LOUDONVILLE — Loudonville-Perrysville school board members are asking voters to take another look at the district’s future.
The Loudonville-Perrysville Board of Education voted Monday to place a combined bond issue and earned income tax levy on the November ballot to help pay for a facility renovation plan.
Board members said they developed the proposal after months of gathering community feedback following previously unsuccessful funding requests.
The project would renovate the district’s existing schools instead of building a new campus.
Plans include enclosing the high school’s campus-style buildings to improve security, renovating classrooms, installing air conditioning throughout the district and adding new spaces for athletics, music and performing arts.
The project connects existing buildings with enclosed hallways, eliminating the need for students to walk outside between classes. The proposal also includes a larger band room, a practice gym and a new auditorium and cafeteria designed to seat about 650 people.
At McMullen Elementary, renovations include a full-size gymnasium, an elevator, classroom upgrades and redesigned parking and traffic flow.
The proposal also would reorganize grade levels by moving fourth through eighth-grade students to the high school campus.
The project carries an estimated price tag of about $38 million. Under the proposal, the district would contribute more than $12 million in savings and finance an additional $2.8 million through a district loan.
Voters would be asked to approve the remaining $23.6 million through a $2.86 million bond issue and a 0.25 percent earned income tax.
The bond issue would cost property owners about $100.10 annually for every $100,000 of assessed property value. The earned income tax would cost about $125 per year for every $50,000 of taxable income.
The board chose not to seek Ohio Facilities Construction Commission funding because it would increase cost and delay construction.
Superintendent Jennifer Allerding told board members the revised plan was shaped by feedback gathered after previous ballot issues failed, with the district working to reduce costs while preserving projects they considered priorities.
“We took a year off, trying to really come up with a plan that addressed a lot of feedback that individuals in our community had been sharing with us,” Allerding said.
The district worked to lower the overall cost while preserving the improvements officials considered most important, Allerding said.
“We’re trying to bring down the cost as much as possible with a good product that’s going to hit all of the needs that the district has,” Allerding said.
Board Vice President John Temple said the revised proposal balances the district’s priorities with affordability.
“It hits a lot of the boxes that we were looking at and compromised, but ultimately it is still benefiting the students,” Temple said.
Board member Erin Lance said the proposal addresses the district’s priorities while costing less than previous plans.
If voters approve the issue in November, the board said construction could begin as early as fall 2027.
