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Renewal levy is in works for Newbury schools
(by Joseph Koziol Jr. - July 07, 2010)
Renewal levy is in works for Newbury schools
By JOSEPH KOZIOL JR.
The Newbury Board of Education is proceeding toward placing a 1-mill permanent-improvement levy on the Nov. 2 ballot.
Voters are to be asked to consider the renewal, which will not increase taxes, to help provide for the upkeep of the high school and middle school building and grounds.
The levy, at full collection, will provide the district with approximately $154,000 a year.
School Superintendent Richard Wagner said an existing 1-mill levy will expire after the 2011 year, and the board hopes voters will support a renewal, which would take effect in 2012. "We're not asking for any more money than it now generates," he said.
According to the Geauga County Auditor's Office, the levy costs homeowners $24.99 annually for each $100,000 of property valuation.
Mr. Wagner said several projects are awaiting the funding. The district's bus garage is in need of repair, he said. The steel-frame building has a cinder-block foundation that is starting to crumble, he said. In addition, he said, the home stands of the football-soccer stadium are in need of repair.
The money also will be used to possibly do a full repair of the circular drive in front of the high school. Mr. Wagner said the concrete drive is pitted with holes and broken concrete that is in need of repair.
With all projects, he said, engineering must be done to determine what the possible costs may be.
He said there is also a need to keep up maintenance on the high school building, which was built around 1927.
The money generated by the levy also may be used for the purchase of textbooks, a practice the board has followed in the past with permanent-improvement levies, he said.
Mr. Wagner said, while textbooks may be in the district's wish list for use of the money, more than likely the money will be eaten up by the list of construction projects that are needed by the district.
"We will work at it year by year and use the funds where they are needed most," Mr. Wagner said.
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