Edison seeks bond issue approval in May

MILAN — Edison Schools is charging ahead with its plans to construct new and add onto existing school buildings. During a recent public meeting, district board members agreed to put a 6.7-mill, 37-year bond issue on the May ballot for an $87 million construction project to build two new schools and renovate Edison High School. If approved, the bond issue would raise $46.7 million in local money toward the project's overall cost. "The remaining amount of the project would be paid for by the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission and revenue the district receives from the Nexus pipeline," according to an informational flyer provided to taxpayers by Edison Schools. Additionally, if the bond issue is approved, property taxes for the owner of a $100,000 home will increase by about $235 a year, according to the Huron County auditor's office. In April 2022, district board members unanimously decided to construct: • A new school, for students in preschool through fifth grade, at the current Edison Middle School site in Berlin Heights • Another new building for grades 6-8 onto the existing Edison High School building in Milan This plan was put on hold in September when Edison Schools removed a similar bond issue from the November ballot. That was when the Nexus pipeline's most recent tax settlement amount — $950 million — was appealed by Lorain County auditor Craig Snodgrass, who questioned the settlement and wanted more clarification. The other 12 Ohio county auditors whose counties have the Nexus pipeline traveling through them agreed with the $950 million settlement. "By appealing the settlement, the Lorain County auditor negated the deal for every Ohio county that has a part of the Nexus pipeline," superintendent Corey Ream wrote in a letter to stakeholders. "At this point, we anticipate the owners of the Nexus pipeline will pay taxes based on their proposed value of $615 million until the final value is re-established. The process may take years to complete." The appeal's impact is "immediate but unclear," Ream wrote, which prompted him to recommend taking the bond issue off the ballot to board members. "The decrease in taxable value during the appeal means Edison Schools will likely lose between $600,000 and $800,000 of pipeline income per year," Ream said. "We won't know the actual amount until our (Erie County) auditor, Rick Jeffrey, receives updated information. This money is going to help pay for the new building proposal." It's unclear when the final settlement will come and how much money Edison Schools will get. When explaining why the school district is now going forward with the bond issue, the informational flyer said Edison Schools wants to make sure it can receive funding support from the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission, a state agency. "Financial support from the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission is determined by a three-year adjusted per pupil valuation of the district. This relates largely to the property wealth of the district," the flyer states. "Because of the new pipeline, the district's valuation continues to increase. This means the amount of state support the district would receive for a construction project continues to decline. Beginning the project now would 'lock in' a 27% state share." District treasurer Stephanie Hanna didn't respond to the Register's questions Friday about Edison Schools' Nexus pipeline funding. How did we get here? In February 2020, the school district and architectural firm GPD Group of Akron hosted the first meeting for taxpayers. At that meeting, GPD officials went over a facilities presentation with the problems facing current buildings and possible designs. Then they allowed residents to give feedback and ask questions. After interviewing several architectural firms, Edison Schools hired GPD group to help them with the process. District officials continued facilities discussions because student enrollment has been steady in recent years, and the way students are being taught in classrooms is changing. Two of Edison's buildings — the elementary school in Milan and middle school in Berlin Heights — are also becoming too old to renovate by state standards. For instance, portions of Edison elementary and middle schools were built in the 1800s, and each have had numerous additions. Since the first meeting three years ago, school officials and the public toured elementary and middle schools in Amherst and Strongsville designed by GPD Group to get ideas of what kinds of features they'd like to possibly have at Edison Schools. Edison Schools also asked stakeholders to give feedback on their preferences through an online survey. Officials said the survey will help with "smart decision-making." "We're having important discussions about the future of our schools and our facilities, and everyone has a stake in this process," then-superintendent Tom Roth said about the survey earlier this year. "We want to be sure that everyone in the community has a chance to tell us what they think." At a March 2022 public meeting, many who attended expressed concerns about possibly moving Edison Middle School, now located in Berlin Heights, to Milan. Others believed having all students on one campus, like at the current Edison High School site as proposed, could provide additional benefits, like older students being able to mentor younger students more easily. _ Reach reporter Caitlin Nearhood at nearhood@sanduskyregister.com and follow her on Twitter @CaitlinNearhood