Bluffton Schools seeks renewal on May ballot

BLUFFTON — Bluffton Exempted Village Schools is seeking renewal on a 0.5% annual income tax on the upcoming May 6 ballot to fund permanent improvements for facilities. Expiring at the end of 2025, the renewal would take effect on January 1, 2026, lasting for three years. First approved in 2007, the annual income tax has been utilized to maintain and upgrade infrastructure, focusing on projects that last five years or more. Superintendent Greg Denecker said the funds are used for permanent improvements including updating HVAC systems, school buses, plumbing, roofing, technology, security upgrades, and classroom improvements. "Anything that lasts five years or more is what this fund is used for," said Denecker. "We have a wide range of buildings in terms of the ages of when they were built, but updating and maintaining our facilities while making sure that we have a good learning environment for our students is what the funds are used for." Since being first approved in 2007, the 0.5% annual income tax has remained a reliable revenue for the district in covering costs without too much trouble for taxpayers. "We think 0.5% does a good job for us being able to maintain our facilities and update things," said Denecker. "It's a lot of money. Maintaining the buildings, equipment, and those types of things that would last five years or more are all so important." Upcoming projects for the district include replacing a 25-year-old air conditioning system at the middle school as well as replacing its roof. Additionally, the district plans to purchase a new bus in the upcoming year, costing approximately $135,000. The district's buildings vary in age, with older parts of the high school dating back to 1933, the elementary school being built in 1956, and the middle school being constructed in 1997. "We get many comments when people come into our facilities saying, 'Wow, I can't believe this was built in 1997 or 1956 or 1933,'" said Denecker. "We get those comments from people quite often when they walk into our facility. That's a tribute to our custodial staff and our maintenance staff as well as a tribute to our community that supports our school district." If the renewal does not pass, the district could face potential financial challenges in maintaining facilities, but Denecker is optimistic about the district's finances and strategic planning. "We're trying to maintain and update as we go," said Denecker. "That takes yearly planning, and yearly things that we're doing, but then in 20 years we don't have a big surprise such as having four different roofs and three different boilers that need to be replaced all in the same year. We're trying to make sure we do that as we go " Transparency has been a key priority to the district, including a detailed breakdown of funds and expenses in a summer newsletter sent to residents. Denecker said the community has been appreciative of the district's commitment to improving facilities. "Every summer we put all of our expenses in our summer newsletter to our district residents and we tell them where we're spending that money. We've kept it as a three-year renewal to show our voters that we're going to continue to use these funds as they're intended," said Denecker. "They're able to see first hand as they look around the district or if they want to come in and see what we've updated over the years and see what we have been maintaining and upgrading in our facilities."