Master Facilities News

Did you know that the ballot language and auditor’s website calculator differ from the actual NET impact of Lakota’s bond and permanent improvement levy?

The ballot and calculator show amounts IF Lakota would begin collecting in 2026. We will not. Lakota will not collect on the bond and permanent improvement levy until 2029, which will lower the net impact to taxpayers.

More dates have been added for our community information sessions to share the facts about Lakota's Master Facilities Plan (MFP) and the upcoming bond issue. These sessions are your opportunity to learn how the plan will impact our schools, students and community—and to ask questions directly to district leaders.

Lakota Local Schools has launched a new ThoughtExchange to gather community questions about the District’s Master Facilities Plan and the upcoming bond issue and permanent improvement levy.

Lakota Local Schools is hosting a series of community meetings to share important updates about our Master Facilities Plan (MFP) and the upcoming bond issue. These sessions are your opportunity to learn how the plan will impact our schools, students and community—and to ask questions directly to district leaders.

For the first time since 2013, Lakota Local Schools will appear on the Nov. 4 ballot. Unlike the 2013 request, which was for an operating and permanent improvement (PI) levy, the upcoming ballot will include a bond issue and PI levy to fund the District’s Master Facilities Plan (MFP). The MFP aims to alter Lakota's building footprint in a way that addresses overcrowding, yields operational savings and allows for student program enhancements.

The last time Lakota voters approved a bond issue was in 2005. Learn more about the financial facts behind the 2025 ballot issue. 

Lakota Local Schools is hosting a series of community meetings to share important updates about our Master Facilities Plan (MFP) and the upcoming bond issue. These sessions are your opportunity to learn how the plan will impact our schools, students and community—and to ask questions directly to district leaders.

Lakota’s Master Facilities Plan (MFP), which reduces the District’s overall building footprint from 21 to 16 total buildings, calls for the construction of four new K-5 elementary schools. At the August12 sub-committee meeting, the site locations for the four new schools were narrowed. 

Lakota Local Schools is committed to providing safe, modern and efficient learning environments for all students — now and for generations to come. As part of our long-term Master Facilities Plan, we have partnered with the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission (OFCC) to assess the condition of our buildings and determine the most fiscally responsible, sustainable path forward.

Do you know the difference between levies and bond issues? Similar to how homeowners may have different accounts for their expenses, school districts do, too.

Lakota Local Schools is planning for a major transformation through its Master Facilities Project. With an estimated cost around $500 million, this is one of the largest investments in the District’s future - and it will be carefully implemented with the help of a Construction Manager at Risk (CMR).

At its June 30 regular meeting, the Lakota Local Schools Board of Education took the formal step of placing a bond issue on the November 2025 ballot to fund renovations to aging facilities and the construction of new buildings to meet the District’s growing enrollment, enhance student safety and support academic achievement through learning environments.

Students, staff and community members recently came together to dream big about the future of Lakota Schools—and the ideas were inspiring. From flexible learning spaces to outdoor classrooms and student-centered design, these visioning sessions are shaping what comes next in Lakota's continuing Master Facilities Planning process.

As Lakota continues to develop its new Master Facilities Plan (MFP), the School Board and District are dedicated to involving the community throughout the process. Over the next several months, there will be numerous opportunities for community members and staff to provide their input in various formats.

The Lakota Board of Education and its facilities committee have been dedicated to moving forward with the District’s master facilities plan. As the District looks to engage the community for feedback about how our schools can support student education now and for the future, WE want to know what questions you have about the master facilities plan.

Lakota Local Schools recently conducted a public opinion research study to understand the community's views on various aspects of the school district. The study was carried out by Fallon Research & Communications, Inc. in February and involved 401 live telephone interviews and secure SMS/text-to-web surveys with adult residents of the District. Paul Fallon presented his findings to the Board of Education at the March 19 master facilities committee meeting.

At the March 4, 2025 Master Facilities Committee meeting, John Mercurio from John W. Mercurio and Associates presented his findings from an independent enrollment study conducted for the District. Chief Operating Officer Chris Passarge commissioned Mercurio for this project to provide the committee a second enrollment study to compare against the one conducted by the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission (OFCC) last fall.

In January, the Lakota Board of Education determined that the District’s facilities committee would begin meeting twice a month, beginning in February. The committee continues to move forward with its work to address the District’s aging facilities and overcrowding of schools.

Chief Operations Officer Chris Passarge updated the Board about the results of the Ohio Facilities Construction Committee’s (OFCC) recent enrollment study and the establishment of a working timeline for the master facilities plan. The enrollment study, along with updated building assessments, were funded through the OFCC as part of the Board’s unanimous decision to join the Expedited Local Partnership Program (ELPP).

At its April 22 board meeting, the Lakota Board of Education unanimously approved a resolution to re-enroll the district in Ohio’s Expedited Local Partnership Program (ELPP). Hosted by the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission (OFCC), enrollment is required to gain the OFCC’s support and partnership in ultimately building a master facilities plan that, when approved by the commission, will be financed in part by the State.