Gwinn Area Community Schools bond proposal back on the ballot
Trending
GWINN -- Gwinn Area Community Schools once again has a bond proposal on the Nov. 3 ballot, after four previous bond proposals failed in other elections. This time around, GACS says that "your feedback is our focus," and the proposed bond is much smaller than previous requests.
"We heard you feel renovations and repairs are important, we just can't afford it," reads the bond proposal fact sheet on GACS' website. "We heard 'Use what you have, don't build new.' So rather than asking for 4.68 mills, we are seeking 1.89 mills."
The bond, if passed, would provide the following improvement to Gwinn schools:
– New roof and improved air quality at the middle/high school
– A new addition for 4th grade, including a cafeteria and gymnasium
– Renovating existing space for classroom, making room for 5th grade on the main campus
– Renewing science, welding and construction trades
– Securing entrances
"We listened and prioritized to protect, preserve and prepare our students," reads the fact sheet.
GACS Superintendent Dr. Sara Croney said that, out of all the improvements, the top priority was replacing a roof that exceeded its max life capacity 5 years ago. While patches on the roof are holding fine, the material of the roof is slowly pulling away from the building itself, creating gaps where snow can collect and melt and creating a need for buckets in classrooms to collect the drips.
"We heard from the public that ... it's too costly," said Croney. "…So (the bond) got scaled back, trimmed back. Things we were hoping to do got cut off the list, and we got it down to a 1.89 millage rate, hoping that because now it's even less than half ... that that will meet the voters' approval."
Croney said that the millage will also allow for 4th and 5th grade to be added to the middle/high school building by repurposing existing library space into classrooms and adding an addition -- that way the district can save on cost while still providing students with a separate elementary school wing.
"We would then be able to close one elementary school," said Croney. "Money can be saved by shutting a building down. You don't have the electricity, you don't have the need for as many staff, you don't have the utilities."
While shutting down a school building is never an easy decision, schools across Michigan, including Gwinn, are facing declining enrollment numbers.
"The board has not decided yet what building (would be shut down)," said Croney," ...But those conversations would start regardless of whether this (bond) passes or doesn't pass, because we have to figure something out."
The bond would also update science lab classrooms, which are 62 years old. Currently, corroded plumbing, nonfunctional bunsen burners and a faulty exhaust system mean that students are having to complete labs completely online.
"You get criticism, people saying 'well, why don't you take care of this along the way?'" Said Croney. "It's a $67,000 price tag to update the labs. The education funding (from the state of Michigan) is for operating the school, not doing repairs."
Additionally, the bond would allow Gwinn's popular welding program to increase from 6 available seats per class to 8.
"Right now, not all the kids who want to take welding can get in there," said Croney.
The construction trades classroom would swap places with the school's current maintenance area as well, to take advantage of a bigger exit door, and thus allow students to complete bigger projects.
Finally, both the new elementary school wing and the middle/high school wing would receive secure entrances, so that no visitors could enter the building without first going through a reception area.
"The projects would provide needed improvements to our schools, and our students deserve this," said Croney. "…Staff are tremendous, and our students deserve what we can provide. We're not doing a Cadillac here. We're trying to have a roof that doesn't leak.
"We certainly deeply respect that our community, many are on fixed incomes, but we went from a 4.68 mill down to a 1.89 ... a 1.89 (mill) will be able to meet the needs of our students, and still the needs of our taxpayers. I think that's a good thing."
The bond reads as follows on the ballot:
"Shall Gwin Area Community Schools, Marquette County, Michigan, borrow the sum of not to exceed Twenty-Four Million Nine Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($24,950,000) and issue its general obligation unlimited tax bonds therefore, in one or more series, for the purpose of:
– Erecting, furnishing and equipping an elementary school addition to the middle/high school building
– Partially remodeling, furnishing and refurnishing and equipping and reequipping school buildings;
– Purchasing school buses
– Preparing, developing and improving sites?"
Any registered voter living in the Gwinn Area Community Schools District is able to vote on the bond. Early voting in Gwinn is underway at the Gwinn Community Building from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. until Nov. 1, and election day is Nov. 3.
Annie Lippert can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 550. Her email address is alippert@miningjournal.net.