Local board members urge support of Vantage levy

As the Putnam County board members serving on the Vantage Career Center board of education, we would like to ask you to seriously consider the upcoming Vantage levy for expansion and renovation.

Vantage Career Center serves high school students and adults from thirteen area school districts from four different counties, including Putnam County schools Continental, Fort Jennings, Kalida, and Ottoville. No major renovations have been made to the Vantage building in 33 years; however state standards have changed tremendously.

Vantage must provide additional academic classes, calling for the addition of classrooms that were not needed 33 years ago. The building’s electrical system was not designed to power computers in the classrooms and support advanced technology. The heating and cooling system has been well maintained, but after 33 years of use they also need to be updated.

To remedy these problems, we are asking voters to approve a 1.05 mill bond levy for Vantage’s share to participate in an Ohio School Facilities Commission (OSFC) project to renovate and expand Vantage Career Center. Approval of the local share on November 3rd will allow Vantage to receive $16.2 million from the OSFC, and will allow the renovation and expansion project to proceed.

The expansion will add approximately 69,000 square feet and the existing building will be completely renovated. This will allow three training labs to be re-located to new space and over-crowded classrooms will be increased to average size. All spaces will be handicap-accessible and modern science labs will be built with running water, proper lighting and life safety systems, and the main electrical, plumbing, and heating systems will be replaced with high-efficiency systems.

This is the third time this levy has been on the ballot. We know this is a difficult economy, but Vantage accepted the OSFC partnership prior to the bottom dropping out of the stock market and the economy seeing those effects in 2008. This is Vantage’s last chance to get $16.2 million from the OSFC. If the issue fails, Vantage will undergo an extensive process to determine new eligibility for possible OSFC assistance, and almost certainly, less funding. That translates to asking the voters to pass higher mills to fix the existing problems.

The cost is approximately $33 per year for the $100,000 homeowner – about the price of one tank of gas per year for a standard car’s tank. Farm owners would average 19 to 23 cents per acre, per year. The project won’t get completed for less—the time is now.

Through the support and generosity of our local communities, students remaining at each local school are learning in renovated or new schools. Please vote yes for the Vantage building so that ALL of our county’s students have the same opportunity to learn in renovated or new buildings.

Please vote YES for Vantage. Vantage students are OUR community’s students!

Kevin Landin, Ottoville

Ron Bradford, Continental

Brian Laudick, Kalida

Brian Ricker, Ft. Jennings