A district in need
Little Switzerland levy would upgrade facilitiesBy Connie Cartmell, ccartmell@mariettatimes.com
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Fact Box
Facilities planned
New Beallsville kindergarten through 12th-grade building.
New combined Hannibal/Sardis elementary school.
New Monroe Central High School.
New Powhatan Elementary School.
New Skyvue Elementary School.
New Woodsfield Elementary School.
Renovation of River High School.
For more information: switzerlandbond.com.
Source: "The Time is Now!" Committee, Richele Brown, Treasurer.
Monroe Central High School students take life in stride these days, making the best of a tight situation as they share precious space with Swiss Hills Career Center students.
"There's not enough room," said Cole Mathews, 15. "When we have sports events, we have to go 25 miles to another building."
Outside, two temporary modular class buildings are filled with students throughout the day.
Students, teachers and staff sharing the school complex, located on a picturesque forested hill eight miles southeast of Woodsfield, are straining to keep up.
"In the trailers you can hear through the walls what the other teachers are saying." Mathews said. "It's crammed in there."
On Tuesday, the Switzerland of Ohio Local School District will ask voters to approve a 7.69-mill bond issue to cover costs of building six new school buildings and renovating one over the next three years and a 0.5-mill tax levy to help maintain those structures.
"In addition, we'll be constructing 'green' buildings that promise less operating cost over time and there will also be warranties included," said Larry Elliott, superintendent. "Our current facilities are very expensive to operate because they are old and many have become money pits."
New schools are planned at Woodsfield, Beallsville, Hannibal/Sardis, Powhatan and Skyvue, along with a brand new Monroe Central High School and the total renovation of River High School.
Total cost of the massive project is $88 million, of which, the State of Ohio has set aside 63 percent, with the remaining 37 percent up to local taxpayers. That amount will be repaid over 28 years by the bond issue.
"It's the best deal we will ever see from the state," said Brandi Hobbs, an English teacher at Monroe Central and a Marietta College graduate. "If we want to keep our separate schools and not consolidate, this is the only way to do it."
Elliott said that both state Rep. Jennifer Garrison, D-Marietta, and Gov. Ted Strickland, have been instrumental in the state's support of the school district and of the bond issue.
Worst in the state
The Ohio School Facilities Commission has ranked Switzerland of Ohio first on the "exceptional needs" list, Garrison said.
"It means that the district has the worst school buildings in the state - of 612 school districts," she said. "Monroe Central High School has nothing but trailers."
The original formula for state support to the district for construction would have been 52 percent from the state with 48 percent raised locally. But things changed in the school district as the real property value of Ormet, the district's largest industry, was significantly reduced in the past two years.
Garrison introduced legislation that passed the Ohio House and Senate in May that would temporarily put a more favorable formula in place.
"I asked that the schools be ranked on current wealth, not average wealth, to address this dramatic change in real property value," Garrison said.
The legislation will help Switzerland of Ohio build - if they do it now.
"It will allow them to save $15 million in local money alone because of the change," she said. "It's a really good opportunity for students to have state-of-the-art schools."
Garrison said she wants Switzerland of Ohio students to have what other school students in Ohio have. Teachers in the district are "outstanding," and students are doing well academically. Both groups are doing the best they can in a difficult situation, she said.
"Their buildings are in very poor condition," Garrison said. "Even in these hard times, I am hearing a lot of positive feedback on this bond issue."
If voters reject the bond issue, the money set aside by the state will go to another school district.
Switzerland of Ohio is now the largest single school district in Ohio, in terms of land mass, covering 525 square miles and spanning three counties, Monroe and portions of Belmont and Noble.
Some 42 bus routes cover 4,000 miles a day. There are 2,761 students in the district and the numbers have been stable over a number of years, according to Elliott.
"There was a push to de-consolidate the district with many good men and women on both sides," he said. "It went to the state Board of Education that determined instead of breaking it into four parts, the district would remain one. It would be up to us to rebuild the infrastructure accordingly."
Elliott, who has been superintendent three years, said there has been a lot of hard work on this bond issue and he feels good about it.
"With every proposal, there will be opposition of course," he said. "But there is no organized opposition."
No Way
Since Jay Ward first pounded a sign into his Beallsville front yard declaring his opposition to the bond issue, he said he's heard from a lot of people who share his opinion.
"My feeling is that I am tired of somebody sticking their hand in my pocket," he said. "I know a lot of older people who can't afford this."
Ward's yard sign says, "No taxes. No levy. No More." In addition, the back says, "Vote No on 8.19 mills for 28 years: No Way."
"I'm not saying it isn't necessary, but they don't have to go to this extent," Ward said. "They don't need to do it all at once."
Elliott said passage of the bond issue means jobs for the region.
"We have a project labor agreement in place that assures that our area construction workers will be doing the work," Elliott said.
Ward, who has lived in the school district all his life, is a union construction worker and may end up working on some of these projects. But he still will not support the bond issue and levy.
"This thing is over 28 years," Ward said. "I'm going to be retiring trying to pay for this. My mom and dad are retired and will be trying to pay for it."
Ward has two daughters and is a 4-H adviser in the county.
"When they build a building, school districts should have a fund started to build the next one. Volunteer fire departments do that to buy equipment," he said.
Making due
Monroe Central freshmen split their school day between the main high school on the hill and the old Cameron Elementary School, a four-room building with a gymnasium (no lockers or shower facilities), which had been closed for years.
"The Cameron building is small and outdated and we have to get bused from down there, up here, every day," Mathews said. "The old building is in real bad shape. Tiles are falling off the ceiling."
Mathews' sister Brett, 16, a junior at Swiss Hills, will graduate before any of the new buildings are completed, but she is an enthusiastic supporter of the bond issue.
"It would be wonderful," she said. "Our hallways are really, really crowded. I know I won't be here in a new school, but I always think about my kids going to school here someday."
Physical education and health instructor Adrianne Burkhart splits her time between the high school and Cameron. She has been a teacher 35 years.
"We desperately need the new buildings," Burkhart said. "We have a tiny little gym for 76 freshmen. It's not a gym for high school kids."
Burkhart, who says she still loves to get up every day and teach, said the bond issue needs to pass so the problem can be fixed.
"It is still working, but the only reason it's working is the kids. The kids deserve better," she said. "It's a shame our students have had to put up with this."
She hopes her grandchildren will not have to endure the same hardships.
When Jason Smith, 30, of Beallsville, was a freshman at Monroe Central High School, he and his classmates were promised that they would be in a new school by graduation in 1998.
"It didn't happen," Smith said.
His 11-year-old daughter attends Barnesville Elementary School because there is no room at Beallsville Elementary for her.
"It's almost across the street from where we live and she has to take a bus to Barnesville," he said. "It's a good school, but I'd rather have her at home."
Smith is among parents who are keeping their fingers crossed, hoping for a positive vote Tuesday.
"I'm really hopeful this time," he said. "It would be a great thing for our kids and the schools. We'll never have this chance again. It's the only time the state will pay so much."
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05-03-09 8:20 AM
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this didn't happen over night did it. sounds like they have the right people in charge.
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TheBridge
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05-02-09 7:34 PM
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Every district has its "Wards". They are the takers, not the givers. They expect, but do not contribute. Once they get theirs, others should fend for themselves. Most of the good people in the Switzerland district know this. Hopefully they will see fit to accept an endorse this bond issue. What can be said with certainty is that the economic conditions will continue to deteriorate. No business of any size will want to locate to the district as they won't be able to recruit good workers or entice specialized workers to relocate if the schools are poor.
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