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Huron City Schools

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Facilities

District Facilities

Board Strategic Priorities connections to master facility planning. 

  • Ensure a safe learning environment

  • Provide high-quality education & experiences

  • Maximize district resources

Timeline of Events

April 1, 2025 - Facility Needs for Long-Term Success - published in Sandusky Register

March 24, 2025 - Community Facility Committee representatives present recommendations to the Huron Board of Education. Committee Presentation

  • Renovate Huron High and Woodlands Elementary
  • Add additional classroom, office, athletic, and auditorium spaces
  • Move to a two-campus district.
  • Fund with a traditional voter-approved bond issue, existing funds, and future permanent improvement funds for a total project of $80 million. 
  • Voter-approved bond issue will cost the average Huron property owner $35 per month. 

Community Facility Committee Meeting Agenda Notes

3-9-2025 Facility Committee Meeting Minutes

10-27-2024 Facility Committee Meeting Minutes

9-8-2024 Facility Committee Meeting Minutes

June 24, 2024 - Superintendent’s June District Update published in Sandusky Register

June 20, 2024 - Huron Schools Tables Facilities, Levy Decision - Sandusky Register

June 17, 2024

  • The board has decided not to pursue a ballot issue for the November 2024 election. It anticipates that the earliest a ballot issue may be attempted is November 2025.

  • The board seeks to form a stakeholder representative facility committee. It will be co-chaired by Board members Dr. Beth Laffay and Chris Rager. Individuals interested in serving on this committee should email their interest to the co-chairs.

  • Architect Firm AVG presented the programming options desired by the Board and created with staff input. Programmed cost assumptions for three possible projects.

    • A new PK-12. $94,508,301.35

    • Woodlands improvements and a new 6-12. $67,918.836.59

    • Renovation of Woodlands’ 2002 addition incorporated into a new PK-12. $90,501,308.13

  • Architect Firm AVG presented the conceptual design of the building footprint and egress of a project at Woodlands. 

  • The Municipal Advisor provided the linked millage summary records. He vetted these with the county auditor and bond council. Page one is the assessed millage at the anticipated 2025 valuation rate. Page two is the COPs' funding options through earned income. Page three is the assessed millage using the 2024 real valuation rate. The interest rate is lowered to result in the same millage as on page one. ORC requires the district to use the current valuation rate, not a future projection. The county auditor and bond council accept the lower interest cost for the purposes of reporting a millage that is more accurate to the rate that will be assessed in 2025. Residents will get their new assessed value this summer and use that information when calculating their cost, so providing an accurate 2025 millage is important for transparency.

June Items

  • The wetland study was completed. The Woodlands property does not have any wetlands. It only has a small creek in the southeast corner. Linked here is the full report. 

  • AVG arranged a meeting with the traffic study firm that assisted ODOT with the development of the Route 6 roundabout project coming to Huron. The firm provided general information about what a traffic study can provide and how it considers multiple data points beyond just car counting to make projections of the traffic impact of a project. The firm considers Huron as a low-traffic area. Operational decisions, like staggered start/end times of grade levels at the same campus, can improve traffic impact. The firm did not suspect a control device (traffic light) being needed at the Erie Parkway/Cleveland Rd. W. intersection. A study would confirm that suspicion. The firm did note that a mini roundabout could facilitate better flow, directing all traffic to turn right, exiting Erie Parkway onto Cleveland Road. W. to then circle for a westbound direction. Here is a resource for a mini roundabout shared by the firm. Here is an example in use. Linked here is a proposal summary.

May Items

  • AVG provided three building footprint/plot sketches. Options One and Two are contained within our existing property. Option Three includes the use of the 7-acre property owned by the City. AVG encourages exploring options to obtain that property, as it will help with the overall project, regardless of how the building is situated.

  • The Request for Qualifications for Construction Manager at Risk closed on Monday. Three will then be invited to provide cost/billing information. The district then must select the most qualified and competitively priced firm.

May 20, 2024 - Dr. Tatman shared several highlights relating to facilities. 

  • According to the Director of the Erie County Board of Elections, Presidential elections are the lowest-cost elections for issues on the ballot. In comparison, a ballot issue in the May 2025 special election will cost $12,000-$15,000 more than the November 2024 election. 

  • The district posted a request for qualifications for a construction manager at risk (CMR). A CMR can assist the district with pricing in the rebond and design steps of the process. The CMR then leads the subcontracts during the construction process. The district has shortlisted firms that submitted, will interview them, and select a provider for the pending project. 

