West Cleveland News

Avon Lake Schools officials have announced a $170 million construction bond for the construction of three new schools, which will be placed on the ballot in November. The statement was published on the Avon Lake City Schools website.

The Avon Lake City Schools Board of Education passed a resolution to place the bond issue on the November 7th election ballot. According to the Chronicle-Telegraph, officials provided an update and answered questions from residents about the construction bond during a forum held at Avon Lake High School on September 28th. Over 100 residents attended the forum, with additional online viewers showing interest in the project.

The construction project includes the construction of two new elementary schools, a new middle school, and renovations to the high school. It will be funded by a 7.6-mill, 37-year bond. As part of the plan, five existing elementary and intermediate schools in the district will be demolished, and Redwood Elementary will be sold to the city for an alternative use.

During the public forums, residents raised questions about the tax impact and why the district doesn't renovate the current schools instead of building new ones. School board member Michael Sherban explained that renovating the existing buildings would require a similar bond issue to raise $103 million, but the repairs would only extend the life of the buildings by about 10 years. In contrast, the bond issue for new construction would last 20 or 30 years.

Board member Kendra Gardiner highlighted the forward-thinking aspect of the construction plan, stating, "That is part of our rationale and kind of forward-thinking for future operating levies. If we know we have new buildings coming online and we know when that would happen, that certainly would be an input in our calculations about what would be the most appropriate operating levy."

Residents can find more information about the Avon Lake Schools levy and construction plan on the district's website at avonlakecityschools.org. The vote on the $170 million construction bond will take place on November 7th.