Canfield taxpayers will officially see a 7.5 mill school levy on the ballot this November. 

On Wednesday, the Canfield School Board approved putting the district's $104.9 million dollar building renovation plan on the ballot to fund a new Pre-K-4 school and a new 5-8 middle school, among a variety of different upgrades and renovations. 

The official master plan includes the following:

  • New PK-4 school at Hilltop site ($40.7M)
  • New 5-8 middle school at CVMS site ($46M)
  • Building a second gym with the new middle school ($3.6M)
  • Select renovations to Canfield High School ($15M)
  • Abate or demolish Canfield Village Middle School and CH Campbell Elementary School ($1.7M, $524K)
  • Hilltop Elementary repurposed for Board of Education administration

Superintendent Joe Knoll told 21 News they're relying entirely on the levy to fund these school upgrades and renovations. 

"The purpose of Wednesday's meeting was to get this master plan on the ballot on the November election," Knoll told 21 News. "Our buildings have significant needs and we need to do something."

The district did not receive $33 million from the state after they were not included in the final budget bill. State Representative Al Cutrona spearheaded the efforts in the house operating budget. 

"We were disappointed but we weren't relying on it," Knoll said. "We appreciated the effort from Rep. Cutrona. The $33 million dollars would have gone a long way."

Superintendent Knoll said the board currently does not have an alternative way to fund the master plan if the levy doesn't pass. "We don't have a plan B. If it doesn't pass, the board will have to regroup and create another plan."

The board also approved a resolution to work with the Ohio Facility Construction Commission on the master plan, the organization that has money to help fund school upgrades in the State of Ohio.