Geneva Schools present facts on Issue 36 bond for new athletic facility as residents press questions

Geneva — Geneva Schools Superintendent Paul Lombardo and the school board outlined the facts behind a proposed bond levy, Issue 36, that would fund a new athletic facility and answered residents’ questions at the City of Geneva Council meeting on Oct. 13.

Lombardo, who identified himself as superintendent, told the council and members of the public he was “here to give you the facts around the levy, and only the facts.” He said the levy is to fund facilities only and provided figures for estimated homeowner costs and routine upkeep.

The district says the levy would fund a multi-part athletic project intended to let students remain at their home schools for events, expand participation opportunities, give the district control over scheduling and maintenance fees, and create a community asset. Lombardo said the district presented a per‑household cost of about $5.75 per $100,000 of appraised value and described annual routine maintenance costs in a range of roughly $2,000 to $5,000 if upkeep is performed regularly. The presentation also included a figure the district gave as the total bond amount (stated in the presentation as $1,515,955,000).

Board President Michelle Craig and other school board members described why the district views a new facility as necessary. Craig said the district no longer owns Memorial Field and that the property is owned…