What to know about Grandview Heights school bond levy vote

GRANDVIEW HEIGHTS, Ohio (WCMH) -- We’re less than 50 days away from the November general election and multiple Franklin County school districts have levies on the ballot. For those in the Grandview Heights area, voters will decide on a school bond levy.

The district is asking voters to approve a nearly $70 million bond levy. If passed, the money would be used to construct a new elementary school and improve their athletic complex. The Board of Education is asking for $69.5 million. According to the district, $52.2 million would go towards the construction of a new Stevenson Elementary School. 

“It was built in 1926, and so there are several items that are past their useful life,” said Superintendent Andy Culp. Grandview Heights Schools Superintendent Andy Culp says the building faces ongoing maintenance challenges, including leaking roofs and outdated technology. Culp says the classrooms, cafeteria, and gymnasium are too small to accommodate the needs of today’s student population. 

“So we are predicted to grow as a district, 130 (students) over the next ten years," he said. "So, certainly that is a factor.” The remaining $17.3 million will go towards improving the K-12 Athletic Complex. Culp says it would update facilities like new locker rooms, restrooms, bleachers, and concessions. He says it's nearly 80 years old. They also want to make restrooms that are ADA accessible. 

Watch: What to know about the Grandview Heights schools levy

If voters approve the levy, it would cost $243 per $100,000 for taxpayers, based on their home value. One question Beth Collier, the Grandview Heights treasure gets from voters is: where does the money they district receives from Grandview Yard go?

“Grandview yard generates revenue for us equal to about 20% of our annual operating budget,” says Collier, ““That money is helping pay, you know, pay for operating expenses and is not available to it to pay for this facility project.”

NBC4 spoke with one parent who says for the first time, they’re voting no on the levy. He didn’t want to go on camera but he did say it feels like every election cycle there is some sort of tax increase on the ballot, and he feels like the community just needs a break.

While some may be voting no, others we spoke with are in favor of Issue 37. “Stevenson is almost 100 years old and there are so many limitations with that because in the 21st century we just don't learn the same way that we did a hundred years ago,” said Brittany Stockdale, a parent and a part of the levy committee.

Stockdale has young children that currently do and will attend school in Grandview. “We moved here because the Grandview schools are ranked so highly and also the size of the community is so wonderful, but the schools are such a huge part of it and we really feel like in order for our kids to continue to thrive, they're going to need the physical structure to do that in,” said Stockdale.

The last time Grandview Heights was on the ballot was 2018, which was a bond issue as well as a one mil operating levy. Collier says that if Issue 37 gets passed in November, they do not expect a need to go back to the voters through at least 2028. 

Construction of Stevenson Elementary would begin in the 2026/27 school year and would be completed by the start of the 2027/28 school year. The plan is to build it on the existing footprint, so a modular set up would be in its place for students. For information on Issue 37, click here.