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July 10, 2013
Support the school bond levy on August 6
Sue Bowman
Fellow residents of Greenville School district. We are asking for the
voters’ support on a school bond levy on August 6th to provide a
district-wide fix so that every child will be positively
impacted. A new kindergarten through eighth grade facility will
be constructed and necessary upgrades to the Senior High will be made.
For Greenville, passing a school bond levy; would significantly impact
the district’s ability to provide students with the best climate and
environment needed to become successful in school and in the
competitive workplace of the 21st century. Additionally, passing a
school bond levy would influence the community’s ability to keep and
attract businesses that would, in turn, promote growth.
Over the years, school safety and security have become topics of great
concern. Our aging buildings have many entrances that are
difficult to secure and monitor. You don’t have to be a parent to
recognize the need to address our outdated, deteriorating
infrastructures and exteriors of the grade schools and junior high
facilities. Critical repairs at the Greenville High School are
needed for upgraded technology and to protect the community’s
investment in this facility.
Without this bond levy, our schools will still need extensive repairs
and upgrades. The Ohio Facilities Construction Commission (OFCC)
has already determined that we cannot renovate our current grade
schools and junior high with their financial participation. The cost to
renovate our three grade schools and Jr. High building would be over
67% of the cost of building a new structure. A new facility would
be in compliance with current requirements for heating, cooling,
technology and safety. The State of Ohio is now offering us $19.5
million towards a new facility to replace our four older
buildings. Hundreds of other communities in Ohio have taken
advantage of the State tax dollars, in which we all have contributed,
to assist them in building new schools. Please help our School take
this same opportunity and have these Tax Dollars come back to us.
Without this bond levy, the district will continue to spend significant
amounts of local taxpayers’ dollars on old buildings and modular units
that are inefficient to heat and lack up-to-date safety features.
Without this bond levy, the district will continue to spend significant
amounts of taxpayers’ dollars on maintenance costs that do nothing to
upgrade or modernize the buildings. The money spent
on inefficiencies and maintenance of four old buildings is money that
could be spent on a new, efficient, 21st century facility. Our
children are our community’s most valuable asset. They are in
buildings 90 to 100 years old. Our community knows the value of
modern accommodations and equipment. We no longer drive the cars
that were built in the early 1900’s. We drive more efficient and safer
cars that get us where we want to go in an economical and timely
fashion. Our farmers no longer use the same equipment of past
decades to plant and harvest. Our local employers, that provide
our community with many job opportunities must maintain the
latest technology, facilities and in many other areas to keep them
competitive in their respective markets and to attract great employees,
and so must we.
Passing this bond levy will take advantage of historically low interest
rates, competitive commercial construction rates and energy costs
savings resulting from more efficient buildings. We also risk
losing an estimated $19.5 million from the OFCC, if we wait to address
this issue in the future.
On August 6th, it is up to the voters to choose to invest in the future
of our children, our schools, and our community.
Please be an informed voter and help us create the change we want to
see in our schools and community!! We ask you to vote FOR
Greenville School Bond Levy, August 6th.
Respectfully Submitted,
Sue Bowman,
President of the Greenville School Board
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