About 85 people crammed into the Lions Club building in Loudonville on Monday evening to weigh in on two options for upgrading district facilities with a new pre-K-12th-grade building for the Loudonville-Perrysville Exempted Villages Schools.
It was the second facilities meeting held by the district.
The Ohio Facilities Construction Commission will co-fund 29% of the cost of a proposed project, leaving a local share of 71%.
After taking into consideration public feedback, the task force, comprised of many members of the community, will make a recommendation to the board of education May 13.
Following that, deliberation and further consideration of the option chosen will continue.
Two options: Biggest differences being swing space, construction time, cost
The two options presented by Superintendent Jennifer Allerding, members of the task force, and Garmann Miller design and planning firm personnel were narrowed down from exploration of multiple options involving renovation of existing buildings and construction of new ones.
Members toured new school buildings in Shelby, Ayersville and Liberty Center.
Identified as the red option and the gray option, the two choices incorporate a similar concept, featuring a common shared space. Each building option would be located on the site of the existing Loudonville High School.
The main difference, Allerding said, is use of swing space, allowing students to continue to be educated during demolition and construction.
The other is financial, with the red option costing about $1 million less than the gray, but taking longer to build.
In the red option, which would take about an extra year and a half of construction time, the elementary space would be built first. Seventh- to 12th graders could go to school in the elementary portion while the high school section is constructed.
The gray option would be two stories with the building constructed all at once instead of in phases, with no swing space required.
Red option - $73.8 million; Grey option - $74.3 million
The total cost of the red option, including LFIs − locally funded initiatives of features added by the district, but not co-funded by the OFCC − would be $73,791,711. Local share would be $57,195,757 and the state share $16,245,954.
The total cost of the gray option would be $74,368,749. The total local cost would be $58,122,795; and the state share, $16, 245,954.
One of the things the district must do for either option is purchase acreage behind the high school.
Bond issue and costs to taxpayers
A sample ballot issue, should the local share be able to be reduced to $56 million, for example, would necessitate a 10.83-mill bond issue costing taxpayers $31.58 per month per $100,000 of market value.
Although at one time years ago, the district was offered a much larger portion of financing by the OFCC, costs have risen each year and will continue to increase. The OFCC share most likely will decrease further over time.
Following the presentation, attendees reviewed the options in small groups and then gave their opinions on pros and cons of each one.
Pros for the red option included more space for agricultural and vocational education, available to all students. No elevator would be needed.
Pro for the gray option noted quicker construction, but more safety concerns in a two-story building.
Their feedback, including placing a sticker on a poster indicating the option of their choice, will be reviewed by the task force before it makes a recommendation to the Board of Education. On Monday evening, the red option appeared to be more heavily favored.
Current building showing years of wear and tear
Part of the presentation documented serious deterioration of the district's buildings, including cracks, leakage, sinking flooring and deteriorated bleachers. High repair costs were also taken into consideration.
Eric Baltzell, Garmann Miller principal/CEO, outlined the comprehensive process of educational visioning, identification of priorities, enrollment projections and facilities analysis that got the district to where it is now in facilities planning.
Allerding said the district is committed to keeping costs down.
"We will try to keep square footage down and be creative with space," Allerding said, as well as reach out to organizations, foundations and donors who might be able to contribute.
"I don't want to be a burden on anyone," she said.
District decisions will be driven through community input
The driving force in decision-making will be the community.
One of the members of the task force, Judy Dudte, who spoke on Monday evening, said one of the priorities of the group is to "keep the community completely involved from beginning to end." They want transparency, cost effectiveness, education on why decisions are being made and "simple, clear explanations of finances."
Depending on public opinion, the chosen option could go before voters in a ballot issue as early as November's general election.
Allerding plans to participate in 40 to 50 information "coffees" in people's homes before November.
This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: Loudonville-Perrysville gets feedback on facility options, ready to make recommendation
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