  • Municipal Advisor services - much like a retirement advisor supports sound financial decisions with investing, a municipal advisor has a fiduciary obligation to serve in the best interest of the client/district when selling bonds on the market. Through consultation with the bond council, some districts utilize a municipal advisor, others do not, and there are various reasons to or not to use such an advisor. Those include a previous relationship with an established underwriter, confidence and experience in the process, and understanding the market to make informed decisions. The linked presentation was delivered by Mr. Sudsina to the Board. 

  • Mrs. Hartley shared a facility process research she conducted for three districts. Two had failed ballot issues. The third passed. Reflecting on our facility process so far and what’s ahead. Linked here is an extension of the record Mrs. Hartley shared with our process.

  • Staff is invited to participate in the programming design process to help better define the scope of the project for each of the three scopes of work requested by the Board: A new PK-12, improve Woodlands, and a new 6-12. Renovate the 2002 Woodlands addition and build new for the remaining PK-12 facility needs. With an initial draft of this program, AVG will provide more specific cost estimates. I will deliver these to the Board at the June 17th regular meeting.

May 13, 2024 - [meeting recording] Special Board meeting to review land/site survey and design programming for calculating more precise cost assumptions for the scope of work. At a cost of $59,666.708.62, the scope of the project includes improvements at Woodlands and a new 6-12 building.

Slide deck and notes from the meeting - linked here. 

After the discussion, the Board seeks programmed cost assumptions for three possible projects.

  1. A new PK-12.

  2. Woodlands improvements and a new 6-12.

  3. Renovation of Woodlands’ 2002 addition incorporated into a new PK-12. 

April 15, 2024 —The April regular Board meeting reviews community facility survey results. The meeting discusses alternative options for improving Woodlands to address elements of safety, warmth, and dryness. The focus is on a new build project on a single 6-12 grade building. 

The land survey of Woodlands property is still being processed. A gas line easement is being further explored. 

March 22 - April 8, 2024 - Community facility survey open for submission. Promoted through direct communication to the community, website, social media, community flier, and Sandusky Register, ARTICLE. 

March 18, 2024 - March regular Board meeting in-depth debrief of community engagement activities. Decision to open a community facility survey and engage the community at public venues like religious institutions and homeowner meetings. 

March 7, 9, and 11 - The board conducted community engagement meetings for building facility options. Written summaries were presented at the Huron Public Library from March 12 - 18. 

February 26, 2024 - Regular meeting of the Huron Board of Education, discussion on task to complete leading to ballot language decisions in May 2024. Due diligence tasks of land survey, easement review, and soil samples will begin for existing properties. Available land for purchase is to be explored concurrently. 

Sandusky Register Article - Huron School Facilities to be surveyed

February 12, 2024 - The Huron Board of Education hears Baird Financial present on Funding options for a facility project

January 22, 2024 - Huron Board of Education hears AVG present the Facility Assessment Validation report. Sandusky Register Article - 

Renovate or Reconstruct

July 12, 2023 - Shawnee property auction closes. The highest bid is $1,600,000. Proceeds of sale can be used only for district capital improvement projects and are currently unallocated in an interest-earning account. 

April 17, 2023 - Huron Board of Education approves Recommendation for auctioneer services for the sale of the Shawnee property. 

February 10, 2023 - Shawnee property appraised by Delahunt Appraisal Service Shawnee Property appraisal market value of $1,590,000.

January 31, 2023 - Huron Board of Education approves resolution for Master Facility Planning services with Architectural Vision Group, LTD (AVG)

December 20, 2022 - Huron Board of Education approves Recommendation for building consolidation starting with the 2023-2024 school year. 

December 5, 2022 - Superintendent Dr. Tatman holds Community Discussions regarding the consolidation of the district. 

November 15, 2022 - Superintendent Dr. Tatman presents a facility consolidation plan to the Huron Board of Education. 

March 16, 2021 - Huron Board of Education approves resolution to participate in OFCC’s Expedited Local Partnership Program.

Additional Resources

Ohio Facilities Construction Commission links

  • Glossary of Terms

  • District Equity Ranking Lists - A ranking of all school districts in Ohio from lowest to highest based on adjusted valuation per pupil. This list is provided annually to OFCC by the Ohio Department of Education. The OFCC uses a three-year average of past rankings to determine the order in which districts are served.

Erie County Auditor's Website

Legal Guidance Resources

  • Ohio School Board Association (OSBA) Levy Guidance Webinar - recording