News and Events from the Loveland, Ohio Area
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![[Video] Juliet Tissot addresses BOE on school levy](https://lovelandmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/maxresdefault-7.jpg)
Loveland, Ohio – The Loveland Board of Education met on September 24 and Juliet Tissot spoke at the beginning of the meeting about the combined operating and bond levy of 16.78-mil that will be before voters on the November 5 ballot. (Loveland Board of Education asks for combined 16.78-mill levy)
![[Video] Walter Golladay addresses BOE on school levy](https://lovelandmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/maxresdefault-6.jpg)
Loveland, Ohio – The Loveland Board of Education met on September 24 and Walter Golladay spoke at the beginning of the meeting about the combined operating and bond levy of 16.78-mil that will be before voters on the November 5 ballot. (Loveland Board of Education asks for combined 16.78-mill levy)
![[Video] Dave Shoemaker addresses BOE on school levy](https://lovelandmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/maxresdefault-5.jpg)
Loveland, Ohio – The Loveland Board of Education met on September 24 and Dave Shoemaker spoke at the beginning of the meeting about the combined operating and bond levy of 16.78-mil that will be before voters on the November 5 ballot. (Loveland Board of Education asks for combined 16.78-mill levy)
![[Video] Matt Kapszukiewicz addresses BOE on school levy](https://lovelandmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/maxresdefault-4.jpg)
Loveland, Ohio – The Loveland Board of Education met on September 24 and Matt Kapszukiewicz spoke at the beginning of the meeting about the combined operating and bond levy of 16.78-mil that will be before voters on the November 5 ballot. (Loveland Board of Education asks for combined 16.78-mill levy)
![[Video] Mark Leguillon addresses BOE on school levy](https://lovelandmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/maxresdefault-1.jpg)
Loveland, Ohio – The Loveland Board of Education met on September 24 and Mark Leguillon spoke at the beginning of the meeting about the combined operating and bond levy of 16.78-mil that will be before voters on the November 5 ballot.
by Tony Mackzum
I am a lifelong West Sider who moved his young family to Paxton Woods last summer. Since I am new to this side of town, I wanted to share some of my thoughts and feelings with you regarding the recent ongoing Loveland School District Levy debate. (Loveland Board of Education asks for combined 16.78-mill levy)
While my family is younger in nature, my football and soccer friends in Loveland call me the Old Dad, which I wear with great pride. A few extra years of doing things well and not so well at times has allowed me a history perspective to see both sides of this debate.
Sincerely,
The New Guy
Loveland, Ohio – RP Diamond Printing & Embroidery will be selling Tiger Spirit Wear on the porch of the Loveland Magazine office during Thursday’s Homecoming Parade this Thursday.
Loveland Magazine is located right on the parade route in the heart of the West Loveland Historic District at 514 West Loveland Avenue and is one of the favorite spots to view the parade because of ample parking in the District.
The sale will start at about 4:30 PM. The parade starts at 6:30 PM. The story below contains a map of the Parade Route and all the 411 about the 2019 Loveland Homecoming festivities.
The sale will start at about 4:30 PM. The parade starts at 6:30 PM. The story below contains a map of the Parade Route and all the 411 about the 2019 Loveland Homecoming festivities.
The anticipation has begun for Loveland High School’s Homecoming activities and Loveland Magazine has the 411 on what to expect this year!
by Dr. Amy Crouse
As the superintendent of the Loveland City School District, it is my responsibility to ensure that every child in our district has access to quality education while managing our tax dollars wisely and providing a good value to residents. I take this responsibility seriously.
Dr. Amy Crouse is Superintendent, Loveland City School District
Another responsibility I take very seriously is the dissemination of facts. This is why we have been hosting community chats and forums, such as the event held on September 12; it’s why we are constantly updating our website and addressing frequently asked questions; and it’s why we are so intent on engaging with our community. It is imperative that our residents have the facts in order to make an informed decision at the ballot on November 5. And some of what we’re seeing out there, well, it’s simply not accurate.
What is accurate is that Loveland City Schools have reached a critical juncture: We have overcrowding, with some classes being held in hallways and in trailers, we have three old buildings for which repair costs have reached the threshold where industry standards recommend replacement over renovation, and we have a need to secure additional operating dollars. The needs facing our schools are very real and immediate.
Over these last several years, we have spent time working with the community on a plan that is cost-efficient and meets the school district’s needs. This is the ballot issue facing voters with the Tuesday, November 5 election.
We realize that this ballot issue is no small ask. We also realize, like the community members who helped identify and prioritize the needs, that it is more cost effective to do the work all at once and that the longer we wait, the more expensive it will be to remedy the needs facing our schools.
Large amounts of money would have to be spent on other temporary solutions, like trailers, instead of putting the dollars toward real solutions for the long term.
