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CANFIELD-- For the second time, it appears voters have turned down plans for new elementary and middle schools along with upgrades to the high school.
What comes next is hard to say, officials said Tuesday.
Superintendent Joe Knoll, when reached before results were complete, said if the measure didn't pass, officials "would go back to the drawing board" and come up with a plan that suits everyone.
The board meets at 6 p.m. today.
"We will have a conversation but no hard decisions will be made tomorrow," Knoll said at the time of the newspaper's deadline, when the measure seemed to be failing by a margin of 66%.
Board of Education Vice President Nader Atway said in a text message he's remaining optimistic about the future of the district.
"The majority of the community understands the needs for new schools but it's clear that the economic environment and the property reappraisals may have been an obstacle that was more difficult to overcome than anticipated," he said.
The proposed 7.5-mill bond issue would have raised $104 million.
The plan, if approved, would have included construction of a new K-4 building on the site of Hilltop Elementary School, a new middle school to house grades 5-8 on the current site and renovations to the high school.
It also called for the abatement or demolition of C.H. Campbell Elementary and Canfield Village Middle schools, and for the current Hilltop building to be repurposed for administration offices. The bond issue would have stretched over 37 years.
Canfield voters turned down a 6.9-mill issue in May 2022 that would have raised $107,800,000 for a new K-8 building on the city-owned Red Gate property.
C.H. Campbell was built in 1961; Hilltop in 1970; the middle school in 1922; and the high school in 1966.
The district has said it's no longer financially feasible to continue making repairs and upgrades to the elementary and middle schools.
Officials have said the middle school, the oldest of the buildings, has asbestos throughout, a leaky roof that needs replaced and classroom square footage below state minimums. They've also argued the school isn't ADA accessible, has no sprinkler system and needs upgrades for safety and security, in addition to replacement of electrical and HVAC systems.