Serving Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky and Wood Counties
At the latest regular meeting on July 20, members of the Eastwood Local Schools Board of Education approved a resolution for a combined facilities funding proposal, which would fund a new building that will serve grades five through 12.
The plan is to place a 0.5 percent earned income tax levy, combined with an estimated 6.49-mill worth of school improvement bonds, on the November ballot.
The proposed measure, if passed, would raise $77.864 million, which would suffice the local share of the project. It equates to a cost of $227 a year per $100,000 of each home’s appraised value.
"This plan has been shaped through years of planning and community input, with a continued focus on providing learning environments that prepare our students for success while being responsible stewards of community resources," Eastwood superintendent Brian Hughes said.
Developed through years of planning, careful evaluation and community input, the Eastwood Local Schools Master Facilities Plan represents a long-term investment in the district's students and community.
District officials said the plan includes the continued use of the district's elementary school, and the strategic renovation and repurposing of portions of the current high school to preserve valued community spaces while maximizing existing district resources.
Of the $77.864 million, $46.268 million is for locally funded initiatives, which is work beyond what the Ohio Facilities Construction (OFCC) will pay for.
The new building would be designed to provide modern, student-centered learning environments while maintaining distinct middle school and high school identities. The facility will feature dedicated media centers, art classrooms and instrumental music rooms for all grade levels. Additional learning spaces include a STEM lab, a life skills lab, a middle school technology lab and a high school agricultural education lab with an adjoining CAD lab to support career and technical education opportunities.
The overall project cost is $95.519 million, with the OFCC footing the bill for the $17.654 million above the local share.
The income tax itself would raise $22 million over 28 years, and it wouldn’t tax retirement income — it would only taxes wages. If successfully approved by voters, it would push the district’s income tax rate to 1.5 percent, and the 6.49-mill bond would raise $54.965 million over 37 years.
Athletics and student activities would also benefit from the new facility, which will include a 1,600-seat competition gymnasium and four locker rooms designed to serve both middle school and high school student-athletes.
As part of the overall plan, the current high school's three academic wings will be removed, while the remaining portions of the building will be renovated and repurposed to better serve students and the community.
Planned renovations include relocating the Board of Education offices to the area north of the cafeteria, transforming the current cafeteria into a community gathering space, converting the existing band room into theater storage and repurposing the current woodshop for additional district storage.
The existing high school competition gymnasium will become the middle school's competition gym, while the auxiliary gym will be reconfigured into flexible practice space with the potential addition of indoor turf to support a variety of student programs.
If the ballot issue is approved, construction would begin in late fall 2027 with occupancy in the fall of 2029. A failure would allow for two more attempts in 2027, and the state would reallocate funds to other projects statewide if those fail, as well.
For more information about Eastwood Local Schools and the proposed facilities project, visit EastwoodSchools.org/facilities.
