Strongsville City Schools unveil $147.7 million bond plan to replace aging elementary buildings

Strongsville City Schools presented a detailed plan to voters in a virtual town hall, asking the community to approve a bond that officials say would replace and renovate the district’s aging elementary schools and centralize preschool services.

Dr. Rya, who opened the session, said the proposal — labeled the "Foundation for the Future" plan — responds to long-standing maintenance needs and shifting educational requirements in buildings that in several cases date to the 1950s and 1960s. “We want to provide you factual information on the foundation for the future facilities plan,” Dr. Rya said at the start of the event.

Why the district is asking: school condition and enrollment

Officials described a combination of structural maintenance needs and steady enrollment that together prompted the recommendation. Steve Breer, operations manager, said district assessments found “the roofs are in need of desperate repair,” along with windows, cracking walls and failing underground water and sewer lines at multiple sites. The district also reported having 14 mobile classrooms in use and roughly 2,300 K–5 students now and projected at around that level for the coming decade, a staffing and space pattern the district says is not temporary.

The district’s facilities development committee reviewed options ranging from a single consolidated building to retaining five neighborhood schools. After consulting with architects and the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission (OFCC) guidance — including a 67% threshold the OFCC uses to decide when repair costs justify new construction — the committee recommended a four-school configuration that officials said balances neighborhood access, safety and cost efficiency.

The recommended plan and timeline

Under the plan presented, the district would build three new 700-student elementary schools (behind Chapman and Sar and on the old Albian Middle School site for the Whitney area), renovate Kinsner (a 1990s building) and convert Morasi into a centralized preschool to improve access to specialized services for young children with disabilities. Presenters emphasized that design work would begin only if the bond passes.

Officials provided a three-phase schedule: design in the year after a successful vote; construction of the three new schools so they could welcome students in fall 2029 (with project completion by fall 2030); renovation of Kinsner in summer 2029 while displaced students use Morasi for one year; and final preschool work completing by fall 2031.

Cost, tax impact and funding details

George Anastasia, the district treasurer, gave the financial overview: the total project cost was presented as about $158.15 million, with $10.5 million of permanent-improvement funds already allocated to reduce the bond ask. The bond the district is asking voters to approve was reported as roughly $147.65 million. The district estimated a 5% interest rate over a 36-year issuance and calculated the levy as about 3.43 mills — roughly $120 per $100,000 of home value. Using the district’s average home value of $350,000, officials presented an illustrative annual tax impact of about $420, or about $1.15 per day.

“Bond proceeds for bond dollars are restricted — they can only be used for construction, renovation, site work and infrastructure,” Anastasia said, emphasizing these funds cannot be used for operating costs such as salaries or supplies.

Local impacts, safety and design features

Speakers said the new designs prioritize safety and neighborhood compatibility: site fit plans include separate bus and family car loops, perimeter vehicle loops for emergency access and separate gym/cafeteria spaces to avoid the fast “flip” that currently reduces instructional time in some buildings. Dan Fost, communications coordinator, stressed that the renderings shown were conceptual and that detailed design would follow a successful bond vote.

Teachers and principals described daily disruptions now. Emily Young, principal at Sar Elementary School, and teacher Mary Whitaker explained how trailers and shared spaces reduce instructional minutes and create noise and storage challenges. As Whitaker put it, those transitions mean students “are missing some instruction.”

Unresolved costs and site constraints

Officials acknowledged several project uncertainties that are being studied. The Sar property includes pipeline easements; the district has budgeted a planning estimate of about $2.5 million to address moving or rerouting utility lines but said a feasibility study with Buckeye Partners is underway to produce final numbers and define required easements.

Operating finances and levy context

The town hall also addressed operating finances. Treasurer Anastasia said the district is currently drawing down reserves and expects continued deficit spending this fiscal year (about $10–11 million) because renewal levies have failed in recent elections. He noted the earliest the district could pursue an operating levy replacement is the November 2026 ballot and that the board will make decisions about operating revenue needs separately from the bond proposal.

Next steps

The district’s presenters urged voters to review online materials, attend in-person tours (the team offered Chapman Elementary for a walkthrough) and vote on May 5. Officials said if the bond does not pass, some critical capital needs remain (the district has a five-year critical needs list of about $10.8 million) and would require other decisions about maintenance and operating priorities.

The town hall concluded with a reminder that design work and final equipment decisions would happen only after voter approval and with city and safety officials engaged in the planning process.