Twinsburg bond issue would build new school, update buildings and athletic facilities
By Josh Aponte/Kent State NewsLab
The Twinsburg City School District might look different after the Nov. 5 election. Issue 33 is the school district’s newest bond issue, which would raise $107 million in funds for 36 years, including renovations to some of the schools in the district, including two middle schools: Wilcox and Dodge.
Twinsburg Superintendent Kathy Powers says the school district has the most problems with Dodge.
“There’s nothing more important than preparing our students for their futures and what we have come to know over the course of time is that our facilities are starting to fail our students,” Powers said. “Everybody understands that at Dodge, we have multiple problems that make teaching and learning a challenge practically every day of the school year.”
Not only are the middle schools in need of renovations, according to the district, so is Tiger Stadium. Twinsburg Athletic Director Brian Fantone says the turf as well as the track at the stadium is nearing its expiration date.
“We are at a point with Tiger Stadium where there are a variety of things the facility overall needs,” Fantone said. “We are definitely getting to a point where we’re going to have to get new turf.”
The new Tiger Stadium would be built closer to Twinsburg High School because the land where the stadium is currently located would be used to be a new pre-K through sixth grade school.
Taxpayers would see an increase of $149 annually per $100,000 of appraised property value. A calculator on the school district’s website can show property owners in the district their estimated tax increase.
The Twinsburg average home value is around $338,000 which means the average Twinsburg homeowner would pay about $500 per year.
A survey about Issue 33 posted on one of Twinsburg’s most well known Facebook pages, The Twinsburg Roundtable, suggested local voters were mixed on the issue.
One of the residents said that Dodge absolutely needs to be replaced.
“I think one of the biggest draws to our city is the school system, which consistently needs to be improved upon,” the commenter said. “We’ve been talking for a long time about how Dodge either needs to be demolished or completely redone, especially since it’s on a wetland. What we currently have is not ideal, and it definitely affected the way I learned when I was in grade school.”
Those who live within the area of the Twinsburg City School District can vote on Issue 33 on Tuesday.
This story was originally published by the Kent State NewsLab, a collaborative news outlet publishing journalism by Kent State students.