Schools

School Board Votes Tuesday On $134 Million Bond Levy

The board will hold its first vote Tuesday night on whether to ask the voters to approve a $134.8 million bond issue.

The Cleveland Heights - University Heights School Board plans to hold its first vote Tuesday on a $134.8 million bond issue that, if approved by voters, would largely pay for the first phase of the district's facilities plan.

Board members are scheduled to vote on the plan during its board work session at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the district office. If it passes, a second and final vote would likely happen July 2.

Voters would decide the fate of the bond issue on Election Day in November.

The facilities plan seeks to modernize the school district's aging buildings and bring its facilities in line with its student population. The total project is expected to cost more than $230 million and be broken into two phases that involves closing some schools and rehabilitating others.

The levy would raise the vast majority of the cost of the first phase, with the rest coming from private donations and loans.

"Our schools are dated, inefficient, and too expensive to operate," said Patrick Mullen, the chairman of the district's Lay Facilities Committee, which drafted and recommended the plan to the school board. "When it comes to supporting educational programs, they are borderline at best. Teachers and students are doing a good job in spite of these buildings."

The Lay Facilities Committee's recommendation called for closing Noble and Fairfax elementary schools and Wiley Middle School.

Boulevard Elementary School would be rebuilt. The four remaining elementary schools, the two remaining middle schools and the high school would be renovated.

Click here to see the committee's report.

Find out what's happening in Cleveland Heightswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

According to the committee report, the $234 million project would take place in two phases: Phase 1 would include the high school and middle school renovations, and Phase 2 — beginning years in the future — would include the elementary school renovations.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Cleveland Heights