Community weighs in on New Phila Schools bond issue defeat
NEW PHILADELPHIA (WJER) (Feb. 4, 2025) – City school district officials are continuing to seek feedback on their latest facilities replacement plan and the bond issue that’s needed to fund it.
Voters in November overwhelmingly rejected the district’s request for $72-million over 37 years to consolidate its aging schools into two new buildings. It’s now going back up for vote in May, which Superintendent Amy Wentworth is likely the last chance to lock in the state’s offer to pay for 56-percent of the construction costs.
“I will tell you that I understand this has an economic impact on every resident in the district. It absolutely does. I will also tell you that it will never be less expensive than it is now.”
The school system invited staff, parents, and other stakeholders to a community meeting Monday evening to talk about what went wrong and what the bond committee can do better. In addition to the cost, one of the biggest concerns expressed by voters was uncertainty about the location for a new middle and high school. Wentworth says they’ve explored every suggestion so far, and the only available property is the former Elder-Beerman store at New Towne Mall, which isn’t a viable option.
“Our pre-bond architect said renovating that to make it appropriate to educate students in it would cost more than starting over.”
The city’s planning commission recommended building the new school where the current one stands, which opens up the possibility of the district having to obtain additional land through eminent domain. Participants at Monday’s forum included Audrey Mattevi, whose group suggested a three-building approach. (suggested building a separate middle school on the Central School property).
“None of us really hated the idea of doing the middle school site at Central and the high school site where it is now, using some of that high school space to turn into parking or greenspace, and then that middle school site could still be close to the high school.”
The school board’s facilities committee will meet Thursday to continue the discussion.