PARMA, Ohio — The fourth time was not the charm for Parma City Schools.
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A bond issue on the May 2 Primary would have helped pay for a new high school building on the site of Parma High School. For a fourth consecutive time, voters turned down the proposal.
Most recently, the levy failed in November. Inflation increased the price tag for what the district planned to be Parma’s single central high school campus from $237.5 million in November to $250 million in May. Consequently, Tuesday’s levy was asking homeowners to pay $11.67 per $100,000 of property value - up 14 cents from November.
“I think the bulk of Parma voters don’t want the rise and the increase of property taxes. I think that’s the main reason it failed,” said Mary, a Parma voter who declined to give her last name.
She and others told News 5 they were not surprised the most recent levy failed.
“I’m not surprised at all. I’m in a Facebook Parma page, where it’s thousands of Parma people, and from reading their comments I knew it wasn’t going to pass,” said Daphne Leon, the mother of three PCS students.
Since 2000, Parma has had nearly two dozen new money levies on the ballot. Only three have passed. Despite narrowing the margin in November, the bond issue was defeated 54 to 46% on Tuesday. The failed levy also means the district will forfeit nearly $72 million from the state, which was earmarked only for new construction.
“It’s disheartening because we had the opportunity to build a facility that would not only help us academically, athletically, but it would give so many opportunities,” said PCS School Board President Steve Vaughn.
In the summer of 2022, the Parma School Board voted to ultimately consolidate the district into one high school, two middle schools and four elementary schools. Despite the failed levy, the consolidation plan will move forward, beginning with the closure of Renwood and Parma Park Elementary Schools and the closure and demolition of Parma High School at the end of the current school year.
“It’s two different railroad tracks. One was new construction and that needed a bond issue to pass. But the train was running on consolidation anyway,” said Superintendent Dr. Charles Smialek.
The decision to close schools comes as the district is facing a $24 million deficit projected by 2026. Smialek estimated closing the three initial schools will save PCS $3.15 in operating costs.
But some parents worry about their students adapting. Leon’s daughter will finish third grade at Renwood before it closes and her oldest son will have to transfer from Parma High.
“I’m honestly devastated,” said Leon. “My son has autism. So this big change is drastic for him. He’s so anxious and nervous about having to switch schools.”
Other parents with younger children said they worry about the impact the consolidation and aging facilities will have on the quality of education in the district.
“I don’t know what the future holds. If that happens, we’ll probably move,” said Hana Hmeidan, the mother of a first grader and four younger children who would eventually attend school in the district.
High schoolers will be divided between Normandy and Valley Forge starting next year. There are no immediate plans to redevelop the Parma High School site after it’s demolished. The superintendent said none of the current buildings are unsafe, but an annual $5.1 million coming from the district’s permanent improvement will not be enough to make any major upgrades.
“We’ll paint and patch and we’ll keep things warm, safe, and dry. But beyond that, there’s not the funding for that,” Smialek said.
The school board plans to look at its options to address aging infrastructure, but the board president assures parents the quality of education will not suffer.
“Just make sure that we continue to educate our kids. We have great teachers here, we just need better facilities,” Vaughn said.
