NEW RICHMOND, Ohio — U.S. Grant Career Center will hold a community meeting Tuesday to explain a $59 million facilities ballot issue headed to voters this fall, according to a post from New Richmond Exempted Village Schools.
The meeting is set for 6 p.m. Tuesday in the New Richmond High School media center. The district asked attendees to enter through the school’s gym entrance.
Grant Career Center, a joint vocational school district based in Bethel that serves Bethel-Tate Local, Felicity-Franklin Local, New Richmond Exempted Village and Williamsburg Local schools, is asking voters to approve a combined 1.99-mill issue on the Nov. 3 general election ballot, according to the district. The measure pairs a 1.15-mill bond issue with a 0.84-mill continuing permanent improvement levy required by the state to maintain the facility.
The bond would help fund a $59 million renovation and addition at the district’s Bethel campus, with the state covering 58% of the cost through the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission and local taxpayers covering the remaining 42%, the district said. The project is meant to modernize instructional spaces, expand capacity, improve safety and security infrastructure and update career-technical training equipment, according to the district.
The permanent improvement levy would pay for ongoing building maintenance, equipment replacement, capital repairs and safety upgrades, the district said.
If approved, the combined issue would cost homeowners about $5.80 a month for every $100,000 of appraised home value, according to the district.
Grant Career Center offers 14 secondary career-technical programs on its Bethel campus and 11 adult education programs, along with four satellite programs at partner schools. The district describes itself as the fourth-fastest-growing career center in Ohio and reports a 100% graduation rate among its students, along with a 99% industry credential rate, an 88% post-program placement rate and a 94% technical skill attainment rate. Mike Parry is the district’s superintendent.
The information contained in this story was obtained from New Richmond Exempted Village Schools and U.S. Grant Career Center.