Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

3 districts to ask voters for cash



Two want operating levies; third will ask for money to build


By Charlie Roduta , Candy Brooks and Mackenzie White
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH




Three school districts agreed last night to go to the ballot box in May for more money. Pickerington would like to pass a bond issue to build schools; Westerville and Worthington hope to pass tax levies.

Pickerington


Pickerington board members are asking voters for money to build schools for the fourth time since November 2004.
The $36 million bond issue, which would pay for two elementaries, land and several building-improvement projects, is similar to those rejected in November and May 2005.
The bond issue would cost the owner of a $100,000 home about $70 more a year.
Faced with a booming enrollment, Pickerington school officials already have shuttled students to other buildings with more space, housed them in portable classrooms and changed boundary lines.
Elementary schools are especially feeling the pinch, with teachers finding classroom space in libraries, gyms and storage closets.
''Without these schools, we are really going to compromise what we do in educating over the next few years,?’?’ said board President Lisa Reade. ''We need the space. We are out.?’?’
This year, the district changed attendance boundaries for its elementary students to keep up with growth. At last night?’s meeting, the board decided to turn Heritage Elementary into a K-4 building and move about 250 fifth- and sixth-graders from there to Diley Middle School, then shift about 190 Diley students to Harmon Middle School this fall.
The district plans to add three portable units to Harmon and a six-classroom portable unit to Diley.



A funny thing happend on the way to Harmon.....

My child was in the first class when Harmon opened. When we went to orientation I remember asking my spouse jokingly ''Where do you think they will put the portables''?

Joke's over. Are you placing them on the ball fields, parking lot, on the roof? Where is the plan to locate them? I am curious.

By News Junkie

In between pods

These are being located in the courtyard on the south side of the building according to what I heard at last nights Board meeting. They said the bus drop off area will be made bigger to accomodate this & keep the portables between the school & the bus drop off area.

At Diley it's a bigger portable from West Jefferson & will be the first thing you see as you drive into the school.

I think the addition idea has merit too - have any of you told the school board you would help organize a campaign to pass this?

In November 2004 this was on the ballot - a larger elementary school (Sycamore Creek site) and 4 additions - the yes vote on that was 33%. They changed what the configuration of the levy was based on that vote - that and the teacher's union campaigned against it as well as a Board member.

On top of that we told them we DON'T want this - how are you communicating you do? And how will you back it up?


By Violet Mom

Response to VM

Hey, Violet Mom. How are you? I am sorry I couldn?’t make the meeting last night and so appreciate your filling me in. I am glad that they have a plan for the Harmon location and feel bad for the Preston Trails folks for what they will have to look at. Also, imagine the dust and noise once the Diley widening starts.

I was part of the 66% in 04 and I?’ll tell you why, Jim Brink spoke out against it. Am I a Brink fan? No, but he demonstrated a total lack of unity on behalf of the board and demonstrated the rift between board, administration and teachers. If you?’re going to sing a song, sing off the same sheet of music. Also, he was too closely aligned with the teacher?’s union in his position. I can appreciate the teacher?’s positions on matters like this, but as another poster wrote, Columbus, Cleveland and Cincinnati are hiring teachers daily. They can go get a job there.

I am saying it now ?– I want the board to more closely and openly address expansions of existing schools on existing properties before coming to us for more new schools. I want the schools to address the enrollment projections for 5 years out and 10 years out for elementary grades and show all possible proposals for expansion of existing schools to meet the need. Then I want them to do the same for other grade levels as this proportionately higher number of students in elementary will be moving on and we don?’t have room for them then either.

Can the middle schools be expanded? Can the junior highs? Can the high schools? The board already dropped the open enrollment restrictions ?– BUT ?– you can?’t enroll in North because they?’re at capacity. Central will be at capacity in 2 short years. What plans are being made to address these issues?

I personally would like to see the schools expanded upwards. Keep the same footprint and grow towards the sky. Can it be done? Probably not. You can?’t have overhead construction going on while still trying to hold classes. But I don?’t know. A skillful builder or A&E firm may have options to consider. It?’s not like I was the first person to ever think up this idea.

To answer your last question, I work nights. I already spend too much time away from my family. I won?’t spend what precious time I have with them on the same old levy campaign with the same tired old people involved.


By Central Dad