North Olmsted City Schools readies community for Issue 1, names Birch Primary School site

NORTH OLMSTED, Ohio — As if putting a tax-increase issue on the ballot isn’t stressful enough, North Olmsted City Schools had to wait patiently for the protracted redistricting effort out of Columbus to play itself out.

Now that the May 3 ballot date is officially a go, North Olmsted City Schools Superintendent David J. Brand said the district is moving ahead promoting Issue 1.

If approved, the combined 7.8-mill new-money issue — costing a $100,000 homeowner $22.75 per month — will provide funds for operations as well as the construction of a new PreK-5 building at the roughly 20-acre Birch Primary School site.

“We are on for May 3,” Brand said. “There’s a lot of positivity about this project. It’s been a collaborative effort among lots of folks involved. It has good economic impact for the city and across the community.

“I believe it will also enhance the community at the lowest dollar value we can ask for short and long-term.”

A major reason why Brand feels there’s momentum behind the passage of Issue 1, which is on the ballot exactly a year after residents voted down an 8.5-mill operating levy, has to do with the district making $2 million in cost reductions.

That includes a $1.2 million savings from cuts in personnel, as well as an anticipated $800,000 in savings related to the closing of Forest and Spruce primary schools at the end of the school year due to district enrollment declining 17 percent over the past 15 years.

“People are appreciative of the district making $2 million worth of reductions,” Brand said. “There’s a lot of good energy about that. The levy committee will be working hard for the next month to make sure every resident is aware of how positive this is for our community as a whole.”

As for the proposed new PreK-5 building planned for the Birch Primary School site, that announcement was made last week as the recommended location by the 45-member task force comprised of civic, business, educational, neighborhood and parents.

“That process was amazing,” Brand said. “It was great to see all of the community members from different walks of life and different backgrounds coming together and assessing our options for what’s best for our community as a whole.

“The discussions were very good. I really do think it’s very rare to have an unanimous decision.”

The decision came down to Pine Intermediate School and Birch Primary School, with the latter being the dark horse considering its location tucked away in a neighborhood setting at 24100 Palm Drive.

“At first, Birch was a little surprising thinking we’d have to come off Palm Drive, but looking at it and realizing we could get to the Lorain Road and Walter Road intersection from the site it became attractive,” Brand said. “We wouldn’t be disrupting the neighborhood.”

The plan calls for the district to acquire a more than 3-acre motel located at the intersection.

“We’re blessed here in North Olmsted as a school district having some properties with a bit of acreage to them,” Brand said. “At Birch Elementary School, having Lorain Road will be drastically better and safer.”

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