PERRYSBURG, Ohio — Perrysburg Schools is one of eight districts in our area asking voters for money on Election Day.
It's looking to build a new school and add more classrooms to existing buildings with a bond issue of $140 million over 36 years.
It's a story you've heard before. The number of students at Perrysburg schools is outpacing the number of seats.
"It is happening at every grade level, in every building and every year," said Superintendent Tom Hosler.
He said some of the district's buildings are already past capacity. So the district is turning to voters for help to alleviate what Hosler calls its two pressure points, the high school and elementary schools.
"We have portables, trailers that we're using to house students," said Hosler. "The lunch rooms aren't built for that capacity. The hallways aren't built for that capacity and so our elementaries are overcrowded."
The $140-million bond issue would create a new elementary school and add classrooms in other buildings if it passes.
WTOL 11 reached out to multiple people who are against the levy, but they didn't want to go on camera.
They said that their concern is because of the increase in Wood County's property taxes, which would also increase what they pay to the district.
But Hosler said that's the cost of being a "destination district," meaning people move to Perrysburg for several reasons, including the schools.
"We know that families want to be here," said Hosler. "We know that we have a great staff that does a tremendous job with the students and I think that has contributed significantly to the demand."
To his point, Perrysburg consistently gets high marks from the state when it comes to student performance, and as the city and district grow, Hosler said the desirability has never been higher.
It's estimated the owner of a home valued at $250,000 would be paying more than $500 a year if the bond issue passes.