Aurora Voters Approve a New Craddock Elementary and Renew the Road Levy

Aurora voters approved a new elementary school Tuesday. The Aurora City School District’s Issue 4 bond passed, according to final unofficial results from the Portage County Board of Elections. The 4.26-mill, 37-year bond passed 5,002 to 4,117, or about 55% to 45%. That is a margin of 885 votes. Voters also renewed the city’s roads and bridges levy, Issue 17, by a much wider margin of 6,232 to 3,005. Issue 4 Brings a New Craddock Elementary The $96.2 million bond will replace Craddock Elementary on Hurd Road, where parts of the building are more than 100 years old. A new 117,100-square-foot school for grades 1 through 3 will go up on the same site at a projected cost of $57.6 million. Craddock will be torn down to make room for it. The bond also pays for a new transportation facility to replace the district’s bus garage. Repairs at the buildings the district is keeping are included as well. Homeowners will pay an estimated $149 a year for every $100,000 of market value. A Second Try After 2024 This win comes two years after a loss. In November 2024, voters rejected a $136.5 million bond that would have built a larger new high school and reorganized the district’s buildings. After that vote, the district gathered feedback from residents and cut the plan back to what it calls the “Essential Plan.” Before the election, Superintendent Paul Milcetich said the new plan was “about a 44% reduction in terms of the millage.” Mayor Ann Womer Benjamin endorsed Issue 4. The Citizens Committee for Quality Schools, which campaigned for the bond, pointed out that about 60 years have passed since Aurora voters last approved a bond to build a new school. If Issue 4 had failed, the district said it would have had to rely on the roughly $650,000 it budgets each year for facility projects. Roads and Bridges Levy Renewed Issue 17 renews the city’s 0.9-mill levy for roads and bridges for five years. It continues an existing tax rather than adding a new one. About 67% of voters supported it. The Countywide Picture Turnout across Portage County was 61.68%, with 66,771 ballots cast out of 108,259 registered voters. County voters supported state Issue 3, the constitutional amendment on photo voter ID, 41,776 to 23,049. In the county commissioner race, Democrat Jenny D. Adams led Republican Mike Tinlin 33,308 to 31,171. Results Remain Unofficial These numbers come from the Portage County Board of Elections. A small part of the Aurora City School District is in Reminderville, which is in Summit County, and those votes are not included here. All results stay unofficial until the boards of elections certify them. Frequently Asked Questions Did the Aurora school bond pass in 2026? Yes. Issue 4 passed 5,002 to 4,117 in Portage County’s final unofficial results. What will Issue 4 pay for? It pays for a new school for grades 1 through 3 to replace Craddock Elementary, a new transportation facility and repairs to the district’s other buildings. How much will Issue 4 cost Aurora homeowners? The district estimates $149 a year for every $100,000 of market value, over 37 years. Did Aurora renew its roads and bridges levy? Yes. Issue 17, a 0.9-mill renewal for five years, passed 6,232 to 3,005. Why did Aurora schools go back to voters after 2024? Voters rejected a $136.5 million plan in 2024. The district scaled it back to a roughly $96 million “Essential Plan” based on what residents told it.