CH-UH Board to Vote on Facilities Master Plan

There is a big item on the Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School Board’s agenda Tuesday that has been anticipated for months — the recommendation to approve the proposed facilities master plan.

The board will meet at 7 p.m. July 3 in the for its regular meeting.

Plan C, which would renovate and reconfigure schools in the by 2022, is estimated to cost $206.2 million.

The district hopes to put an estimated 5.9-mill bond issue, which would pay for $130.6 million of the project, on the November ballot. (It was determined that 5.9 mills would result in this amount instead of the $137.2 million discussed at the last meeting due to an estimated decrease in property valuation.) Residents would pay $186 per year per $100,000 of property valuation.

There are several items that the board must approve July 3 to meet the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections’ Aug. 8 deadline for filing ballot issues, including:

• First formal vote to put a 5.9-mill bond issue on the November ballot (ballot issues require two readings).
• A resolution determining that the CH-UH City School District is a in order to issue a higher bond than its current limit of $90 million.
• A resolution to adopt the comprehensive plan so that the district to qualify for funding from the .

If the board approves these resolutions, members will then need to vote on the confirmed millage and final ballot language at the July 17 board meeting.

If voters approve the issue and the district secures a collection of donations, state funding and a long-term loan to accompany its Permanent Improvement Fund, Plan C would:

• Reduce by more than 100,000 square feet while renovating its "remaining historic core." New construction space is figured into that amount. The school's stadium, auditorium and pool would all be entirely redone. The school would provide education for 1,680 students.

• Convert the district's three middle schools into intermediate schools for grades four through eight. Portions of and will be removed, and the remainder of the buildings would be fully renovated. would be completely renovated. Each school would carry an enrollment of 700 students.

• , and elementary schools into pre-kindergarten-to-third-grade structures for 495 students apiece. and entirely reconstruct it, and house the same primary grade levels. Renovate the existing space in Canterbury, Oxford and Roxboro.

• , and schools.

Ideas presented as options in May are off of the table.

Look for highlights from the board meeting soon. The full agenda is included with this article. The meeting will be streamed live on the district's website, www.chuh.org.