By A. Kevin Corvo

The Jonathan Alder Local School District is asking voters to approve a 5.12-mill, $70.6 million bond issue on the Nov. 4 ballot to address growing student enrollment and long-term facility needs.

“Our schools are already seeing overcrowding in some grades, and that situation will only grow worse if enrollment trends hold,” said Superintendent Dr. James Miller. “The proposed bond issue is designed to proactively address facility needs for at least the next decade.”

If approved, the bond issue would cost property owners an additional $179 annually per $100,000 of property valuation (or $448 annually for a $250,000 property). The bond would be repaid over 37 years.

The funding would allow the district to move forward with its Master Facilities Plan, developed with input from a 60-member community advisory team and approved by the Board of Education. The plan is designed to maintain schools at roughly 80% capacity over the next 10 years.

Enrollment projections show the district will add nearly 500 students—a 20% increase—by 2034. Jonathan Alder currently serves about 2,300 students, with enrollment expected to reach 2,769 by the 2034-35 school year.

Key elements of the facilities plan include:

New junior high addition: A sixth-to-eighth grade junior high wing would be added to the current Jonathan Alder High School, creating a 6–12 campus with eight new classrooms.

Canaan Middle School: Repurposed as a fourth- and fifth-grade building with a four-classroom addition.

Elementary schools: Monroe and Plain City elementaries would serve kindergarten through third grade.

Current junior high building: Repurposed for administrative offices and an expanded preschool.

Athletics and extracurriculars: Additional investments are planned in these areas.

Miller described the project as “a responsible investment that avoids patchwork fixes and instead creates lasting, adaptable learning spaces for students today and in the future.”

The bond issue will appear on the Madison County ballot without a number, as required by Ohio law, which reserves issue numbers for statewide measures.

For more information, visit elevatealder.com