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You Missed It Again
You're right about the make up of the school board, I spoke off the top of my head without checking. Sorry.
About taxing authority: I think you'd better check again. Columbus has a sales tax separate from Franklin Co. If you consider the lodging tax as sales tax, that makes at least two. COTA has sales tax authority and it is independent of the five or six counties it serves.
The other complaint about the burden on the city is bogus in the extreme. Two thirds of school district residents live outside Pickerington. They're not going to shop in Reynoldsburg or Canal Winchester just to avoid paying the sales tax. They're going to still go to Kohl's, Kroger's and Marcus Cinema. The folks off the interstate will pay it at Cracker Barrel when they buy souveniers or rooms at the Holiday Inn. That's the beauty of the sales tax, other people help pay it and they don't even get to vote! And consumption taxes are far more fair than property or income taxes.
But all that aside, you still miss the point. You want a new stadium, so build it. Cut the BOE out of the equation all together. They don't matter. Do it yourselves. You want some more ideas? What would 5/3 Bank pay for naming rights? What would AEP pay? How about Wendy's?
By Any Mouse
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Yes but....
Wes was on the Board when North opened but not when the Bond Issue passed & the design was done. You only have Gail & Lori to than for that.
Other high schools were built the same year in Westerville & maybe Dublin if I remember right. How did the cost of North compare?
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When the school opened
OK now we are off into never never land. Any Mouse said ''when the North High School opened.'' She was wrong with her facts. Period.
Now compare other schools built at the same time. I don't know and frankly my dear I don't give a D--- what Westerville or any other school cost. That is between their school board and their taxpayers.
What has been the burning point here is that the North Boosters along with their allies on the school board took all of OUR money to build an over sized facility at Refugee and Pickerington roads. When similar or equal facilities are requested by the remainder of the district for Central we are always meet with ''WE DON''T HAVE THE MONEY.'' Well you had the money for north and you blew it on what is now considered extra or nonessential facilities at Central.
I read in the Times-Sun this morning that the board spent over $800,000 on the refurb of Tiger stadium in 2005. With another $800,000 they could have fixed the problem. What they did was make it worse than before. Granted we have more home seating but now, but I hear the screening was put up to block the lights of passing cars. Do we have that problem at North? How long has that alley been there and how long has this problem existed? Why wasn't it addressed two years ago?
The current Pickerington School Board continues to lie to the public. Last year the voters passed a bond issue to build THREE new schools. Something like $60 Million. The reason the school board put the three schools on the ballot was partly to qualify for funding from the OSFC. The OFSC does allow each High School and each Junior High School to have separate and equal track and football fields. I have not seen a recent master plan from the school but the fact is once we reach that magic spending of around $90 Million then a new stadium for Central will only cost the local tax payer HALF because the state will pick up the remainder of the costs.
The reason the board won't consider planning for an equal stadium for the tiger track and football team is that they used the boundaries to put more kids into North and leave the other 1200 at Central with the crumbs. The fact is that NONE of the current board members have children attending the Central High School. I know, I know, Lisa Reade's kid is on track to attend Central. So what!!!
The point is this school board is an extreme opposite of the previous board. The former board blew money like water and the current one is only serving part of the district. That is where they are very simular.
I will predict that if the current problems with the state testing and grading of Central continues and they continue to receive ratings of ''continious improvement'' Lisa Reade will have her house for sale in a heart beat.
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Where do you get your info?
OSFC is not going to fund 50% of a new stadium. It's not in the master plan and a new stadium won't be considered as a requirement for Central. Now, if we were to build a 3rd high school, with a stadium, AND it was approved in the master plan, that's a different story. You're under the wrong impression that OSFC will fund 50% of any future project desired.
Boundary lines were drawn to try and equalize the two schools, at the time and based on future projections. Growth in the Central area isn't as great as what was predicted and hence, North has more students. The only resistance I recall is Glenshire. When it was proposed to put Glenshire in Central's boundaries, to try and even out the economic factor (or housing values?), they resisted because of the distance they'd be from Central. I can understand that.
The PLSD report card is nothing to be ashamed of, in my opinion. I moved here for the schools and wouldn't move away just because we're not progressing with ESL students and other small groups, as well as the guidelines would like us to be. I don't think you'll see the Reade's making an exodus because of the report card, either.
You know, I doubt we'd be having these discussions if Central's football program weren't so great. The stands would probably be far from full. I don't know if every game is so packed, but you have to take into consideration that our opponent was the next town over and it's built up as a big rivalry. Plus, the weather was great. Winning team, packed house - I'll take that over the opposite any day.
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