Pass two issues for Columbia Schools

A good political tagline should capture the essence of a candidate or ballot issue. So it is with Columbia Schools' pitch to voters for a renewal levy and a bond issue: "The Need Is Now!" The district desperately needs more space for its growing student population, which swelled from 887 students in 2020 to 1,050 students this year, Superintendent Graig Bansek told us Tuesday. We anticipate that growth will continue, further squeezing staff and students into closets and other small spaces. Bansek said the district might even need to put a classroom on the stage at Columbia High School. "From special ed to STEAM to gifted, all these programs have grown in the last 10 years," Bansek said. In other words, the district can't delay renovating and expanding its existing buildings any longer. Unfortunately, Columbia Schools isn't in line to receive construction funding from the state any time soon, which means it's up to voters to help the district ease its overcrowding. Which brings us back to the two issues, identified as Issue 17 and Issue 18 on the ballot, that voters served by Columbia Schools will face when they head to the polls. We'll take Issue 18 first because voters are likely already familiar with the 2-mill permanent improvement levy first passed in 2010 and twice renewed. It generates around $519,000 per year, with the money going toward routine maintenance, including everything from light bulbs to school buses. It also pays for technology such as the Chromebook computers used by every student starting in third grade. The owner of a home valued at $100,000 would pay about $51 annually were Issue 18 to pass, according to Lorain County Auditor Craig Snodgrass' office. Clearly, the district needs that money to maintain what it already has. Issue 17, however, is a 4.88-mill bond issue that would generate additional revenue to pay for approximately $38.5 million worth of renovations and additions at the high school as well as the shared building that houses Columbia Middle School and Copopa Elementary School. The new money would be put to good use. Six new classrooms are planned for the high school, and the gym would be expanded to serve as a multipurpose facility not only for physical education classes, but with a larger stage for concerts and drama productions. The high school's cafeteria, kitchen and restrooms would be renovated, as would things such as floors and windows. Additional security measures, including construction of a secure entrance with bulletproof glass, are included in project plans as well. Bansek said seven new classrooms would be added at the middle- and elementary-school building, as would two more offices and a workroom for teachers. Plans for the K-8 building also include a new cafeteria and warming kitchen in addition to separate playgrounds for elementary- and middle-school students, district officials have said. The combined school also would see the addition of a two-story athletic complex that would include a regulation-size basketball court and a wrestling area as well as locker rooms, offices and a concession stand. A community event space is included in plans for the athletic complex as well. Bansek said the athletic complex would be used for gym classes for elementary- and middle-school students during the day before being used for high school athletics in the evenings. Despite how ambitious the project is, Bansek said the cost would still be millions of dollars cheaper than if the district were to build a new high school. The owner of a home valued at $100,000 would pay $171 per year were Issue 17 to pass, according to the Auditor's Office. Some voters might be leery of the added expense given that the district's revenue from inside millage, essentially an unvoted property tax, is expected to jump by nearly $492,000 per year because of an increase in residential property values. However, that's nowhere nearly enough money to address the district's lack of space. Moreover, the additional inside millage revenue will go into the district's general fund and be used for operating expenses. The district has an operating budget of around $14 million annually, and Bansek said the money from inside millage should allow the district to delay asking for new operating money. (Columbia Schools last asked for a new operating levy in 2013, he said.) Besides, the district's need for additional space is so great that Bansek said if Issue 17 were to fail this year, it would go before voters again next year. However, he warned that delays would likely drive up the cost by $3 million to $6 million. "It's the best deal right now, and it's the most efficient," he said. We agree and urge voters to throw their support behind Issue 17 and Issue 18.