Greenville Schools Levy
Preliminary Rendering… additional Q&A 

1.  According to a contractor friend there is no way to estimate the cost of a building without a set of prints.  Do you have plans and prints we can look at?  

No, we do not have a set of prints or plans because the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission sets the budget for the project based on average square foot pricing; further, it is updated every year based on construction inflation.  OFCC has a design manual that must be followed that establishes minimum requirements, best materials and room layouts.  The architects and engineers must design to the budget set forth by the OFCC, if we are to participate in state funding.  

2.  You asked for nine million dollars more than you needed on the last bond issue. What do you plan to do with that money? 

Actually we are asking for the exact same amount of money as the last time we ran the bond issue.  It is less at the new K-8 facility due to Ohio Facilities Construction Commission regulations change related to enrollment projections over ten years and their new funding requirements formulas that the school districts cannot control.  It is more at the high school to incorporate more renovations to accomplish our overall district wide fix to our facilities.  The net cost to the district is the same bond amount.  The taxpayer will realize less increase in their annual taxes this time because interest rates are lower and the project is funded over 37 years, not 28. 

3.  What is the board’s plan for the next five years?  What will it cost to operate the new school? What is the estimate of the increase in teacher compensation?  How many new busses will we need to buy? Do they plan to ask for a new operating levy? We do not want a (Versailles Surprise). 

The board’s plan over the next five years is to operate their buildings as is for three years and then move into the new facility.  Based on estimates from our architects and engineers, once the new facility is open, an approximate savings in utilities cost of $ 47,000 will occur annually.  At this point, we look forward to our students and staff being in a new facility, improving the climate and environment. This will result in enhancing the educational delivery system in a safer, more secure setting. 

Teacher compensation, the next two years, is a $500 lump sum payment for the 2013-2014 and a .50 percent increase in 2014-2015.  Teachers will not receive a step increase in 2013-2014, but will in 2014-2015.  The step increase will also cost the district an approximate 1% in teacher compensation in 2014-2015.  After two years, our negotiation process will open as it does in all school districts.  Busses are purchased in a rotational practice.  We attempt to purchase 2 busses every other year, if possible.  It is our philosophy to try to stay in a rotational pattern with busses and instructional material.  They are both essential to the operational process.  If you get behind in either, it costs you more later.  Many districts ask for operating money at some point.  Operational funding can run out at some time, whether you have a bond payment or not.  The money comes from two completely different funds.  All boards of education try to extend their operational funds as long as possible to benefit the taxpayer.  Boards also try to stay competitive with teacher salary and benefits to attract and retain the best teachers possible to work with our youth. 

4.  Who is going to tell the residents of Requarth, Ohio, Virginia, Palm, Redwood, Surry, etc. what's in store for them?  Road changes, sidewalks and curbs.  According to my contractor friends, millions of dollars of changes they will have pay for.  

The work off site is not controlled by the School District.  However, the school is working with the city to apply for “Safe Routes to School” grants to help pay for sidewalks in areas around the schools.    

5.  Why not build on Harmon Drive where we have an existing building, streets, parking lots, etc.  This is not a time for tunnel vision.  This is a time for pragmatic choices that benefit the most people.  Use land on Ohio Street for a sports complex. 

We are building on Harmon Drive.  We are renovating.  The high school can last many more years with the renovations we are proposing.  Let’s continue to take advantage of the existing high school building, streets, parking lot, etc., for years to come in our beautiful park.  The proposed renovation at the high school will allow this to happen.  Remember, our elementaries and junior high school do not qualify for renovations through the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission building  formula.  This plan does benefit the most people, touching the educational facilities for all students and keeps the taxpayer from funding an entirely new K-12 facility.  We protect the original investment of our high school by making it last longer, preparing it for twenty-first century education and putting our K-8 students in a much needed new and safer facility.  We are in the Classroom Facilities Assistance Program with the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission.  They rebuild classrooms, not sports complexes. 

6.  How do you geniuses on the school board plan to protect the taxpayers from paying for shoddy work? I'm told we have new schools with bleeding blocks, windows installed upside down heating and air conditioner systems that don't work, a wall that was built to hide a wall that was falling down, roof leaks, etc. Who will manage this forty million dollar job?  

The Ohio Facility Construction Commission has placed safeguards to oversee construction and to protect new building sites from subpar workmanship.  The OFCC now requires the Architect to be on site three days a week to observe construction.  The Construction Manager is on site full-time.  We also have a Commissioning agent on-site to field verify that the building envelope is being constructed correctly as well as the roof and building systems.  Finally, there will be an 11 month walk-through with the School District, OFCC, CM, and Architect to identify any remaining items that require repair. 

7.  What are your plans to dispose of the school buildings no longer needed?  What is the estimated cost and where will the money come from? 

The old buildings will not be kept by the school district.  They will either be torn down or sold.  The Ohio Facilities Construction Commission will fund the demolition and abatement of the three elementary buildings along with the Junior High School if it is determined to be in the best public interest to do so.  There is money allocated at the rate of 57% local and 43% from Ohio to handle the cost of demolition and abatement.  The building contents can be used or sold, and the remainder of the ground could be used for green space or sold to the highest bidder.  Should it be determined that the buildings have a use to the public or private citizens which will benefit the community, they could be considered for any purpose available or sold at that time. Again the State will fund 43% of building demolition and abatement, which is anticipated to be a total project cost of a little more than $ 3,000,000.