Beavercreek voters asked to approve $265M bond issue for new school, renovations

BEAVERCREEK — A Miami Valley school district is asking for $265 million to build a new high school and renovate its current buildings.

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Beavercreek Schools will have the bond issue on the November ballot, asking the city’s residents to help pay for the project.

Jennifer Harvey was a lunch lady in the district for over 20 years, she’s seen schools be overcrowded in the cafeteria firsthand.

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“The high school, they had kids sitting on the floor. They didn’t have enough room,” Harvey said.

If the bond is passed, the district would build a new high school, and middle school students would use the old high school.

Elementary students would use the old middle schools.

It would cost homeowners $217 annually for each $100,000 of property value.

Superintendent Paul Otten said the changes are needed and the project would be worth the cost.

“Today we are sitting at about 120 more students than we were last year at this time. And we project over the next nine years to have about 600 more students in the district,” Otten said.

He said renovations would put them at 80 percent capacity, leaving room for continued growth in the district.

He said he could argue it might be the last expansion for the Beavercreek schools.

Harvey said she was concerned the bond didn’t cover money for additional staff, but Otten said they won’t be increasing staff more than usual for the new building.

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