PERRYSBURG, Ohio — After a 17-year streak of levies and bonds passing without issue, two of them have failed in the last year for Perrysburg Local Schools.
On Tuesday, voters rejected an $88 million bond issue from the district by 57%, according to unofficial election results. The 3.5-mill levy sought to expand and renovate its elementary schools as the city's population grows.
District Superintendent Tom Hosler and the Perrysburg schools Board of Education are going back to the drawing board for what to do about the growth.
"We're definitely disappointed, but we know what we need to do and we're prepared to do that," Hosler said.
The district's elementary schools have significantly more students than they can handle to the point they're resorting to unconventional classrooms to make everyone fit.
"In three of our four elementaries, we're using trailers now," Hosler said. "We know we've been putting off buying more because we thought we would have new construction and new additions."
The levy would have funded the construction of a new 800-student elementary school, expansion of three others and conversion of a fourth into a preschool.
Hosler believes voters rejected the levy because they are rejecting the city's growth.
"Our school supporters feel like, 'well, I'm conflicted because if I vote for this levy I'm really endorsing growth,'" he said.
But for those who want Perrysburg's expansion to slow down, Hosler said rejecting the levy was not the way to do it.
"Who does that really send a message to? I don't think it does to our local governments, but I think it does to our students who have to spend a year in the trailer," he said.
Perrysburg City Administrator Joe Fawcett agreed that the levy's failure sends a message about what residents want.
"The feedback from the community, if it's that we're growing too fast, that's a valid concern as we're going through long-term strategic planning," Fawcett said.
While Hosler said he still needs to go to the board to get their final opinion, he doesn't think they'll seek another levy in November, saying other options are more likely, such as dipping into the general fund to pay for new trailers.
Hosler cautioned that using general fund money could possibly lead to issues paying teachers down the line.