Two school districts planning to go to voters

After defeat in May, district still seeking construction project.

School officials in West Carrollton plan to put a tax increase on the ballot in November, and Tipp City officials may follow suit.

After locking horns with the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission over a school construction project voters defeated in May, the Tipp City Exempted Village Schools Board of Education will try again for approval, this time without state money involved.

Board members agreed during a recent work session to prepare to again ask voters in November to consider a proposal to renovate L.T. Ball Intermediate School and build an addition for new classrooms for pre-kindergarten through grade five.

That grade configuration was not among those the OFCC told the board in recent weeks that it would consider for partial state funding.

The district wants to pursue a three-building configuration of pre-kindergarten through grade five; grades six through eight at the middle school; and grades

nine through 12 at Tippecanoe High School. The mid- dle school recently under- went renovations and the high school dates to 2005.

OFCC said it would consider one of two options.

The first option was three buildings with pre-kinder- garten through grade two at L.T. Ball with a minor addition; 3-6 at the Middle School with a minor addition; and 7-12 at the high school with a minor addition.

The second option was two buildings with pre-kindergar- ten through six at L.T. Ball with an addition and seven through 12 at the high school, again with an addition.

“I couldn’t support an option that would put 7-12 (students) in one building,” said board member Corine Doll.

Superintendent Gretta Kumpf said the district had a third option of pursuing the project it wanted with the full bill paid locally. The district’s high school was built with 100 percent local funding.

“I am of the opinion we can throw both of these away,” board member Sam Spano said of the OFCC options.

Board member Joellen Heatherly said district lead- ers would need to explain to voters that having local control over the project instead of following OFCC building requirements would be better for the district and its students.

Voters in May defeated by 200 votes a proposed 27-year bond issue to generate $35 million.

Less than a month before the vote, district leaders and OFCC clashed over an OFCC notice to Kumpf stating the state portion of funding could be reduced. The cause cited was the district facilities master plan listed the project for students through grade six, but district leaders were telling the community the bond issue would pay for classrooms through grade five. District Treasurer Dave Stevens said around $2 million of an anticipated $10 million could have been lost.

District leaders said they had shared the information being presented to the public with OFCC representatives and were told it was correct.

After discussing earlier this month possible new directions for securing new classrooms for students now housed in the aging Broadway Elementary and Nevin Coppock Elementary schools, the board agreed to return with the same project.

Stevens said cost estimates would need to be revised, with the help of consultant Mike Ruetschle, and the bond issue re-figured. The board said it would consider a 30-year bond issue but agreed any longer-term issue would not be supported by voters.

The board said more discussion would be held at its Monday meeting.

To get a bond issue on the November ballot, it would need to hold two votes, first on millage certification followed by asking the Miami County Board of Elections to place the request before voters. The deadline for the ballot is Aug. 7.