Avon Lake City Schools to put bond issue, operating levy on November ballot

One year after a bond issue failed in Avon Lake, the school district will once again make its case to voters. The November ballot will include an updated bond issue and a proposed operating levy for Avon Lake City Schools.

Some voters told News 5 they supported Bond Issue 11 in November 2023 and plan to vote for the upcoming measures.

“If we can’t support our public schools by voting for our various bonds and levies, then we’re lost as a community. That’s my feeling,” said Avon Lake resident David Peters.

Other neighbors told News 5 they believe the school district should be better maintaining its current facilities and spending more responsibly.

“Everybody has a budget they have to live with and these people think it’s unlimited,” said Kenneth McNamara.

The new bond issue would pay for 2 new elementary schools, a new 6-8 middle school and improvements to the high school building. A proposed operating levy would generate $5 million annually for the next 10 years.

Here’s the full text for the proposed bond that will appear on the November ballot:

Shall the Avon Lake City School District be authorized to do the following:

1. Issue bonds for the purpose of constructing, furnishing, and equipping one new PK-5 elementary school, one new K-5 elementary school, and one new 6-8 middle school, with related site improvements and appurtenances thereto; renovating, repairing, furnishing, equipping, and constructing improvements to Avon Lake High School, with related site improvements and appurtenances thereto; improving, renovating, furnishing, and equipping existing facilities and constructing, furnishing, and equipping new facilities for school district purposes; and replacing existing equipment and constructing various permanent improvements school district-wide in the principal amount of $155,750,951, to be repaid annually over a maximum period of 37 years, and levy a property tax outside the ten-mill limitation, estimated by the county auditor to average over the bond repayment period 6.59 mills for each $1 of taxable value, which amounts to $231 for each $100,000 of the county auditor’s appraised value, to pay the annual debt charges on the bonds, and to pay debt charges on any notes issued in anticipation of those bonds?
2. Levy an additional property tax to provide funds for the acquisition, construction, enlargement, renovation, and financing of permanent improvements, that the county auditor estimates will collect $1,184,000 annually, at a rate not exceeding 1.00 mills for each $1 of taxable value, which amounts to $35 for each $100,000 of the county auditor's appraised value, for a continuing period of time?

The specific ballot language for the emergency operating levy will be:

1. Shall a levy be imposed by the Avon Lake City School District for the purpose of providing for the emergency requirements of the school district in the sum of $5,000,000 and a levy of taxes to be made outside of the ten-mill limitation estimated by the county auditor to average 4.22 mills for each $1 of taxable value, which amounts to $148 for each $100,000 of the county auditor’s appraised value, for a period of 10 years, commencing in 2024, first due in calendar year 2025?

The new requests come after voters rejected a similar bond measure in November 2023.
“We wanted to have an opportunity to press pause and put pencil back to paper and see if we could make this project any more palatable to our communities,” said Superintendent Joelle Magyar.

She spoke to News 5 in February when the district began offering early retirement incentives to staff to avoid cuts. Watch that story here:

Avon Lake City Schools offering retirement incentives to all eligible employees

Magyar said about a dozen staff accepted the offer. 4.5 other positions were cut, though one has since been restored.

Based on feedback from a community survey, the superintendent said the district revised its plans for new schools. She said the updates, including smaller buildings and consolidated preschool, trimmed about $15 million from the previous proposal.

“We really made some strides in trying to improve our financial situation,” the superintendent said.

Some voters told News 5 they believe the district should have done more preventative maintenance.

“To me it’s wasteful,” McNamara said.

Others said investing in schools is investing in the community’s value.

“I think when we do pass the [levy and bond], things that should happen, happen,” said Peters.

Magyar maintained that the new facilities would ultimately be more cost-effective than maintaining the district’s aging buildings.

She said pairing the emergency operating levy with the proposed bond issue was also a choice influenced by community feedback.

“They told us not to ask twice,” Magyar said of introducing the bond issue and levy proposal in separate elections. “The need still remains, just as it did last November.”

She explained if the ballot measures don’t pass in November, the district could face additional financial challenges and may consider future cuts to staffing or programming.

District leaders will be hosting a “coffee talk” on Wed., June 26, from 9-10 am at Rio Coffee Brewery and will be available to answer community questions and address concerns.

Avon Lake Citizens for Schools is also kicking off its campaign in support of the bond issue and levy on Wednesday. It’s hosting a kickoff open house on the patio of the Avon Lake Buffalo Wild Wings from 6-7:30 pm.

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