Frequently Asked Questions about the Firelands Local School Issue
on the November Ballot
What is on the ballot this November for
Firelands Local Schools?
In July, the Firelands Board of Education voted
unanimously to place a 4.28 mill bond issue on the ballot to build a new high
school and repurpose the current high school as the middle school. The
bond issue will be for 36 years.
We can no longer sit back and ignore the urgent need to address
our facilities. Our middle school is 108 years old and continually causes
educational and financial challenges. While challenges in our other facilities
are not far behind, we know we have to start by addressing our greatest needs
first and that’s why we have put forth this plan.
This bond levy will be the first phase of a
two-phase Master Plan to update all of our facilities. Voters will vote on each
phase of the plan, years apart, to ensure the District remains accountable and
transparent with residents.
What does the proposed bond issue call for?
The bond issue calls for the construction of a
new 9-12 high school. It will be built on district owned property and will be
connected to the current high school located on Vermilion Road in Henrietta
Township.
Once completed our current high school will
transition to a middle school, educating students in grades 6-8 and will also
serve as our Board of Education. South Amherst Middle School and the Board of
Education annex located behind the middle school will close once the new
building is completed.
The new building will serve as the main entrance
and administrative area for all students in grades 6-12 allowing us to enhance
the safety and security of the existing high school. In addition, a central
kitchen and cafeteria will be constructed to maximize resources and serve all
middle and high school students. The building project does not include a new
stadium, fieldhouse or auditorium. Rather its focus is on bringing our teaching
and learning environments up-to-date and serving the needs of our students
through enhancing classroom space for academics, arts, vocational agriculture,
and physical education
What is the timeline for
completion?
With passage in November, site work will begin
in late 2019 with construction continuing through early summer of 2021. Design
work will begin soon after passage. The plan is to have the new high school
open for the start of 2021-2022 school year.
How did Firelands Local Schools arrive at this plan?
A 40-person group composed of community
residents, teachers, staff, and parents recommended the first phase of this
plan to the Board of Education after a lengthy review process. The Building
Advisory Committee (BAC), as it was called, was charged with reviewing
extensive stakeholder feedback and data, and then recommending a plan. It assessed
financial information, our school buildings’ conditions, and the state’s
recommendation over five meetings in the Fall/Winter of 2017.
Ultimately, this group brainstormed building
plan options, and then voted overwhelmingly to recommend addressing the District’s
greatest needs first – building a new high school and moving students out of
SAMS into the current high school.
How much will this issue cost taxpayers?
The issue will cost $12.48 per month per
$100,000 of home value. Firelands Local School District has the lowest property
taxes in Lorain County and overall is the lowest taxed district when also
considering school district income taxes.
Will a permanent improvement levy be included to help maintain the
public’s investment?
Yes. Maintaining our schools is a top-priority
and a requirement. School districts that participate in state-assisted school
construction projects are required to provide the equivalent of 0.5 mills for
the purpose of maintaining the completed school facilities. The 0.5 mill
permanent improvement levy is included in the 4.28 mill issue approved by the
Board of Education.
The other important point that relates to this is a state law on
the books, HB 920, passed in 1976, which prevents school districts and other
local governments from receiving an increase in tax revenue as a result of
increased valuation of property. This means that any voter-approved levies on
the books cannot collect more than what was originally authorized by voters. As
a result, when property values are increased, any voted millage will be reduced
to a millage amount that will only bring in the same amount of revenue that was
approved by the voters and each tax payer will pay a lower “effective” tax
rate. That’s why school districts across Ohio must continue to come back to
voters with new or replacement levies, if an increase in revenue is a
necessity.
What will happen to South Amherst Middle School?
The District and Village of South Amherst have met and plan
to continue to meet to determine how the property will be used in the future.
But it is important to understand, our District’s priority is educating our
students in a safe and productive learning environment. If the bond issue
passes, the District is prepared to divest itself from the property. Accordingly,
we have allocated funding within the Master Plan to abate and demolish the
building, as it is not our hope to leave an abandoned building in one of our
communities. However, if there is an interest by the Village or some other
entity to purchase the property and fund the $300,000 to replace the sewage
plant, then we are more than willing to work with them to help make that
happen.
