Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Facilities topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Canal Winchester board advances multi‑phase facilities plan and authorizes financing steps
Summary
The Canal Winchester Local board heard a detailed master facilities plan that includes an 800+‑seat performing arts center, a field house and athletic‑field relocations, and approved steps to pursue funding: a public‑hearing notice on a millage move and authorization to enter a base lease to pursue borrowing.
The Canal Winchester Local Board of Education reviewed a multi‑phase master facilities plan on Monday that outlines a new performing arts center, a field house and significant outdoor reconfigurations for athletic fields and parking.
The plan, presented by district staff (Missus Hunt), described a Phase 1 that would attach an 800+‑seat performing arts center (PAC) to Canal Winchester High School while renovating existing music spaces, relocating the baseball field and adding two softball diamonds, three tennis courts (for a total of nine), a new traffic flow between north and south campus and additional practice green space. A later Phase 2 would consider a new seventh–eighth grade building at the middle school campus and larger athletic upgrades, and likely require a bond vote.
The presentation included preliminary cost estimates. One board member summarized early figures: “a 20,000 square foot P.A.C. should cost around $9,200,000 … an athletic facility that size of 20 to 25,000 square feet should cost somewhere in the $6,000,000 range. If that's true, that's $15,000,000 — we're looking to borrow the 15,000,000,” (speaker 3). The district emphasized these are rough estimates and that final design phases and budget work remain to be completed.
Board members pressed for two priorities: do the PAC and related projects fully rather than taking “half measures,” and ensure accessibility and an equitable experience. “We don’t wanna do something halfway. We wanna do it right the first time,” Missus Hunt said during discussion.
On financing, the board approved two procedural steps. First, it approved a resolution authorizing notice of a public hearing on moving 1.5 inside mills to the district’s permanent improvement (PI) fund; the hearing will be published for two weeks and is planned for the February regular board meeting. Board materials and discussion stressed that the proposed inside‑mill move is timed with expiring debt so it would not increase taxes on the community as a whole and that state law creates a 20‑mill floor that affects only residential/agricultural (class 1) rates.
Second, the board approved a resolution authorizing the board to enter into a base lease of district land and facilities to enable borrowing. District officials said the authorization allows the district to pursue loan options (presenter described scenarios ranging from roughly $15 million for PAC/athletic pieces up to proposals discussed with lenders) but that any final contract would return to the board for approval if loan rates were unacceptable.
Board members asked staff to return with enrollment projections, clearer cost estimates and refined scheduling to limit community tax impact. Presenters and board members repeatedly emphasized that the figures and phasing are preliminary and contingent on design, bids and formal financing terms.
What happens next: the district will publish the public‑hearing notice and continue design and budget work. If the board proceeds with borrowing, it will return with final loan documents and rates for approval before executing contracts.
