LOUDONVILLE — Voters failed to pass a bond issue and tax levy for a new pre-K-12th grade school building in Loudonville-Perrysville Exempted Village Schools Tuesday night.
The bond issue and tax levy received 1,900 votes against, or 56.13% of the total votes cast. That’s according to final, unofficial results from the Ashland County Board of Elections. The total number of citizens in favor of the issue was 1,485.
Loudonville-Perrysville Exempted Village Schools’ superintendent, Jennifer Allerding, could not be reached for comment.
The bond issue and tax levy aimed to help the district pay for a new building. The new building had a $71 million price tag. The Ohio Facilities Construction Commission had pledged $15,681,130 for the project, while the district planned to put $2,306,493 toward it.
The district’s facilities were built more than 50 years ago. The newest building, the high school, was constructed in 1964. C.E. Budd School opened in 1926, while McMullen opened its doors in 1954.
Allerding previously told Ashland Source the district has had to spend $509,000 annually to address maintenance and facility issues. That’s more than a permanent improvement levy — approved by voters earlier this year — brings in for the district.
“Our facilities are at a point where major challenges need to be addressed in a significantly more aggressive manner,” Allerding stated in early October. “Regardless of the decision, as a community we have to come together and find a solution because the children of Loudonville-Perrysville deserve it and are too important for anything less.”
The bond issue and tax levy for Loudonville-Perrysville Exempted Village Schools wasn’t the only one to fail Tuesday evening.
According to final, unofficial election results, a 20.1 mill continuing permanent improvement levy renewal for Hillsdale Local Schools also did not pass muster for voters. That renewal levy fell by only 80 votes — 1,780 voted against the levy renewal, while 1,700 voted for it.
