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Circumstances prevent bond issue from being on the May ballot
By Scott McKenzie
Groveport Madison Schools Superintendent
As you know, I have been a staunch proponent of placing another bond issue on the ballot in May.
The reasons for that position remain strong - and the results from a recent telephone survey that show growing support for the issue is invigorating. Our students need and even deserve better learning conditions than they currently have. Other districts like Hamilton and Whitehall have delivered new school buildings for their students that provides for the environment and the tools to learn and collaborate in the 21st century. Our schools, some would say, are stuck in a 1970's educational and technological environment.
I strongly believe that we need to endow our students with better school facilities to ensure that they are competitive both during their school years and after graduation.
However, as passionately as I believe that our students need new schools, I suggest that May 2011 might not be the right time to press forward. There are too many extenuating circumstances at this moment in time and I think we owe it to our community to take a step back and wait for some critical pieces to settle. Our district Treasurer, Tony Swartz and I have discussed some of that rationale.
We believe it is in the district's best interest to focus on the following crucial issues now and in the ensuing next few months. For example:
1. NEGOTIATIONS: The bargaining teams of the teachers' association and the board of education have not yet reached a contract settlement. The same is true for the classified staff. Waiting until a later date to run a ballot issue will give us some time to work toward closure. Then, with the negotiations process hopefully behind us, the renewed energy will allow us all to move more enthusiastically towards the same goals. When all parties come together and reach agreement, it will also demonstrate judiciousness to our community and bring about a new level of comfort in moving forward.
2. STATE BUDGET REDUCTIONS: Another issue that is currently an unknown is the level of reductions that our district will receive in the next two-year state budget. We don't know right now what expenditure reductions that Groveport Madison may need to formulate in order to live within its means once the state's budget is made public. It could be as late as March 15th before we know what Governor Kasich will recommend. Until then, we are just not going to be sure that we are reducing expenditures enough or too much. Our most prudent option now is to wait to place an issue on the ballot so that we can continue with our budget planning armed with more knowledge about our fiscal status.
3. THE ECONOMY: The economic crisis is overshadowing many issues at both the national, state and local levels. While there are positive signs that the state's economy is on the rebound, one area that more directly impacts our bond issue attempt is home values. Groveport Madison, like many other areas in the state, has somewhat of a backlog of homes for sale, and/or depressed home values. And, even though the state's jobless rate is falling, it still does not mean that residents are working in the types of jobs they did in 2008. Many have jobs but don't make what they did a few years ago. If we wait until November, it will give our economy some more time to recover.
4. BOND ISSUE OR LEVY FUNDING CYCLE: If voters pass a ballot issue in May, the district will not begin to receive the funds in 2012. Subsequently, if we passed a bond issue or levy in November, we also would not begin to collect the new funds until 2012. Consequently, we will be in a better position in August to predict the financial well being of our district than we can now! If the district passes a bond issue any time this year, they will still be eligible for 2012 Ohio School Facilities Commission funding. Currently that funding level is at a 43% matching rate.
These are some of the reasons for waiting until a later time to place an issue on the ballot. And looking to the evidence of the support for a ballot issue in the community survey, I am confident we will grow stronger as we resolve the pieces mentioned above. With a little time on our side, our path to a November issue will be much clearer, and hopefully, much brighter.
Scott McKenzie is superintendent of Groveport Madison Local Schools.
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