Oxford News

OXFORD — Talawanda School District voters will be asked on Nov. 4 to support the construction of a new high school.

If approved, Issue 16 — a 28-year 4.7-mill bond issue — will raise $46 million. The cost to the owner of a $100,000 home would be $145 annually or $12 a month, said district spokeswoman Holli Morrish.

The current high school opened its doors in 1956.

"We are over-crowded in some areas and we have very, very outdated electrical, plumbing and HVAC systems," Morrish said. "As a result of these outdated systems we have electrical capacity issues. We are literally in a situation where if you want to plug in this, you have to unplug that — and that is a real issue.

"We're already behind our neighbors and are not able to provide the same opportunities to our students as our neighboring school districts that have built new high schools or significantly modernized," Morrish said.

If the bond issue is not passed, the district still will be obligated to update the high school and build new science labs, said board President Darrell Smith.

"The state has mandated new science curriculum that requires all students to complete lab work and our high school has no labs."

District resident John Schmitt said that until educators work together and get with legislatures to work out the state school funding system — which has been declared unconstitutional —he plans to vote no on Issue 16.

"We've been fighting levies for years," Schmitt said. "That doesn't mean we are not for supporting schools, we do support schools.

"We've been doing this for years and we need to recognize that school boards, parents and community leaders need to be working with the legislators," he said. "Until they do that, I am not voting for any more levies."

Issue 16

The 28-year 4.7-mill bond issue will raise $46 million to build a new high school in the Talawanda School District. The cost to the owner of a $100,000 home would be $145 annually or $12 a month.