More than a hundred Berkshire Schools supporters attending a watch party May 8 breathed a sigh of relief when the first precinct numbers went up on the whiteboard showing Issue #2 was passing.
The final unofficial results of the Geauga County Board of Elections May 8 showed 2,122 voters in the school district said “yes” to the 3.65-mill bond issue with 1,164 opposed.
Not one of the 13 precincts had a majority of “no” votes, although one precinct in Montville Township had a tally of 92 for and 82 against.
The watch party, held at Kent State University – Geauga campus in Burton Township, became happier by the minute as figures rolled in.
Every time Berkshire Superintendent John Stoddard filled in another positive result on the board, a cheer went up and purple-shirted supporters hugged and laughed.
The passage of the 38-year bond for $28 million was a huge endeavor by hard-working and dedicated volunteers, with efforts ramping up over the last six months. The district can now begin designing and planning for the pre-kindergarten-through-grade 12 school on the Kent State University – Geauga campus in Burton Township north of Burton Village.
Stoddard stood with Berkshire High School Principal Michael King and Tracy Jemison, executive director of Geauga Growth Partnership, as the first figures were reported.
“This might just work,” Jemison said early in the evening.
GGP has been a major player in the initiative to raise funds for construction of the school, working with the committee to inform voters about the benefits of a new building to the education of students and growth of the community.
Gina Kriz, third-grade teacher and parent, said the community’s support will offer a better future to area students.
“This movement impacts everything we do,” she said. “It opens the door up to so many more opportunities the teachers and faculty members can offer our current kids and future generations.”
Jody Miller, parent and head of the levy committee, said unity and pride would be added benefits to the new school
“This gives them so many choices and opportunities they just don’t have right now. It’s an amazing opportunity for the future,” she said. “This is the best team I have ever led and I can’t even say that I led this because so many people worked for this and it was 100 percent a team effort.”
King said having a 21st-century space would make a huge difference in how Berkshire students will be educated.
“We’ve worked a lot with Kent State and we’re able to bring bright people into the community to make sure no student is left unattended. (We will) make sure education isn’t one size fits all,” he said.
Stoddard has been talking far and wide about the project-based curriculum and programming the district will be able to offer students with a school built to accommodate the newest teaching philosophy.
“This will be a huge win for the community,” he said Tuesday. “We’ll get a state-of-the-art-school and we’ll be able to change the programming we offer in the school. It will be great for generations to come.”
Later in the evening, he said he felt hopeful the issue would pass, but when he saw the absentee votes that were about 66 percent in favor of the bond issue, he was reassured.
“Then I was very, very confident,” Stoddard said.
He credited the hard-working committee as well as people who raised concerns about the project.
“It made us look deeper at the issue,” Stoddard said, adding district Treasurer Beth McCaffrey has been instrumental in presenting accurate calculations for the school and saving the district millions in funding.
When Ledgemont Schools underwent a transfer of territory with Berkshire Schools, the district qualified, under special state legislation, to go to the top of the waiting list for the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission classroom facilities assistance program.
Passage of Issue #2 will commit the state to fund 55 percent of the estimated $41.6-million building on the Kent State University – Geauga campus.
Great Lakes Cheese in Troy Township and its founders, the Epprecht family, donated $2 million to help fund outside athletic fields.
John Epprecht attended the watch party Tuesday and credited the community for supporting the project.
“I’m so, so, so excited for this community,” he said, adding he hasn’t asked to be part of the plans for the athletic fields.
“I don’t know how to build a stadium,” he quipped.
The Berkshire Schools Board of Education placed the 3.65-mill levy on the May ballot to fund Berkshire’s 45 percent of the project, which will be about $18.7 million. Another $10 million, not part of the OFCC deal, was added to the total cost to include a high-tech classroom for work on big diesel engines and space to train entry-level medical staff — both careers in high demand in Geauga County.
Unless the legislation is amended, any additions to the proposed building will be covered 55 percent by the state and 45 percent locally, allowing for expansion if student body numbers justify it.
In the five-township, one-village district, passage of the levy means the owner of a $100,000 home will see property taxes increase less than $128 per year, district officials said.
State Rep. John Patterson, who was instrumental in getting the legislation passed, joined the celebration Tuesday.
“I am so ecstatic and proud of the team effort it took to get this across the goal line,” he said. “It’s an example of what can be done when private and public education work with the business community, parents and students.
“We are actually witnessing history here tonight,” Patterson said.
Claire Milano contributed to this article.
