Greene County Career Center Bond Ballet for Upcoming November Election
XENIA – Greene County Career Center’s Board of Education has passed a resolution that will place a low-millage 20-year bond on the ballot for the upcoming November election. The bond issue, estimated at 1.03 mills, will finance the building of a new main campus building allowing expansion of current programming. Greene County voters will be asked to pay $36.05 per year for a 100,000 home.
“We are very excited about the prospects of providing better training for future generations of Greene County students,” said Board President Mike Uecker of Fairborn. “Current main campus enrollment is at a 15- year high and a recent market study indicates a desperate need for workers in all of the current Career Center programs plus new workforce needs like aviation, aerospace engineering, information technologies and engineering technology. We will keep our current programs and provide more opportunities for our students to find success in these and other high-demand evolving careers.”
The center, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in the fall of 2017, currently offers 17 career-technical programs for high school juniors and seniors with an enrollment of approximately 675 at its main campus. County satellite offerings at the seven school districts in Greene County, results in approximately 3,500 students taking advantage of some kind of career-technical instruction.
“Data shows that we have a tremendous impact in helping keep jobs in the region,” said Superintendent David Deskins. “Generations of young people and their families are looking for outstanding career options that won’t include taking on tens of thousands of dollars in college loan debt. Providing students with a modern facility, equipped with technologies that prepare students with 21st century skills that allow them to adapt to college or career pathways is crucial to the financial health of Greene County and is simply the right thing to do! ”
The district is continuing to evaluate property locations with a focus of remaining centralized to Greene County for a potential new site. The bond issue request comes after exhaustive efforts to obtain state funding and after seeking financial assistance from business and industry partners. Many industry partners, however, have expressed a commitment to donate equipment for the new programming
“After our market research showed which career areas are in high demand, we commissioned a community survey seeking input from registered Greene County voters on the concept of building a new facility,” said Deskins. “We found overwhelming support for the concept of a new school and the expansion in programming adding aerospace careers. The low millage request is the result of strong fiscal leadership by our current and former boards of education and administration. We are also sharply focused on repurposing our current building either by selling it or finding a tenant that will be able to use the space.”
The district exhausted all other options for financing the project including an effort to change Ohio law allowing the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission to contribute funds to new career center construction projects. While the item cleared the Ohio Senate, Governor John Kasich vetoed the effort in June of 2017 making it necessary for the Career Center to seek alternative funding options.
The Board is exploring possible site locations including property south of Xenia.
