It is true that Lakewood’s plan is similar in scope to ours, which is borne out by the numbers below. Claims that their project budget was $163 million are false. According to the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission (formerly the Ohio School Facilities Commission), the budget for the Lakewood project is $219.5 million. This includes $56.6 million in Locally Funded Initiatives (not eligible for state matching) including in the case of Lakewood City: a) additional academic space (district funded SF for students beyond the projected enrollment); b) space for Pre-K students not cofunded by OSFC; c) auditorium and lobby; and d) natatorium and lobby.
Another point to keep in mind: For Phase 1 of its project, Lakewood passed a 6.5 mil bond issue in 2004 to raise $93.6 million. That’s $115.75 million in 2013 dollars, using the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics inflation calculator. Lakewood passed a 2.0 mil bond in 2007 to raise $30.1 million. That’s equal to $33.9 million today. They have a 3.25 mil bond issue and a 0.5 Permanent Improvement Levy on the November 2013 ballot. Their state share is $50.4 million. So the inflation-adjusted cost of the Lakewood City Schools facility plan is $245.5 million.