KETTERING — Voters in Kettering have passed a 5.93 mill levy to fund school building renovations and construction.
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“So now our work definitely begins, and it’s two-fold,” Superintendent Mindy McCarty-Stewart said.
As reported on News Center 7 at 6:00, Van Buren Middle School will be the site of the construction, starting at the end of the school year. This is due to the poor conditions of the 77-year-old building.
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McCarty-Stewart said the 10-year construction process starts now.
The levy puts the district in partnership with the Ohio School Facilities Commission, which will pay 43 percent of this decade-long makeover.
“We have a lot of our families that go through the Kettering City Schools System, and then they raise their families and the grandparents,” McCarty-Stewart said.
That nostalgic feel for schools like Van Buren, which will soon be demolished, gave some people pause about supporting this levy.
The results were close, with 51 percent of the voters approving the levy.
Now the district will move all sixth, seventh, and eighth graders to Kettering Middle School, as they build a brand-new building.
No students are expected to go to trailers or alternative classrooms during the 10-year project.
“With the ages of our buildings, 60 years, on up to almost 78 years old, it was complex,” McCarty-Stewart said.
The bond will give the district $5.9 million per year.
The tax will start in 2026, but the first payment residents will see on their property tax bills will not be until 2027.
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