RULH Superintendent James Wilkins discusses the school levy spending plan to the public at the Feb. 27 Ripley Village Council meeting.
RIPLEY, Ohio – A five year plan from Ripley Union Lewis Huntington School District gets revealed to public before the school levy is voted on this year.
RULH Superintendent James Wilkins presented the public and the Ripley Village Council with an outlined discussion about what the school district plans to do if the school tax levy is renewed this year.
According to Wilkins money that is received when and if a tax levy is passed and renewed is split into a five year plan where each school calendar year for five years gets allocated for a project or two.
Previous school levy’s were passed in 2014 and in 2019 according to Wilkins and now the new one for 2024 is going to be voted on.
“The Board has proposed a renewal of a 2.6 mil levy for the purpose of permanent improvements to be spread over five years” Wilkins stated.
Permanent improvements in the levy refer to materials that will last for five years with the school district and that includes technology, facility projects and items like textbooks according to Wilkins.
“The dollars raised by this levy cannot be used for salaries it cannot be used for day to day operations and supplies and salaries that’s really important to note we are audited annually on these levy monies to make sure we are using them properly” Wilkins stated.
If this years levy tax renewal is passed it will raise approximately $266,000 per year for the five years according to Wilkins.
“We are going to buy new Chromebooks for kids a new cooling tower at the Junior Senior High School which is about $330,000 two new school buses which are about $140,000 each right now, and we are going to refurbish the tennis/basketball courts outside of the Elementary on the main road on 52” Wilkins stated.
The courts will be refinished and a new court surface will be added with the hope of adding pickelball courts Wilkins explained.
“I think it would really add a touch to our town because that park we open the playground everyday dawn and close it at dusk between the playground, baseball field and shelter house new tennis court new pickelball and new basketball courts I really feel it could be used a lot with our community” Wilkins stated.
Zoie Garrett who is the RULH treasurer explained a five year plan of projects and cost if the 2024 levy is passed.
For year one in 2025 if the levy is passed a new Junior/Senior High School Cooling Tower would be installed at a cost of $266,000 while year two would have the new basketball and tennis courts along with pickelball courts at a cost of $143,262 according to Garrett.
If passed the new school buses would be purchased in years three and five at the $140,000 cost along with maintenance upgrades and technology upgrades and textbooks according to Garrett.
Voting for the levy renewal will take place on March 19 with the Ohio Primary ballot.
