Discussion has been growing in the Greenon Local School District about how to solve the problem of students being underserved, due to the district’s inadequate school buildings. But it was a letter written by Indian Valley seventh-grader, Olivia Hale, which helped prompt a special public meeting of the Greenon Board of Education (GBOE) and Ohio School Facilities Commission (OSFC) representative, Glenn Rowell. The meeting took place in the Indian Valley Intermediate School gymnasium on May 16 at 7:00pm. GBOE member, Mark Remmetter, was absent.

Rowell opened by telling attendees how Hale had written a letter to Ohio’s Superintendent of Public Instruction, who also serves as the Head of the Ohio Dept. of Education. According to Rowell, Hale asked the Superintendent for assistance in helping the Greenon district get new schools. The Superintendent forwarded the letter to the OSFC in order to answer Hale’s questions, resulting in Rowell’s appearance at the special GBOE meeting.

Rowell went on to explain to residents how the OSFC works and how it partners with school districts tackling building projects. Rowell discussed how the OSFC decides how much funding school districts are eligible for, the parameters that districts need to meet in order to receive funding, and the approximate timeline for state-funded building projects.

According to Rowell, the OSFC rates each of Ohio’s public school districts according to their “relative wealth” which is calculated based on a district’s assessed property values in relation to its number of students. Due to changing factors, Rowell explained the list’s rankings fluctuate from year-to-year. On a list of approximately 611 school districts, the Greenon district is currently ranked at 405th place, placing it at the wealthier end of the list.

Due to Greenon’s current ranking, Rowell says the OSFC would provide funds to cover approximately 43 percent of the cost of a building project, leaving Greenon responsible for the remaining 57 percent. Rowell also mentioned that although Greenon was eligible for guaranteed OSFC funding “several years ago,” the district was unable to raise the requisite funds within a 13 month period, so that funding “went away.” “Now,” said Rowell, “your district is now a ‘lapsed district’ and must raise the appropriate funds first, and then the state will go and try to find its share (of the building funds).”

Rowell says there is risk involved if a lapsed district does not raise funds soon. For although Ohio has “generously” provided the OSFC with building funds to distribute to schools since 1997, the OSFC could lose that state funding at any time—leaving schools without the option of free, state-sponsored building funds.

Rowell provided more information about the requirements the OSFC has of the school districts it partners with. Emotions then ran high among attendees as Rowell and GBOE members listened to numerous comments and addressed the many questions raised by residents.

Some residents wanted to know why something had not already been done about the district’s failing buildings, why the OSFC demanded certain things of a district before it would provide funding, if the GBOE had considered pursuing other avenues of funding that would leave the district free from OSFC involvement, why Hustead Elementary had closed and what happened to the funds saved from its closure, along with a number of other questions.

Many parents of students also commented on how “sub-par buildings” were having a negative effect on their children’s learning and the need for “more involvement from the community to support the schools.” Concerns were raised about lack of communication to residents and how it affects the public’s opinion of the district. Among the comments, one senior resident passionately stated she would vote ‘no’ on any project where a new building would be built in Enon as one attendee had suggested, instead of in the middle of the district where it would be more accessible to rural residents.

In answering residents’ questions, GBOE President Dennis Henry and Vice-President Keith Culp repeatedly stated that the GBOE wants the public to be involved and provide as much input as possible as to what any potential building or renovation project may look like for Greenon Local Schools.“We want and need your ideas and participation,” stressed Henry, “We are just tools of the community.”

The next regular GBOE meeting is May 23 at 7:00 at Indian Valley Intermediate School.