What happens if the issue does not pass?
The District will continue to feel the strain of
educational and financial challenges caused by its deteriorating facilities and
more tough decisions will need to be made.
Our maintenance staff works hard to make
emergency repairs to our building systems and keep the buildings functioning as
well as they can. But the process costs thousands of dollars every year we
would otherwise spend elsewhere on education and instructional resources. We
can no longer ignore the looming maintenance concerns at South Amherst Middle
School. In the short term, the District will need to spend $300,000 to replace
the sewage plant at South Amherst Middle School before the start of the
2019-2020 school year. The EPA is willing to grant us an extension if the
ballot issue passes this November.
What impact will the property tax reappraisal
have on my property taxes?
It’s important to first note that the property tax
reappraisal is a good sign for our district’s economy and the value of our
communities. But there is not an easy response to this question as a property
value increase of a certain percentage does not automatically translate to a
corresponding increase in property taxes.
The easiest response regarding the Firelands bond issue is
that if it is approved by voters this November, property owners in the district
will owe about an additional $12.48 a month per $100,000 of home value based on
the current assessed value of their home. A property owner’s assessed value or
taxable valuation is 35% of the market value of their home. For example, a home
valued at $100,000 would be assessed at $35,000 for tax purposes. We’ve done
the math for you to come up with the monthly cost for a home valued at
$100,000, but visit your county auditor’s website to determine the total
assessed value of your home (Erie County: http://erie.iviewauditor.com/Search.aspx ;
Lorain County: http://www.loraincountyauditor.com/gis/)
The other important point that relates to this is a state
law on the books, HB 920, passed in 1976, which prevents school districts and
other local governments from receiving an increase in tax revenue as a result
of increased valuation of property. This means that any voter-approved levies
on the books cannot collect more than what was originally authorized by voters.
As a result, when property values are increased, any voted millage will be
reduced to a millage amount that will only bring in the same amount of revenue
that was approved by the voters and each tax payer will pay a lower “effective”
tax rate. That’s why school districts across Ohio must continue to come back to
voters with new or replacement levies, if an increase in revenue is a necessity.
Why can’t the District just renovate the buildings?
At no cost to the district, the Ohio Facilities
Construction Commission (OFCC) assessed all of the buildings. If the cost to
renovate a facility to state minimum standards is two-thirds
the cost to build new, the state recommends building new and will not
contribute toward renovations. All of our facilities have exceeded that
threshold and the state recommended constructing all new facilities.
After listening to our community and working
with the Building Advisory Committee, the November ballot issue is the first
phase of our Master Plan and will start off by addressing our greatest needs
first - building a new high school and moving our middle school students into
the existing high school.
Why are the facilities in disrepair – did the district neglect
them?
No, in fact, the opposite is true. School
buildings do not reach the 108-year, 64-year mark and 57-year mark without
careful attention to proper maintenance and upkeep. These buildings have, by
far, surpassed the normal life expectancy of school buildings in Ohio.
The buildings have served the community and our
students well for decades. Our maintenance staff continues to do their best to
keep our schools safe and in the best shape possible. This includes spending
thousands of dollars each year on basic and Band-Aid repairs to expensive, outdated
systems that no longer function efficiently. However, we have reached the point
where repairs are no longer enough.
How much operating money will be saved if the Firelands community
supports new buildings?
The district will realize its biggest savings
from the end to emergency building repairs. New facilities will allow the
district to focus dollars on instruction - instead of emergency building
repairs - and provide a safe and productive learning environment for our
students. New energy efficient buildings will certainly save on utilities
costs, such as water and electricity, however, the cost to air condition these
buildings will likely neutralize some of these savings.
In addition, 85% or more of our operating
dollars are allocated toward personnel costs. Enrollment is projected to stay
flat with a minimal decrease over the course of the next decade, and therefore
we will continue to need to support the same number of teachers and staff to
support our student body.
What is Firelands enrollment?
A comprehensive enrollment projection report was
completed in 2014 by Future Think. Over the next decade, Firelands Schools’
enrollment is projected to decrease by approximately 5%.
What is Firelands Schools’ state share and how does the state
determine the amount?
Firelands Schools current state share is 19%.
