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Board approves letter of intent to pursue family farm on State Route 39 for possible new campus
Summary
The New Philadelphia Board of Education voted 4-1 to approve a letter of intent to buy a family farm on State Route 39 as a potential site for a new school campus; trustees said the purchase would proceed only if a May levy passes and pending soil and traffic studies after concerns about mine openings and poor soils were raised.
The New Philadelphia Board of Education approved a letter of intent to pursue purchase of a family farm on State Route 39 as a potential site for a new school campus, voting 4-1 on the measure.
Mr. Zimmerman, who introduced the proposal and spoke in support, said the parcel offers enough acreage to build a campus comparable to Strasburg or Sandy Valley and that other commonly suggested sites were unavailable or had limitations. "There's no retainer with it, and we only buy it if the levy passes in May," he said, describing contingencies to ensure land suitability before any purchase.
A board member identified as Amanda emphasized the board had listened to community feedback and wanted to present another option to voters. "The people have the right to choose whether they want this or not," she said.
Board member Mr. Rickly said he supported the goal of new facilities but raised several site-suitability concerns based on his research. He cited an asking price of $35,714 per acre and said the district should obtain mineral rights at that level. He also reported contacting the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and said publicly available ODNR and Natural Resources Conservation Service maps show deep mines on the property, including "a vertical mine opening, 12 ft in diameter, and 4 to 6 ft deep," and that soils are rated "very limited," which could require major reclamation or costly engineering. "In my experience... there isn't an engineer anywhere... they have all said, 'We can overcome any obstacle; it just takes money,'" he said.
Dr. Bachmann said he agreed with colleagues about the board's process and said the district will require soil and traffic studies before moving forward. "My understanding of this property is that it's doable, it's workable, and we have lots of safeguards in place," he said, noting the district would not build on every acre and that some questions can only be answered by further studies.
On the roll call, Mr. Rickly voted no; Dr. Bachmann, Mrs. Schrock, Ms. Fontana and Mr. Zimmerman voted yes, and the motion carried. The board noted the purchase would not proceed unless the levy passes and the district's due diligence — including soil and traffic studies and confirmation about mine openings and mineral-rights status — supports the acquisition.
After the vote, the president stopped the recording and excused Mrs. Wentworth from the meeting.
