ONTARIO — Ontario school district residents rejected a proposed new bond issue at the polls Tuesday.
More than 69 percent of electors voted no, according to final, unofficial vote totals from the Richland County Board of Elections.
The $40.3 million, 30-year bond would have provided funding to improve the school system’s existing facilities. Those funds also would have qualified the district for $19 million in matching funds from the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission.
Superintendent Keith Strickler said the school board voted in favor of putting a bond issue on the ballot after OFCC approached the district.
“We were contacted by the state and after all these years, Ontario was finally on the list to receive money. They had $19 million for us,” he said.
“We wanted to put that out there to the community. ‘Do you guys want this $19 million?’ There’s obviously things that need to be done with the buildings and this was a good opportunity.”
The 5.35-mill bond issue would have cost property owners approximately $187 for each $100,000 of the county auditor’s market (or appraised) value.
“This is not an easy time. We had it on as a property tax. Property taxes are not real popular and I completely understand that,” Strickler said.
The original Stingel Elementary School was built in 1957, followed by the original high school in 1960. The district expanded its facilities with building additions in 2000 and 2001.
An OFCC analysis recommended a multimillion dollar list of updates to Ontario’s school buildings, including HVAC, electrical and plumbing upgrades.
Strickler said without a new levy, those renovations will need to be made on a more case-by-base basis.
An informational page on the district’s website stated that if the levy failed, maintenance costs might affect the resources that are available for student programs down the line.
“We’re going to be fine, but it’s going to take longer to be able to address these (building updates),” he said. “It could be an issue down the road. We’ll come up with a plan before we get to that point.”
Strickler said the board and administration is currently evaluating its finances and taxation policy.
“We’re looking at our current tax structure — Are taxes appropriate? Are we doing things fairly for our community? We’ve already been thinking about this and making sure we have the funds that we need to address the needs of the buildings,” he said.
“I would hope we wouldn’t get to the point where we have to cut things that make Ontario special,” he added. “We’re extremely proud of our schools.”
