We Don’t Need It

• Many of the “substandard facilities” claims made by the district are simply due to maintenance items that have been neglected over the years.
• The district claims the schools are overcrowded, but this is a SELF-INFLICTED wound caused by reconfiguring grade levels into a way that parents hate.
• One of the schools closed for reconfiguration, Maple Elementary, one of the newest school buildings in the district. You can’t close one of your newest buildings then claim all your buildings need replaced.
• Much of the cost to renovate rather than replace the buildings lies in replacing an antiquated boiler system with another antiquated boiler system. This system could be replaced with a forced air system at a much lower cost. This is just one example of the exaggerated costs presented for renovating existing buildings.
• We’re told the leaky roof at the high school can’t be replaced correctly due to the extra cost of asbestos abatement, however we would need to pay for this abatement if the building were torn down too.
• They are asking for things we don’t need. The community wants to give the kids what they actually need. We don’t need a new football stadium, a 700 seat auditorium, a bus garage, a new board of Ed building.

We Can’t Afford It

• According to the district’s own community survey presented at a special board meeting in January, high property taxes is the #1 concern of Chardon residents.
• This bond issue is only the first phase of the overall facilities plan. Once funding is secured to replace the middle and high schools, the newest buildings in the district, there will be another bond issue to replace the older elementary schools. The total cost of this facilities plan will be more than 8-mills. The community overwhelmingly opposes this overall facilities plan according to the community survey.
• Based on the district’s operating budget projections, the district will likely put yet another operating levy on the ballot in 3 to 4 years.
• Our property taxes are already among the highest in the state when compared to income. Foreclosures are on the rise. Passing this issue would force people out of our community and lower the value of our homes!
• The bond issue is essentially never-ending. Current high school students will be paying on these bonds their entire working career, having never been given the opportunity to vote on the issue.

Don’t forget to pre-order your Vote No! yard sign!