The bond would pay for a new preschool through second grade school at the Easton Farm site, science classrooms and a cafeteria upgrade at the high school, an athletics multi-purpose center and other district-wide improvements that include all-day kindergarten, safety and security, playground upgrades and technology.
The planned changes could improve traffic along State Route 741 in Springboro, according to the district.
The construction is to address aging facilities, Springboro Treasurer Terrah Stacy said.
Enrollment has stayed relatively flat, but district officials say eventually, with more new developments in Springboro, enrollment could rise.
The current bond is expected to be paid off over the next seven years, Stacy said. However, Stacy said the district did not have a levy fund dedicated to improving the schools until 2021, so the buildings have been neglected and need to be updated.
“A lot of times as buildings are older, they’re not really equipped for today’s learning,” Stacy said. “It costs extra in order to retrofit buildings. And sometimes you can’t even retrofit them to make them conducive to today’s learning environment.”
Right now, Springboro homeowners are paying $98 for the bond. If the millage gets rolled back due to the bond being paid off, the district will no longer collect that money. But if voters approve the levy, the district will continue to collect the same amount of money without raising taxes.
While home values went up in Warren County last year, under Ohio law, the Warren County Auditor’s Office adjusted the amount of money collected for specific school levies so that it does not exceed the approved amount from the voters.
Bond levies only go toward infrastructure and, by law, cannot be used to pay for items like teachers’ salaries, keeping lights on or other general expenses.
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