AVON LAKE, Ohio — This November, Avon Lake residents will vote on two ballot issues concerning additional school funding.
Those in favor of the issues argue that the district desperately needs the money to maintain current services and staffing and to build new schools. However, some are concerned about the potential strain on their pockets.
Issue 15 is a bond, which would generate money toward building two new elementary buildings and a middle school, and renovations for Avon Lake High School. Issue 16 is an emergency operating levy, which would generate revenue for day-to-day needs, course offerings, sports, and more.
“Everything that makes Avon Lake exceptional could go away if the bond doesn’t pass,” said Emily Hansen.
Hansen is a district parent and member of Avon Lake Citizens for Schools, the group pushing for the passage of these two ballot issues.
The Avon Lake Citizens for Schools website features images of problems inside school buildings, which the group believes are evidence that these ballot issues are needed.
“Students at Learwood in 7th and 8th grade, have buckets in their classrooms with things leaking into them, and they’ve just never mentioned it because it’s part of their everyday life, which is insane to me, because that shouldn’t be their everyday life,” said Hansen.
These issues do come with a price tag.
If both the issues pass, property owners will have to pay an estimated additional $414 per $100,000 of estimated home value.
That increase will drop slightly in 2027 after a previously passed bond expires. In 2027, that increase will be $349 per $100,000 of estimated home value.
Ron Ochsenwald, a senior resident of Avon Lake, is skeptical these issues are absolutely necessary.
“You know I’m going to be able to pay it personally, but I know a lot of people that are going to have trouble, because they are on a very fixed income,” said Ochsenwald. “They’re asking for everything brand new, just because you can and think you can get away with it is, I just think, an overreach.”
The school district cannot take a side on the issues, but 3News asked the Superintendent about the potential impacts of these issues failing on school programs.
“[We’re] looking at less course selection offerings at the high school and not having so many courses that students have to choose from, which would be of cost savings to us as well in terms of materials and having less sections of classes that we would have at the high school,” said Superintendent Joelle Magyar.
Magyar says other possible cuts include reducing full-day Kindergarten programs to half-days and shrinking the radius for bus routes.
She says if the issues don’t pass, the district will close the doors of Erieview Elementary school next fall. Magyar says the elementary school would close if the bond passes, but students would be moving years from now and into a brand new building.
If the elementary school closes next school year, Magyar says the district must consider re-districting and shifting all students around.
The Avon Lake Citizens for Schools website has extensive information on the ballot issues and the cuts that will be made if the issues fail. You can read those HERE.