Xenia schools will try bond levy again in May

Xenia schools will take a second crack at raising money for a new school, putting a 4.2-mill bond issue on the May 2 ballot.

The state has agreed to cover 46 percent of the $62 million cost to replace the 1962 Warner Middle School and 1976 Xenia High School with a single new building at Ohio 42 and Ledbetter Road.

But voters most approve a bond levy to cover the rest of the cost, and this same plan was defeated by a 53-47 ratio in November. Now Superintendent Denny Morrison said the cost has gone up, from 3.9 mills to 4.2 mills, because of rising interest rates on the bond payback.

Morrison said the structural issues with the schools remain – outdated heating and mechanical systems, missing fire suppression systems, plus damaged pipes and ceilings. But he said the district is advertising the levy as a way to help students get a better education.

“In our (campaign), we’re going to focus more on what this means for our kids so they can compete,” Morrison said. “We can’t do a lot of the project-based learning activities in our current spaces, and our building systems cannot support the modern educational technologies.”

About the Author