Mathews officials seek funds
District hopes to move high school to new location
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VIENNA -- The idea of getting a local school out from under the Youngstown Air Reserve Station's path is taking flight.
Mathews High School is located directly under the southeast approach / departure of the YARS primary runway. To get out from under the flight path, a new building would have to be constructed.
The current high school is more than 100 years old.
Trumbull County, township and school officials are discussing a 2019 joint land-use study on the 910th Youngstown Air Reserve Station. This recommends relocating the high school because of the noise level and the airplanes coming in and going out.
Officials said the issue is securing funding for the Mathews Local School District to demolish the current building, located east of the intersection of state Route 193 and Warren-Sharon Road, and to build a new high school.
Mathews schools Superintendent Russell McQuaide said a new school could be located by the Baker Elementary property in Vienna.
Julie Green, director of the Trumbull County Planning Commission, has been working with McQuaide and other school officials in submitting applications to secure funds through congressionally-directed spending requests.
The feasibility study states because the school is so close to the air base and Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport, which is owned and operated by the Western Reserve Port Authority, it is impacted by noise.
The superintendent said the high school is very close to the "danger zone" in the event of a plane crash. He said this area can have the highest frequency of plane crashes in relation to the landing strip and the takeoff strip.
Also, "We have the highest population of people who are closest to this danger zone. We can see the planes very low from the high school. We are looking for help," McQuaide said.
The Department of Defense recently promised the 910th Airlift Wing it would house eight of the new C-130J aircraft. YARS is one of Trumbull County's largest employers.
REACHING OUT
Green noted: "We have also relayed information of this situation to state-level legislators. We have reached out to our local, state and federal legislators to see if there is anything they can do. We want them to investigate whether they could receive some sort of legislative language change that would benefit the schools and perhaps get them additional funding through the (Ohio Facilities Construction Commission)."
She said a special feasibility study, involving the area by the current school, was done as requested by stakeholders to see what would be involved.
Green said the amount of money allocated through the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission would cover a 16 percent state share of the school project. It's cost-prohibitive for the school district to cover costs for relocation or building on its own.
"Given the size of the school district and the amount of funding required to reocate the school, it would not be possible for them," Green said.
The land use study was done by Matrix Design Group to determine the sustainability of the military installation and for the relocation of Mathews High School. Matrix, according to its website, is "a nationally recognized, award-winning firm delivering engineering, architectural, planning, ecological, environmental, design, construction, program management, and consulting services across varied industries …"
WHO WOULD PAY?
McQuaide said Green at the county planning commission has been "an advocate for Mathews schools and helping to connect officials with people who can help the district get funding."
Mathews Board of Education President Beth Haddle said the district is looking at any available funding, and has sent letters to Gov. Mike DeWine, airbase officials and state officials seeking assistance.
"Any extra help that we can get would be appreciated," she said.
Haddle said she and McQuaide have been able to meet with state officials including DeWine, and also to speak with representatives from the offices of state Rep. Nick Santucci, R-Howland, and U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio.
McQuaide said the study notes that the school needs to be relocated -- but that no viable funding options have been been provided for the Mathews district to be able to do that and construct a new building.
He said the school district has had difficulty in getting a bond issue approved by voters for constructing a new facility. The last attempt was in 2017.
He said Vienna and Fowler townships have some properties that are extremely high in valuation, but these effectively skew the tax valuation of the communities.
TAX IMPACT
McQuaide said that YARS is 1,400 acres or 2.1875 square miles.
An acre in Vienna where the YARS is located generates $2,010 in tax revenue, he explained.
McQuaide said the school district receives about 63 percent and Vienna Township 47 percent of local tax revenue.
"As a result of YARS taking 1,400 acres of taxable property, the Mathews school district loses $1.77 million in potential revenue and Vienna Township experiences a $1.04 million loss in revenue annually," McQuaide said.
Vienna Trustee Phil Pegg said trustees have met with the Trumbull County Planning Commission to discuss the study, including the possibility of relocating Mathews High School due to its current location.
McQuaide and board members agreed there is a lot of noise as C-130s and larger planes fly directly over the school. He said federal funding from the government, which owns the air reserve station, will help with a move.
"We would be grateful for any help the federal government can give us … I don't think anybody else is as affected as Mathews High School is," McQuaide said.
bcoupland@tribtoday.com