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Bexley City Schools unveils facilities plan, Cassidy Avenue purchase and seeks state budget relief
Summary
Superintendent Jason Fine and Treasurer Kyle Smith outlined a community-driven facilities process, the recent purchase of nearly 30 acres on Cassidy Avenue and funding options; the board will ask the Ohio legislature to avoid proposed cuts under House Bill 96 that would reduce district revenue by about $318,000 over two years.
Bexley City Schools Superintendent Jason Fine and Treasurer Kyle Smith used the State of the Community platform to summarize the district’s community-driven strategic plan, an active facilities planning process and a recent land purchase intended to address long-term space needs.
Fine said the district is in the third phase of a facilities planning process led with architecture firms Perkins&Will and Moody Nolan. He said the process has included about a year and a half of work, with 12 public engagement sessions and 24 building-team meetings, and that the community will help decide how the roughly 30-acre Cassidy Avenue property will be used.
"There is no zero-cost option," Fine said of the facilities choices facing the district, adding that the community has reviewed projected costs for 0–5 years, 6–10 years and 11–15 years. He said the board and core team will take the architects’ final plan to the school board in the spring for decisions.
Treasurer Kyle Smith described financing options under consideration, including bonds/property taxes and an income-tax option using certificates of participation. Smith said Bexley has limited state facility assistance and emphasized stewardship of local tax dollars.
Board President Victoria Powers and Smith said the Ohio budget proposal introduced as House Bill 96 would reduce funding to the district. Powers said the district’s nonpartisan budget analysts estimate the proposal would reduce revenue to Bexley City Schools by more than $318,000 over the next two fiscal years. She said the board planned to consider a resolution asking the Ohio General Assembly and the governor to fully fund the Fair School Funding Plan without the cuts; the resolution was scheduled for the board meeting the following day.
Why it matters: Fine framed the Cassidy Avenue purchase and the facilities work as solutions to long-standing capacity and scheduling pressures for student activities. The treasurer’s summary of financing options and the board’s planned resolution on the state budget set out the fiscal choices that will drive whether and how construction or renovation proceeds.
What’s next: Architects will present a final facilities plan to the board in spring; the board will consider a resolution requesting full state funding and will discuss financing mechanisms that could include levies, bonds or certificates of participation.
