Bexley schools outline facilities plan, note purchase of 30-acre Cassidy Avenue property

Superintendent Jason Fine and Treasurer Kyle Smith of Bexley City Schools told the Bexley City Council on Feb. 11 that the district is moving from an options phase to a decisions phase in a community-driven facilities planning process and confirmed the district recently purchased 30 acres on Cassidy Avenue.

The presentation summarized academic performance, financial stewardship and next steps for facilities. “Learn with curiosity, demonstrate kindness, and embrace equity,” Fine said, reciting the district’s mission from its strategic plan and describing the plan as community driven.

The update matters because the district’s buildings average 84 years old and the board soon must decide whether to accept a facilities plan that could trigger a funding conversation, including whether to seek voter approval. Kyle Smith told council that about 74.5% of the district’s funding comes from local sources and that the district’s five-year forecast is the primary tool for assessing fiscal health.

Fine and Smith said the…