This means that the state of Ohio will pay 19% of the total cost of the
construction project, or $5,297,765, not including any locally funded
initiatives or additional contingencies, with the remaining amount paid for
with local funding. This state share is locked in for Firelands’ full Master
Plan (Phase 1 and Phase 2), leaving no money on the table for the schools going
forward.
The state share is based on Firelands Schools’
eligibility ranking. Districts are ranked in terms of need from one to 611 each
year by the Ohio Department of Education. Their formula is based on a
three-year adjusted valuation per pupil (which relates largely to property
wealth). The lowest wealth districts are served first. Firelands Schools is
currently ranked 490th.
Does the state share decrease when the district loses a levy?
No. The state share is based on an annual
calculation performed by the Ohio Department of Education. If a school district
fails to pass a bond issue, it does not affect the state share.
Is Firelands Local Schools fiscally responsible?
Yes, Firelands is in a solid financial position and will remain so even if a bond issue is
passed. The district has been diligent in making necessary cuts and maximizing
its budget to meet the educational needs of its students. While there is an
operating levy renewal that will need to be passed in 2020 to maintain our
current level of funding, this levy will not increase taxes. Additionally,
Firelands has the 2nd lowest property taxes per $100K home valuation
in Lorain County, but provides our students with a great education.
How much revenue does Firelands Local Schools receive from open
enrollment?
While the number of open enrollment students
fluctuates year by year, the district continuously receives a net gain from
this program. Since the 2012-2013 school year, Firelands Schools have received
a total of over $2 million in revenue from the funds that follow open
enrollment students to our district.
What about the Village income tax lost from loss
of the income? How will that be replaced by the Village?
This question is best answered by the Village of
South Amherst. Staff at South Amherst Middle School and at The Firelands Board
of Education pay approximately $28,000 in income tax annually to the Village of
South Amherst. It is important to consider that when the bond issue passes,
staff and students will remain in South Amherst through at least the 2020-2021
school year, meaning there will not be an immediate loss in income.
What can be done to ensure constructions costs are controlled?
The District will work closely with the
architect and construction manager to ensure the project is on time and in
budget through pre-negotiated guaranteed maximum pricing. Furthermore, the
District’s agreement with the OFCC provides additional assurances to protect
taxpayers’ investments. More information on Ohio Construction Reform can be
found here.
How much income will be generated from the Nexus Pipeline?
A report published by Public Finance Resources,
Inc. based on information provided by Spectra Energy and the 2015 property tax
rates provided by the Ohio Department of Taxation, indicates the district will
receive approximately $1.2 million in the first tax year after the pipeline is
placed into operation; however, this figure decreases by approximately $42,000
each year.
To date, the Lorain County Auditor has not
provided our district any information to substantiate this number and to date
the district has not received any money from Nexus. It is important to
understand that even if the district does receive this additional property tax
revenue, it will only mean additional revenue for the district for around 3
years. After that, the increase in property values will be taken into account
for calculating state funding, and those funds received by the state will be
cut, eliminating any additional revenues received by the district.
The good news for our tax payers is that any
increase in property values from the pipeline will increase the overall
property valuation in our district. This will ultimately lower the millage for
the bond issue as we cannot collect more money than proposed by the ballot
issue.
When is the issue on the Ballot?
The Firelands Local Schools issue is on the
November 6, 2018 ballot. On Election Day, polls are open from 6:30 AM to 7:30
PM.
Early voting in-person and by mail begins on
Wednesday, October 10, 2018.
To early vote in-person, visit your county board
of elections office during the times listed below:
Erie County Board of
Elections
2900 Columbus
Ave.
Room 101
Sandusky, OH 44870
Lorain County Board of Elections
1985 North Ridge Rd. East
Lorain, OH 44055
In-person Early
Voting Hours:
October 10 - October 12,
2018 8:00
a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
October 15 - October 19,
2018 8:00
a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
October 22 - October 26,
2018 8:00
a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
October 27,
2018
8:00
a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
October 29 - November 2,
2018 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
November 3,
2018
8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
November 4,
2018
1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
November 5,
2018
8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
To learn more about voting early by mail, click here.
To find out if you are registered to vote or
your voter registration is up to date, click here.