Editor:

Residents in the Preble Shawnee Local School District have an opportunity on Nov. 8 to transform the future of education in the community.

The district is in a unique position to build two 21st-century schools without adding to the tax rate residents were paying in 2015. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

The Ohio School Facilities Commission has approved more than $29 million in state funding — or 65 percent of the base cost — to build a new elementary school and middle/high school.

Support for the ballot initiative would allow the district to collect a 2.5-mill property tax and a 0.75 percent income tax for the purpose of constructing the two buildings. The millage would cost the owner of a $100,000 home $7.29 per month.

This is not adding to the tax rate because a 2.5-mill tax rolled off the books last year and a 0.75 percent income tax will phase out at the end of this year. The district plans to use carryover funds to cover day-to-day operations for the foreseeable future, negating the need for an operating levy.

The need for new buildings is real, and the state agrees. Some district facilities are more than 100 years old and maintaining them would be even more of a financial burden.

That’s why I urge residents of the Preble Shawnee Local School District to support the bond issue and income tax on the Nov. 8 ballot.

Richard Lewis

Executive Director

Ohio School Boards Association