Richmond Heights Schools’ issue seeks to ‘reinvent’ city

Proposed bond issue, tax levy would finance community learning center

The Richmond Heights School Board is asking its voters to approve a bond and tax levy issue which if passed would finance a new 21st Century Community Learning Center.

The issue will appear on the Nov. 7 ballot but Richmond Heights residents of Ward 3’s Precinct C, the area near Richmond Mall, will not see this issue as they are in the South Euclid-Lyndhurst School District.

According to the Richmond Heights School District, the new 21st Century Community Learning Center will house students in grades 7-12 as well as provide amenities for the entire community. The new facility will house the Richmond Heights County Library branch of the Cuyahoga County Library System, which is currently located in a strip plaza at 5235 Wilson Mills Road. In addition, the center will also create 1,000 square feet dedicated to senior citizens complete with meeting space, kitchenette and space to conduct the Silver Sneakers workout programming sponsored by the YMCA.

The center will have a large multipurpose space that residents of the city can rent, and will also serve the school board as space for their monthly meetings. The center will also dedicate classrooms designed for an Aviation and Allied Services Career Tech Program that could become a part of the Excel TECC Career Consortium through Mayfield High School.

The overall building project costs about $27 million, and the ballot issue is comprised of three parts.

• Part 1 — seeks permission to issue bonds in the amount of $17.5 million.

• Part 2 — the balance of about $9.5 million would be paid for through a permanent improvement levy.

• Part 3 — an operating tax would cover the operating expenses for the district and the new center.

Current expenses include operations and transportation costs incurred as the school district provides transportation or transportation reimbursement to all students, whether they attend public or private schools.

The cost based on $100,000 home valuation is $423.40 annually, said superintendent Renee Willis.

“We began a series of general and targeted focus groups with seniors, concerned taxpayers, the home owners association and open-city forums,” Willis said. “Residents shared with us four things in traditional SWOT analysis — strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Residents primarily moved here because of the housing stock. They all say they love their homes and the schools have a reputation of being stellar, and they want to see a return. They see this as opportunity to reinvent their own city to make it something desirable.

“This is more than just a school levy,” she said. “Our vision as a board is to be more than just the stewards over the educational vision. We actually sought consultants and legal counsel to say as a public board, you have the authority to create a vision for the entire community. The reason that’s paramount is because this is a small community where many of the residents are older and don’t have kids in the school system, and I know that there’s got to be something in it for them.

“At the end of the day, it’s about your investment in this community. The fear was if we don’t do anything, we’ll spiral to a place we don’t want to be.”

“At the end of the day, it’s about your investment in this community. The fear was if we don’t do anything, we’ll spiral to a place we don’t want to be.” — Superintendent Renee Willis