Edison school officials lament possible loss of Sammis revenue

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Ohio — Edison Local School District Superintendent Bill Beattie said the possible closure of the Sammis plant in Stratton could have a big impact on its annual budget.

"It's not only going to impact the Edison Local School District, but surrounding districts, as well," Beattie said.

Reaction has been coming in across the Ohio Valley to the news Monday the plant could be closing in June 2023 -- a date much earlier than the 2028 date previously discussed.

"If it's deactivated, I don't know what we're going to do as a district,” Beattie said. “If that’s the case, we'll have to start planning now for the potential loss of around $1.6 million a year.

"Certainly, we'll put a hold on any future projects or anything we've wanted to do."

The concern of that potential loss of funding also a concern for Ohio State Rep. Ron Ferguson.

"It's difficult news whenever you hear that there's potential that a business is no longer going to be in the area,” Ferguson said. “But we have to look at what we can do to keep businesses open."

Ferguson hopes a move can be made to have more reliable funding sources.

"The worst thing that we do here in the state of Ohio is fund our school districts with property taxes,” he said. “It's a terrible system and there have been multiple Supreme Court cases ruling that it's totally unconstitutional, and we need to be moving away from this so we don't end up in these bad situations."

This the second plant in a number of weeks that has suddenly changed its projected course

"The coke plant in Follansbee and now the Sammis plant in Stratton,” Beattie noted. “It's a huge impact here in Edison, but they'll be a windfall. With all the employees at the plant it's going to impact an awful lot of people unfortunately."