Aurora Board approves partnership with OFCC to pursue facility plan; district retains a smaller "essential" plan

At a special meeting the Aurora Board of Education voted to accept a partnership with the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission’s (OFCC) expedited local partnership program and to submit the OFCC master facility plan for registration.

A staff member leading the presentation told the board the action approves the partnership and OFCC’s master plan as it stands, but does not obligate the district to adopt the larger OFCC scope. "We are approving the partnership with them," the staff member said. "We do not need to pursue that." The OFCC pro‑project budget cited in the materials was approximately $93,905,603; the presenter said the district’s local share would be about $81 million and the state reimbursement the district could receive later would be roughly $13,146,784 if the district qualifies.

Why it matters: the partnership is a procedural but necessary step to get in line for state reimbursement through the OFCC. To access the potential state funds the district must pass a local bond and a 0.5‑mill maintenance levy at the time it moves into the reimbursement window, the presenter said. The district’s own "essential plan" focuses on reconfiguring to PK–3 and targeted capital needs (including a triage list and bus garage work) that OFCC does not cover because those items do not affect instructional space.

Details from the presentation: the OFCC master plan, as provided to the board, assumes a broader scope that includes about $17 million in LFI (locally funded initiatives) that would push the total toward roughly $111 million. The district’s local calculations reflect an essential plan that produces the cited $13.1 million potential state share based on OFCC enrollment and eligibility formulas. The presenter walked directors through the cover letter, signature page and a spreadsheet showing how OFCC computed its figures and how the district’s essential plan differs from OFCC’s assessed scope.

Timing and next steps: the staff member said the documents must be returned to OFCC by June 12 and that the district planned to send materials on June 9. The presenter cautioned that receiving reimbursement is contingent on the district’s position in the OFCC queue; it could take three to five years — or longer — to receive funds depending on statewide demand. The presenter cited Oakwood City Schools as an example of a district that moved up the list and received reimbursement sooner than expected.

Board action and administrative steps: the board voted by roll call, with recorded 'yes' votes from Dr. Schneider, Mrs. Mahalis, Mrs. Fuller and Mrs. Click, to accept the partnership and submit the OFCC master plan materials. The presenter said district leaders (including the board clerk and relevant staff) would complete signature pages and return the packet to OFCC.

The board’s approval registers the district for OFCC consideration but does not itself commit the community to passing a bond or the maintenance levy required to access reimbursement; those measures would still require voter approval on a future ballot and additional board actions to place and support a bond measure.