When considering this ballot issue, it is important to note that there is no zero-cost option with our facilities and the needs do not go away over time if we continue with the status quo. In fact, continuing to do so with our facilities comes at a substantial cost – we would need to divert funds from the classroom to pay for critical repairs, which are still only temporary fixes to problems that don’t go away. We would need to put off important safety and security updates in the buildings and continue to make do with antiquated science and technology laboratories and learning spaces. Large amounts of money would have to be spent on other temporary solutions, like trailers, instead of putting the dollars toward real solutions for the long term.
I encourage you to visit the “Frequently Asked Questions” section on our website.
These are important considerations for our community – it comes down to how we want our schools to operate. So that you can be informed about the facts regarding the district work, planning and needs, I encourage you to visit the “Frequently Asked Questions” section on our website. Among other facts on this page, we have also included the updated cost information that shows the board’s intent to structure the financing so that the overall impact of the tax is phased in for residents over three years. This helps residents and it helps meet the school district’s needs.
In service to our Tigers.
by Paul Motylinski
How does this change anything significantly? (School Board to vote Monday on revised levy impact)
There are still several issues that need to be addressed with this request being made of the taxpayers; issues such as reducing the millage, and the short and long term cost risk. Below are issues that need to be closely reviewed, addressed, and considered in order to achieve a millage reduction and a clearer path to this levy passing.
Why are three buildings needed for grades K-5?
One building for grades K-5, or two separate buildings; one for grades K-2 and one for grades 3-5 will be less costly to design, construct and maintain than three separate buildings, even if located on the same property. The new facility plan for grades K-5 is not efficient cost-wise. Significant cost savings can be realized by reducing the number of buildings, without sacrificing the safety and delivery of education, and still maintains the same number of grade levels between one or two buildings versus three buildings.
New or renovated educational facilities are more important than upgraded athletic facilities. The current athletic facilities are more than adequate for now. Priority needs to be focused towards the educational facilities’ needs and not the athletic facilities’ needs.
What maintenance has occurred at the existing middle school athletic facilities?
Having been to the athletic facilities at the middle school, it appears to me that maintenance has been largely ignored. Illustration of care needs to be shown towards the existing athletic facilities before asking the taxpayers to fund new; otherwise, history will quickly repeat itself. The existing high school athletic facilities are wonderful in my opinion. The field turf and track surface are brand new at the football stadium, and the baseball and softball fields are more than adequate. There is no need to spend taxpayer dollars unnecessarily.
The immediate needs pertaining to capital building improvements appear to be the current LECC, LPS, and LES buildings. I have attended several functions at all three buildings and it is obvious that these buildings need to be replaced with new ones. I have much respect for the administration and staff for delivering quality education given the antiquated state of these buildings. Regarding the capital building improvements for the LIS, LMS, and the HS, either place this scope on a future ballot for permanent improvements if upgraded athletic facilities take precedent over updated buildings, or eliminate the entire scope for the upgraded athletic facilities. If safer buildings and delivery of quality education are the priorities, then the scope for upgrades to the athletic facilities is expendable.
Why risk combining the operation portion of the levy with the permanent improvement portion?
The Loveland community has largely supported the levies placed on the ballot over the last approximately 20 years. I do not want to hear that services will have to be reduced or eliminated since the entire levy did not pass when a stand-alone operation levy will have a much better chance of passing instead of combining with the permanent improvement portion.
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by Matthew Kapszukiewicz
In 2018-19 the Loveland School District invited me and hundreds of other community and business leaders to provide input into their facility master plan and the “Portrait of a Tiger” to identify the community’s vision for the student experience at Loveland. I truly believe they listened.
The classrooms are overcrowded and desperately need to be modernized to keep up with the type of education required to prepare our students for jobs in the 21st-century workforce. The administration has been straightforward that the cost of regular maintenance of current facilities is outpacing the cost to upgrade or build new. If we don’t build new, we will spend more money keeping old buildings functioning, than we would with new ones!
While my children will be graduated before they see a benefit, Loveland schools can count on my support, because now is the time that we must invest in our community and our schools for everyone’s benefit and ensure a prosperous future.
Common sense says we move forward with the proposal or we will spend more to maintain inadequate facilities, thus wasting money. The availability of land in Loveland also creates urgency to move forward. If we miss this opportunity, we will lose a lot of flexibility and likely make upgrades more costly. We must act now. Of course being prepared to compete in a global economy where artificial intelligence, bots, etc. require students to be agile like we’ve never seen.
Today our school holds classes in hallways and in trailers! This will only get worse if we do not support the ask. We need better space, more flexible space, more cost-effective space to ensure this community prepares the workforce of the future.
Let’s be smart about this and not throw good money after bad. Let’s move forward in a deliberate and intentional way that secures our future and leaves us with options for a very bright future. There is a cost no matter how you vote.
