Our District facilities are dictating what we can or cannot offer our students. The capacity limitations and facility maintenance needs in some of our buildings are guiding decisions for our students instead of our strategic plan.
On this web page, you will find information and updates regarding the bond issue on the November 2, 2021 ballot.
The Plan for Our Future:
Expanding full-day kindergarten District-wide is important to foster early childhood development, support local families and our community as a whole.
Full-day kindergarten is currently offered on a very limited basis due to limited capacity in our elementary buildings. In order to expand the program district-wide, more classroom space is needed.
Early intervention and access to educational services are proven to lead to better academic and social and emotional development in children. Full-day kindergarten will expand access to these critical services and prepare students for success early in their journey.
Families and the community at-large benefit from full-day kindergarten by empowering parents and caregivers to return to the workforce or to activities within our community.
Hannah Ashton Middle School, constructed 153 years ago, was built to meet the educational needs of past generations - it’s failing infrastructure and systems are preventing us from connecting to the technology and advancements needed to educate students today.
Flexible learning spaces and upgraded technology and electrical systems enable students to connect to the type of high-quality learning experiences our highly-trained staff are capable of providing - these are not possible due to the age and layout of the building.
Extensive upgrades are needed to address deficiencies with the roofing, plumbing, electrical and weather-proofing systems. These fixes may extend the life of the building 5-10 years and are estimated to cost more than $18 million, well above the district’s capital budget to maintain buildings, and do not include the inevitable projects that will be uncovered in the process.
Anytime we spend money on maintenance and our facilities out of our general fund, we inevitably have to spend less in other areas of our budget where it matters most - in the classroom on expenses like teachers, technology and support for students.
The Plan for Our Future aligns our District facilities with our mission - empowering leaders to impact the NOW and innovate the FUTURE. Every student in the District will experience the impact of this plan.
Early childhood and elementary students will be better prepared for their future with access to full-day kindergarten and a dedicated early childhood center.
Fifth grade students will move back to the elementary schools, a more developmentally appropriate group for them to continue to learn and grow.
Middle and high school students will have equal opportunities and access to learning opportunities at equally equipped buildings that have updated electric systems.
We can maintain the status quo but it means we are putting more money into short-term fixes. We simply cannot outwork the aging infrastructure or repurpose enough space for classrooms or make what we have now work to suit today’s teaching and learning needs.
The Board of Education has placed a modest 4.9 mill bond and permanent improvement issue on the November 2 ballot to provide modern and equipped learning spaces for all Reynoldsburg students.
Our community places high value on educating our young people at a good value to our residents. To maintain this commitment to our residents, Reynoldsburg City Schools has not been on the ballot in over 10 years.
This issue is estimated to cost homeowners approximately $14 per month per $100,000 of home value, as determined by the County Auditor.
If the issue passes, Reynoldsburg City Schools will:
Construct a new Middle School and utilize some historic pieces from the original Hannah Ashton building;
Build a new Early Learning Center where the Graham Road building currently sits;
Expand full-day kindergarten district-wide;
Upgrade electrical and technology systems to accommodate modern learning;
Provide flexible learning spaces for today’s educational models; and
Create a Permanent Improvement (PI) fund to maintain buildings and facilities in the future.
If the issue does not pass, Reynoldsburg City Schools will not be able to expand access to full-day kindergarten or relocate 5th grade to the elementary schools due to capacity limitations. Moreover, repairs at Hannah Ashton and stop-gap measures to meet the needs of students in the short-term will continue to require the District to direct funds away from daily operations, causing reductions to classroom spending.