New Philadelphia schools plan building tours, community meetings ahead of bond issue vote

NEW PHILADELPHIA – School district officials are bringing the community inside their buildings while again asking voters to help fund new ones.
The School Board Monday approved putting a 5.9-mill, $72 million bond issue and 1-mill permanent improvement levy on the May ballot. It would raise taxes to build a new elementary school and set the stage to get state funding for a new middle and high school building in the future.
Superintendent Amy Wentworth says it’s the same issue that failed in November, with more than 60 percent of voters saying “no.”
Wentworth says this time around officials want to make sure the community understands the challenges they face at the aging schools.
“That’s one of those things that we heard is that people didn’t understand why our current facilities weren’t adequate,” she said. “We said let’s just let them get in and see for themselves and then they can make their own determination about that.”
The first tour was Monday at South Elementary. Wentworth says some of the challenges there include lack of space, as instructors are using closets, corners and modular units as classrooms.
“We walked outside to our modular classrooms, battling the ice and cold, and showing them how our students do that every day,” she said.
Future tours at other elementaries will take place before school board meetings on the second Monday of the month in February, March and April.
In addition, New Philadelphia schools will host a community meeting on the district’s facility needs Thursday, Jan. 16 at 6:30, at the administration building. Everyone is welcome.