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Election preview: Pickerington's Classroom Facilities Maintenanc
(by Anne Holmes, staff writer - April 28, 2009)
On May 5, Pickerington voters will be asked to extend the current 0.5-mil maintenance levy 12 years, from 2020 until 2032.
The Classroom Facilities Maintenance levy - Issue 7 is also known as the "no new tax renewal" levy.
The ballot language on May 5 is written so that a yes vote means support of the extension and the current levy will continue until 2032. The state will provide the district an additional $50 million.
A no vote means non support of the levy, and taxpayers will continue to pay $11.15 per $100,000 annually per $100,000 home value until 2020. The state will not invest $50 million in the district's oldest buildings.
The $50 million in state funds will come from the Classroom Facilities Assistance Program (CFAP), a building program supporting 154 different school district projects with more than $4.9 billion committed.
Pickerington High School Central (PHSC), Ridgeview Junior High, Fairfield, Pickerington, and Violet elementary schools are the five buildings to be up-graded with CFAP funds.
The areas where CFAP funds can be used include heating and cooling systems, windows, roofs, security systems, lighting (site and emergency), fire alarm systems, playground equipment, installation of emergency generator, replacement of the main gym floor at PHSC, adding 1,000 square feet of space to the PHSC band room, and other upgrades and maintenance that will bring the older buildings up to standards of newer district buildings.
If the voters do not support Issue 7, these up-grades will still need to be performed and the district will need to find the money somewhere internally.
CFAP funds are not available for outdoor sports facilities such as a stadium at PHSC.
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