Toledo Public Schools officials say they have kept their promise to voters and have not asked for new money since 2014.
The district is now asking voters for additional money as well as approval to issue bonds.
Issue 19 is a proposed additional tax levy and a bond issue. The new 3.8-mill, five-year levy is meant to cover the district’s operating expenses. The cost to a homeowner is $133 for each $100,000 in property value.
The $99 million in improvement bonds would be used for constructing, adding to, renovating, rehabilitating, remodeling, furnishing, equipping and improving school district buildings and facilities, and clearing, equipping, and otherwise improving sites for those School District buildings and facilities. The bond would be repaid annually over a maximum 30 years. The cost to a homeowner would be $71 for each $100,000 in property value.
Ryan Stechschulte, treasurer of Toledo Public Schools, said the operating levy will bring in 10.1 mills.
“It will be used to pay the utilities, teacher salaries and benefits, purchasing supplies needed for the schools, general operating costs and technology upgrades,” Mr. Stechschulte said. “The bond levy monies will be split in half. One half will go toward the Scott Park renovations and the other half will go toward other repairs like HVAC systems within the district.”
Superintendent Romules Durant added that money for repairs and the general maintenance and upkeep of the schools include the “new schools,” many of which were built nearly 20 years ago through the Building for Success program , which was funded through the State of Ohio and tobacco settlement money.
Mr. Durant said the district has not asked for new funding in over a decade.
“It has been 10 plus years since we asked for new money,” Mr. Durant said. “Like everything else, inflation has outgrown the revenue we have received. Between the operation and bond investment, we will be reinvesting in the community.”
The district has signed an agreement with Owens Community College and the University of Toledo to bring educational opportunities to the Scott Park Campus.
“We want to develop programming that takes students from seventh grade to a bachelor's degree,” he said. “When we invest in projects like Scott Park, we are investing in people and our community. We are working with 16 trade unions who will help rebuild that campus.”
The district earned an overall rating of 2.5 stars in the 2024 Ohio School Report Card . Mr. Durant said that although the overall ranking was unchanged from last year, the district earned three stars in the progress component.
“Progress is happening and our indicators are going up,” he said. “We are out there trying to get our absenteeism rate down. Since the pandemic, we still have kids that are unaccounted for. Until we find these students and get them back into the classroom or we can show they are no longer in the district, they are considered ‘drop outs’ with the state.”
Toledo Tech Academy and Toledo Pre-Medical and Health Academy each earned 5-star ratings. Toledo Early College High School and Beverly Elementary School earned 4.5 stars.
Schools in the district earning four stars include Elmhurst Elementary, Grove Patterson Academy, and the Aerospace and Natural Science Academy.
“It proves that if a student is in a career tech or magnet school and they are doing what they want to do after graduation, their grades and the rate of graduation is better,” Mr. Durant said. “With the Scott Park campus, Jones Leadership Academy, Toledo Early College, Toledo Tech Academy and Toledo Pre-Medical and Health Academy, we have a very good story to tell.”
School Board Vice President Robert Vasquez said the report card from the state does not measure everything in the school district. Nor does it give credit for what is right within the district.
“This district faces many challenges on a daily basis like feeding our students, educating our students and providing a safe place for them to learn,” Mr. Vasquez said. “We are the center of this community.”
Mr. Vasquez credits Mr. Durant with the creation of the magnet schools and expanding career tech classes that can help students when they graduate.
“Dr. D has created schools and opportunities for many of our students that are second to none in a district like ours. Where else can a kid from the inner city learn to fly an airplane or work on Tesla cars? They leave here ready for college or they can go into well-paying jobs. TPS has been very creative when it comes to opening up opportunities for our students regardless of their socioeconomic status.”
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