MILLBURY, Ohio — Residents in the Lake Local school district will be voting on whether or not to approve a new elementary school building this November.
Superintendent Jim Witt says the district would save $19 million by building the new school now as opposed to waiting.
The current elementary building is more than 60 years old and the superintendent says they are putting band-aids on something that needs much more.
The district has maintenance bills now and more are expected as the building ages.
The district is asking residents to approve a $36 million bond issue to build a new elementary school building. If voters approve it, the new school would be directly west of where the current elementary school is located.
"It would house all of our pre-K through 6th-grade students. It's an upgrade of 25 classrooms over our current building. It also has more of the modern amenities that will be conducive to a 21st-century learner," Witt said.
Witt says he believes now is the right time to address this issue considering the low interest rates and recent maintenance on the current building.
He says when the school was built in the 1960s, they encased all the piping in concrete.
"If we have a heating issue and we have to go underneath the building, we have to get into concrete and it really becomes a long and drawn out process. So with the heating, the plumbing at times is giving us trouble," he said.
The current bond for the middle school is set to expire in December 2024.
If voters approve this new bond, it would be a tax increase of about $94 a year for a $100,000 homeowner.
"I, personally, believe our kids and our staff are worth it, and I think the majority of our community thinks that as well," Witt said.
If voters approve the issue, the new building would be completed by 2024.