Residents will be able to decide on a levy that will impact funding for Ohio Hi-Point Career Center’s proposed expansion on May 8.
Hi-Point is a two-year career-technical school district located at 2280 State Route 540 in Bellefontaine.
It serves students in grades 11 and 12 from 14 partner school districts covering five counties at our main campus. It serves students from Marysville, Triad, Bellefontaine, Benjamin Logan, Indian Lake, Waynesfield-Goshen Local Schools, Upper Scioto Valley, Riverside, Graham, Mechanicsburg, Kenton, Ridgemont, Urbana and West Liberty-Salem school districts.
Superintendent Rick Smith said the school is proposing a continuing permanent improvement levy that would fund an expansion of its facility and continue funding its satellite programs in 14 school districts, including Marysville. He said this levy will “hopefully keep us off the ballot for 40 years.”
“The reason why I think people should consider this levy really has to deal with the fact most people realize there’s a giant workforce need for skilled trades,” Smith said. “Ohio Hi-Point is trying to get more students involved with these skilled trades so we have more workers in the workforce.”
Smith said the 0.6-mill levy will cost taxpayers an extra $1.84 a month, or $22 a year, per $100,000 of a person’s assessed market value for their home. He said the goal was to obtain the “smallest millage possible” to maintain the school.
Smith said the need for skilled workers is growing, and the goals of the school will continue to reflect that. However, he said the school needs to update its facility with newer technology and more space to accommodate more students and reach those goals.
“Part of this levy is it’s not about salaries and benefits,” Smith said. “Even 35 years from now, when we pay off the mortgage for the renovation, those funds… will still be used for equipment and renovations.”
He said the money will also go toward funding its 60 satellite programs, a $25 million investment over the course of 13 years.
He said the school, built in 1974, has not renewed its two-mill operating levy since 1977. It has provided students with training in subjects ranging from HVAC to autonomous vehicles.
“We’re very tied into the City of Marysville, Honda and TRC in trying to make sure to train workers for the next generation of those technologies in this area,” he said.
He said the money the school is asking for is solely for the building, construction and equipment, and will not need additional funding.
Smith said the decision will be made by the five counties and 14 school districts involved on May 8.
He said if the levy gets rejected, the school will reevaluate what the voters want to reform its levy proposal and gauge what the public feels would be appropriate.
He said the levy proposal went under a 100-day analysis in January, 2016, and was approved to be pursued after a board of education meeting in December, 2017.