MADISON SCHOOL DISTRICT - ANOTHER BOND ISSUE?

Not yet! At least for the moment.

The News-Herald reported http://www.news-herald.com/articles/2009/10/06/news/nh1531888.txt today:

"Madison school buildings still in the works

Published: Tuesday, October 6, 2009

By Sandra M. Klepach SKlepach@News-Herald.com

This election day marks two full years since Madison voters rejected a $77 million centralized education complex near the high school.But the Ohio School Facilities Commission, which would have funded 60 percent of the bill, approached Madison School Board again last month.Still interested in our program? it asked. Let us know by Oct. 9 and you'll get dibs over the 20-some districts that don't.

The board unanimously approved a response."Basically what we sent to the Ohio School Facilities Commission is saying, yes, we are still interested," board President Jacqueline Azbill said.By the voted language approved last week, Madison now enters an "active planning process" with the OSFC, which offers it "priority" status, to prepare for a possible conditional approval in 2010. "The School District Board intends to obtain funding by May 2010," the resolution states, to oblige the next funding cycle, which ends July 2010.

Azbill said board Vice President Rex Reigert heads the facilities committee that meets regularly to discuss building possibilities, for which the district would likely get a 50-50 funding split. The OSFC now offers a segmented project option, but it's laden with rules, including a requirement that the district raise 4 percent of its assessed valuation for any one project, Superintendent Roger Goudy said."Such a project would cost Madison about $19 million and likely include a new middle school "and something," Goudy said, adding Homer Nash Elementary is currently being considered for the latter."The campus plan has pretty much died," Goudy said. "This gives the future board the option (to consider a OSFC project), where had we not passed this, then that ship would have been out of the port. At least we want to have those discussions."

In November 2007, voters rejected a 4.81-mill bond issue designed to raise $33.6 million, plus a 0.50-mill, 23-year operating levy. That combined issue would have cost taxpayers an initial $165.68 a year per $100,000 of property valuation, but it failed by a vote of 3,466 to 2,183.

Citing a lack of community support for the plan, Madison School Board pulled the same bond issue from the August 2008 special election ballot.

Madison voters will be busy Nov. 3, filling three open School Board seats from a pool of eight candidates, only one an incumbent. Voters also will decide a 1.68-mill emergency renewal operating levy, which would cost homeowners $51.45 per $100,000 of property valuation and generate $697,270 annually for five years. The issue otherwise expires in December."It is the committee's recommendation to the Board of Education that we have a segmentation on the ballot for May," Azbill said. "Now, we have a lot of work to do yet, the board hasn't approved that. It's just a recommendation. Some of the board members wanted some other things considered. It's ultimately up to the board, we have to approve it.""

If the majority of the board doesn't change Madison voters may be looking at a bond issue in February or May or next year. Sounds like the current Madison board members can't resist the temptation of matching funds.

We think this is only going to fatigue the voters.

As always you can contact us at carecommitteepac@yahoo.com.