Pataskala presentation outlines $115 million school bond, new middle school and YMCA-partnered community center

Casey Perkins, identified in the meeting record as superintendent of Southwood Cooking, told Pataskala City Council members that the school district will ask voters in May to approve a roughly $115 million bond to pay for a new middle school, an expansion of the high school campus and a planned YMCA-operated community center the district calls the “Sphere.”

Perkins said the proposal would keep elementary schools at kindergarten through fourth grade, build a new school for fifth and sixth grades, convert the current middle school into a junior high for grades seven and eight, and expand the high school to increase capacity. The district described the new middle school as designed to serve about 1,200 students and said the high school addition would raise capacity into the 1,600–1,700 range. New parking on the high school campus was described as providing about 724 spaces to address event-day congestion.

The presentation said the Sphere would be a shared facility operated by the YMCA on district-owned land near Watkins Road and Impact City Church. The district said the YMCA would staff and run day-to-day operations, while the school district would retain ownership and remain responsible for major repairs. Planned features listed by the presenter include gym courts, an eight-lane pool, batting cages, an esports room, a splash pad, picnic areas and meeting space; Perkins said the facility would reserve priority hours for school athletics and would be open to YMCA members and the broader public during other hours.

Perkins told council members the bond is composed mostly of building projects—about 80%—with the Sphere representing roughly 20% of the cost. He said the district estimates the tax impact at about $12 per $100,000 of assessed home value. Perkins contrasted that with the district’s 2017 bond, which she said translated to about $19 per $100,000 at that time and now equates to roughly $8 per $100,000 because of growth in the tax base.

Perkins also described two programs tied to the district’s facilities plan: a repurposed elementary building to open this fall as a specialized academy serving K–5 students with autism and grades 6–12 students with behavioral needs, and a permanent “safety town” behind Fasswell Elementary that the presenter said is funded by a grant and will run this summer.

Councilmembers present asked for clarifications about tax calculations, who may use the Sphere and site locations. The presenter said YMCA membership would provide access to the Sphere facilities and that some outdoor amenities such as the splash pad and picnic area would be open to the broader community without proof of residency or school enrollment.

The presentation materials include a QR code to the district’s informational site and Perkins asked council and the public to review those materials as the district continues outreach ahead of the May vote.

Votes at a glance: the meeting recorded council action on the evening’s consent agenda (approved by roll call) and a motion to amend Ordinance 2025-4491 (the motion to amend passed on roll call). The bond measure itself was presented to council but was not acted on by the council during the meeting; Perkins said the district plans voter outreach in the coming weeks.

Details provided during the presentation and council Q&A were drawn from the district’s slides and spoken remarks recorded in the meeting transcript. No final council action on the proposed bond was taken at the meeting.