Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

go look off I 70

I think if everyone drives West on I 70 and looks off the right side of the road just West of Hamilton Road you will see the '' Millenium community School'' It is an entire school made out of modular classrooms including the restroom portions required. I do believe this is a charter school. Athough it is not the best solution I do think that is where we are going, a reconfigurement of our current modulars into a seperate school. That will fuel the haves and have nots arguement in spades don't you think.

Clearly our community remains divided and for good reasons. Our community has been divided for many years but eventually things work out.

It is clear to me that the community has accepted portable classrooms as a way of life here and has no desire to stop the practice and put every child into brick and mortar buildings. I do not agree with this but the voters continue to speak in support of this practice.

I think the current board and adminstration could do a lot of good by acknowledging to the public in every possible way that mistakes were made in the past, take responiblility, even though they may not have made that mistake, the office does have responsiblity implied..... and vow in writing on the airwaves and in fact if necessary go door to door and state that they will not make these mistakes again. that may create some goodwill, it may not but I have not seen any organized effort by the BOE or adminstration to acknowledge this problem and move on. There is a portion of the community that may move on... and a portion who will never move on but we need to clear the air in a big way.

A Couple of Points

A couple of points to consider. Let's jump in the ''Way Back Machine'' and go back to the year 2000. We as a community decide to build a new high school and jr high. We need to pass a building levy of x million dollars of the requred millage rate (RMR) whatever it may be. Now what we actually passed was a minimum collection rate millage which simply means under state law, we collect only enough every year to do the minimum debt service. It doesn't mean there's a balloon payment in 28 years, it doesn't mean we're only paying the interest. It's simply the least amount of taxes we have to collect for our immediate needs. The levy rate is variable. It stays the same if our growth rate continues or it can go up if growth stagnates. It cannot exceed the RMR unless the growth rate reverses. In other words, the population of the school district has to actually DECREASE over the life of the levy. I suppose that could happen in the event of a major nuclear war or if the bird flu kills 100 million Americans but statistically these are very very low probabilities.

But then none of this addresses the real problem. If we are going to use more portables then we need 700 overflow students divided by 50 students per portable, 14 or 15 new portable classrooms this year. Since we are growing at about 300 kids a year that's 6 new portables every year for at least the next 10 years. Where are we going to put them? 60-70 portable buildings? Oh, and what are we going to use for cafeterias or more importantly lavatories? Most of our elementary schools are already on small lots. There is a minimum lot size in the state guidelines. It's not enforced by the Republican administration but can you say that about the Democrats next year? Or will they cut off all state funding until we're in compliance? You pay your money and you take your chance. Finally, last I heard, it cost about $80,000 to buy and install each portable, that's $5.6 million. Not to mention that this things are far more expensive to heat, cool and maintain. All this will require new operating levies. Taxes will go up.

But the people have spoken.

Recent Forum

The School District recently hosted a forum on public education with the State of Ohio, Township, City Mayor, Chamber, District Treasurer & Superintendent and Board Members.

A perfect opportunity to get everyone in one room and ask questions, demand answers, understand motivations. Did you attend? It underscores the apathy that exists here when the opportunity arose and no one takes advantage.

If you really cared you'd do something besides post here.


By Voted Yes

yes they have

Jim, They have spoken three times in a row, I voted yes, I do not agree with those who voted no but I can understand why they did and agree to disagree.

The mistake was allowing portables in the first place in my book, that happened before my time and probably everyone of us who moved here knew there were portables in the district when we moved in or should have.

I urge you to drive by the Millenium School off Hamilton and have a look see...It sure is not what I want my kids attending school in but at least they do not have to go outside to go to the bathroom like they do now...so people may have a point.

Lisa, I did not attend the forum with the seven people who did because I drive my son up to New Albany to swim on a swim team there... remember there is no pool at the palace. I know board members and adminstrators read this site, I sign my name and if I need to show up in person to express my opinion then I guess they will not get it unless they accept cell phone calls from the swim bus. If you chose to ignore this opinion, as it is shared by many, then I understand why we will remain in the situation we are in, and hurt the education of our kids.