ANDERSON TOWNSHIP, Ohio — A committee of the Forest Hills School District Board will discuss two topics related to the district's finances at a meeting Monday. An update on the maintenance of facilities and priorities of the Permanent Improvement fund are both on the agenda.
This comes after Superintendent, Larry Hook's presentation on the state of the district's finances during the October Board of Education meeting. He outlined a dire situation with the district spending more than it's taking in.
"This is one of those points in history when we have to really kind of start pulling together and say what's right for Forest Hills?" Hook said.
He also laid out an estimated $5 Million of needed facility maintenance.
After a 2014 bond, building improvements were made, but not all that were necessary.
Superintendent Larry Hook says needed improvements would cost between $5-$5.5 Million. Those improvements include:
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- school building roofs
- video surveillance equipment
- Asphalt
- Buses
- Athletics projects like turf and tracks
Now, Hook said there are nearly $3 Million in roof repairs and replacements needed as well as other necessities like video surveillance equipment, asphalt repairs, buses and athletics projects like turk and tracks.
There's been talk of possible solutions to the financial situation including consolidating Turpin and Anderson High Schools or putting a levy on the ballot in May, but last month the Board said it's still considering all of the options.
"We're working hard on trying to bring every option that we can and we'll present it to you," Hook said.
Kristen Kalonick is one of many community members closely following this issue. She's a board member for a community group called Advocate FHSD and said she thinks the community will pass a levy if it's reasonable.
"Our community values education," she said. "These are the gem really in our little space and we want to protect it."
Many community members are concerned about the idea of consolidation, but what Kalonick is most concerned about is what she feels is a lack of transparency from the Board.
"I think this community not only is educated enough to understand the depth and details that we need to to make an informed decision and offer our support or rejection of ideas, but I'd also like to see them just start to be more upfront with the community overall," she said.
The Technology and Facilities Committee will meet Monday at 6 PM at the Forest Hills School District office.
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