning improvements. He said the roof was original to the building and is about 27 years old, noting that some newer schools have already been reroofed, including in Martins Ferry and Bridgeport.
“We have been able to take advantage of it and we are taking good care of these things,” he added.
He said the plumbing and piping at the middle school were in “very poor condition.” That part of the campus is the original high school building built in the 1950s, and some of the plumbing is about 65 years old. The district canceled classes several times last school year after cracks in the pipes allowed sewer gas to enter the building.
Shutler noted that the sidewalks and asphalt are in a “severe state of deterioration.” He said this is not just a cosmetic issue, as students, staff and visitors of all ages may have to walk on rough or uneven surfaces and have additional challenges such as using crutches or wheelchairs. , he said.
“These are large-scale projects, and our general fund doesn’t have the money to accommodate them,” Shutler said.
Although the main entrance to the campus has been removed from the plan, the bond issue will fund the construction of secure entrances and fire protection system upgrades for each building. Shutler noted that these buildings were built “before Columbine,” when school shootings were rare. The redesigned entry includes a “mantrap” area where staff can check on anyone entering the building before accessing the rest of the building.
Additionally, the study reflects public support for STEM labs in middle and high schools, so if the bond is approved, STEM labs will be built as well.
The bond issue will also allow for the removal of the middle school gymnasium floor to access old plumbing. This will result in the removal of asbestos from the gymnasium and the installation of a new floor with no potholes or gaps.
“All of these improvements are essential to the long-term viability of the United Nations District School District,” according to the fact sheet. “The bond issue does not address all of the district’s needs, but it does address the large-scale infrastructure issues plaguing the district.”
Shutler noted that school districts typically seek approval for bond issues to finance capital improvements. Issuing bonds allows the district to advance funds to complete construction. Once the bond is paid off, there are no taxes associated with it.
A levy, on the other hand, is typically collected over a specific period of time and used to fund district operations.
District voters recently approved a $3.5 million bond issue for the construction of a new elementary school that was integrated in 1995. The last levy for which school districts currently collect revenue was passed 33 years ago in 1991.
According to the fact sheet, Union Local has the lowest property tax collection rate of any school district in Belmont County, and a lower rate than neighboring Harrison Central School District.
The 6-2 million bond issue will result in a 20-year bond amount of $34.63 million, according to information provided by Shutler. The owner of a home worth $100,000 in taxes would pay $217 a year.
“We just want to protect the future of the district,” Shutler concluded.
