MONROE — Ohio's newest school district is asking voters to approve a $29.9 million bond issue for a new school building.

        Passing the 8.61-mill ballot issue would be the culmination of a grass-roots effort started six years ago to improve aging Lemon-Monroe High School. It led to the formation 15 months ago of Ohio's 612th school district.

        Nov. 6 also marks the first time voters will elect a board of education. The current five members were appointed last year by the Ohio Board of Education to guide the new district until a board could be elected. All five seats are up for grabs.

        Incumbents Suzi Rubin and Jamie Pierce are seeking the two seats with two-year terms. They face no opposition. Other board members Tom Birdwell, Carol Brotherton and John Birch are vying for the three seats with four-year terms, along with challengers William R. “Rocky” Heflin and Joe Urso.

        Like the incumbents, both challengers worked to form the district through participation on CORE — Commit tee on Reviewing Education — subcommittees. All seven candidates support the bond issue, which would raise the taxes $264 annually on a house with a market value of $100,000.

        “I don't think there's any question we have a need for this bond issue,” Mrs. Rubin said. “That's a piece that's been known a long time.” Seeing the project through is what prompted Mrs. Rubin and the other incumbents to run for the school board. Having the opportunity to help plan for the new facility, pride in the district and guiding the curriculum motivated Mr. Heflin and Mr. Urso. Both men are former Lemon-Monroe High School teachers — Mr. Heflin also served as principal and is a graduate, while Mr. Urso was a longtime Hornet baseball coach.

        “These next four years are a crucial time,” said Mr. Heflin, who retired from the Middletown/Monroe School weeks before the new district began operations. “I've been very active in Monroe and this is an extension of that.”

        Mr. Urso said his 20 years' experience teaching at the high school gave him knowledge of the building needs. “We've been pushing for years to get improvements,” Mr. Urso said. “Our facilities are inadequate.”

        The bond issue would provide money to construct a single, 210,000-square-foot building on the 186.7-acre Matson farm at the northeast corner of Ohio 63 and Yankee Road. It would have separate entrances and eating areas for elementary and junior/senior high school students, three gymnasiums and a community library.

        The building would be large enough for 1,700 stu dents and was designed so that classroom wings could be added.

        Superintendent Arnol Elam predicted that the district would realize significant savings in heating and air conditioning costs with the new structure. Currently, the district averages 95 cents per square foot per year for gas and electric payments. That would drop to 12 cents per square foot in the new building, largely because of a more efficient zoned system.

        .

        The school could be ready by August 2004, Mr. Elam said.

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