Facilities Update
Strasburg-Franklin Local Schools
Phase II: Athletic Facilities Improvements
Frequently Asked Questions:
- When will the Strasburg-Franklin Local Schools Athletic Bond be placed on the ballot?
- May 6, 2025
- What is the focus of the bond?
- Enhancing the football field at Strasburg-Franklin Park to include a turf football field. The field will be shifted south 10-15 yards to center the field with the home stands.
- The track will be expanded from 6 lanes to 8 lanes and the finish line will be moved back to the home side.
- New baseball and softball fields will be built north of the school on district owned land. The fields will be turfed. Surrounding area will include dugouts and a concession stand.
- A band practice field will be installed south of the school on district owned land.
- How long has Strasburg-Franklin Local Schools been playing football at the park?
- We will be entering our 78th football season. Our football team has been competing at the park since 1947.
- How long has Strasburg-Franklin Local Schools been playing baseball and softball at the park?
- Softball started in 1985
- Baseball has been at the park for over 60 years
- What is the proposed amount of the bond?
- $10 Million
- How is the bond amount determined?
- Through a criteria architect, chosen by the District, the amount required for the project is determined. The amount is based on current market costs based on what the District chooses to pursue with the project
- Who is the Construction Manager and Architect?
- The District entered into a process of interviewing companies to determine the best choice based on several areas of expertise that included cost, experience and plan.
- The district, through the interview process, chose Beaver Construction. Beaver Construction chose architect John Picard to complete the design of the project.
- What is millage?
- Millage is 1/10th of a penny or $1 for every $1,000 of appraised value of the community.
- What is the millage amount of the bond?
- The millage of the bond is 3.6 mills
- How is the millage amount determined?
- The millage amount is determined by the Auditor’s Office based on the requested amount of the bond. The auditor looks at the entire appraised value of the community to determine how much the millage has to be to accumulate $10 million dollars over 30 years.
- How many years is the bond?
- 30 years
- How much will the bond cost for a $100,000 home per year?
- $126 a year
- How much will the bond cost for a $100,000 home per month?
- $10.50 a month
- Home much will the bond cost for a $100,000 home per day?
- Under 35 cents a day
- When was the last time the school asked for new bond money?
- 2004
- When is the current school bond expiring?
- 2031
- Is there a plan for a school auditorium?
- At this time there are no concrete plans for an auditorium. Once the 2031 bond expires, we will research and explore the possibility of an auditorium.
- Have other schools placed a bond on the ballot for athletics?
- Yes, the latest local example was Indian Valley who placed a stadium project bond in 2019 to collect $7 million dollars.
- How many IVC Schools have turf football fields?
- 9 out of 14 schools.
- Schools with Turf football field or confirmed to be in process: Buckeye Trail, Claymont, Conotton Valley, East Canton, Garaway, Hiland (Soccer), Indian Valley, Malvern, Sandy Valley, Tusky Valley
- Schools without Turf: Newcomerstown, Ridgewood, Strasburg-Franklin, TCC
- 9 out of 14 schools.
- How many IVC Schools have turf baseball and/or softball fields?
- 7 out of 14
- Schools with Turf baseball/softball field or confirmed to be in process: Buckeye Trail, Claymont, Conotton Valley, Garaway, Hiland, Indian Valley (Baseball only), Malvern,
- Schools without Turf: East Canton, Indian Valley (Softball), Newcomerstown, Ridgewood, Sandy Valley, Strasburg-Franklin, TCC, Tusky Valley
- 7 out of 14
- What would it cost to renovate the baseball field?
- The cost to renovate the baseball only with turf, without any additional upgrades to the facility, would surpass $1.5 million dollars.
- What would it cost to renovate the softball field?
- The cost to renovate the softball field only with turf, without any additional upgrades to the facility, would surpass $1 million dollars.
- What would it cost to renovate the football field only?
- The cost to renovate the football field with turf without centering the field and expanding the track would be close to $2 million dollars
- When would the project begin?
- The tentative plan will break ground in the Fall of 2025.
- When is the projected completion date for the project?
- The tentative schedule plans for completion of the project to occur in late summer of 2026.
- Are all decisions made regarding the design of the fields and enhancements to the project?
- No. There will be more conversations and discussions about designing of the fields that includes colors, logos and other enhancement ideas.
- Are you able to participate and provide input on the design phase of the project?
- A design committee will be established once the project is approved.
- Would the district and community be able to host regional and state athletics events in the future if the project moves forward?
- Yes. The chance to host tournament events is an opportunity for the district, community and local businesses.
- Why is the district not choosing to move the football field up to the school?
- The cost of moving the football field near the school on district owned land would cost 2-3 times more than improving the current field and stadium at Strasburg-Franklin Park. Additionally, the time to complete the project would be extended.
- Will there be additional parking at the new baseball and softball fields?
- Yes, there are tentative plans to add additional parking north of the school and expand current parking lots.
- How can I view the images of the bond project plans?
- There are images placed in the school, Board office and the school’s website.
- What will happen to the existing baseball and softball fields?
- The existing fields will be given back to the Village for the youth programs to utilize and benefit from.
- Is the Village supportive of this project?
- Yes. The Village Council, The Mayor and District have worked together to ensure the project aligns with the vision of the District and Village.
- Is the Village working together with the school to assist with the project?
- There are additional areas of focus at the park that the District and Village are discussing but no concrete plans have been established just yet. We are reviewing and discussing entry into the park, parking, press box, locker rooms and restrooms.