Thank you Dan Roberts for your letter of support! Dear Editor, I write this letter to the newspaper and community in support of the Miami Trace bond issue to fund a new high school. Our citizens have been very generous in providing our school district with an excellent central facility site by passing the two previous bond issues for an elementary and middle school. The single educational site we have at Miami Trace compares favorably to any district I have seen throughout the state of Ohio. There remains one more piece to the puzzle. This is to replace an aging high school. The need for such does not quite reach that which the elementary and middle schools did, but the time to do so may never be more favorable. The state is providing our district with $11 million to help fund this project. This is a financial gift we may not ever be afforded again. The cost per square foot to construct Miami Trace Elementary School was $168.00. It rose to $190.00 in three short years for Miami Trace Middle School. Our state share has been dramatically reduced from 46% in 2008 to 31% in 2014. This is due to an increase in our local property values. High school construction costs are typically greater than elementary and middle schools due to the many special use rooms contained in them. It is projected the cost for our new high school will be approximately $233.00 per square foot. In 2005, and again in 2008, when the then Ohio School Facilities Commission (now Ohio Facilities Construction Commission) informed us we qualified for funding, we knew it would transform our district. The support our community gave to improving the facilities is nothing short of remarkable. Miami Trace has achieved academic success with deserved recognition from the Department Of Education. Numerous awards for Value Added progress for being amongst the highest of any district, public or charter, have been earned recently. Our overall rating reached “Excellent With Distinction” before the state temporarily suspended designating districts with levels of achievement. Throughout this time, Miami Trace has been a careful steward of the taxpayer monies. Through consolidation to a central site and a conscious effort to make wise financial decisions, Miami Trace has a healthy general fund balance to operate its schools effectively serving the needs of all children. I understand and respect opposing views on this issue. The financial burden of additional taxation can cause undue strain on individuals and families already struggling. Sacrificing for children has been a standard in our school community. It is my sincere hope that an investment in them will come back to our community many fold. It would have been extremely helpful in 2005 if the OSFC had permitted us to do all projects with one bond issue. All efforts were made to persuade the OSFC to do so. That was simply not permissible at the time. We have had to piece this puzzle together for nine years. Wonderful results have occurred because our school community has strongly supported the importance of education for the children of today and long into our future. I urge support of the bond issue. Respectfully, Dan Roberts Former Superintendent Miami Trace Local Schools
Posted on: Wed, 15 Oct 2014 14:50:38 +0000
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