By Robert Tomlinson
News Director
ST. JOSEPH COUNTY — Voters in two local school districts will be deciding the fate of two funding renewal proposals in the Aug. 4 primary election.
White Pigeon Community Schools will be seeking a replacement of its current sinking fund millage, while Marcellus Community Schools is seeking a renewal of its bond for a number of different projects.
Here’s a look at both proposals and what voters can expect.
White Pigeon Community Schools Sinking Fund Millage Replacement
White Pigeon Community Schools is seeking a uniquely-worded, but relatively straightforward proposal on the August ballot.
In what is essentially a renewal of their current sinking fund with modified language, the district is asking voters whether or not to approve a “replacement” of the current sinking fund. The fund would be set at 3 mills over the next five years, the same level as the sinking fund currently in place. If approved, it is expected to raise about $1.8 million in the first year.
Superintendent Shelly McBride said the only difference between the current sinking fund and the proposed one is, due to some recent changes to laws, the scope of what the sinking fund money can be used for has expanded. Now, she said, such funds can also be used for purchasing and upgrading technology and student transportation. However, the language of the sinking fund would have to change to reflect the new uses.
“If we were to have just renewed our sinking fund, we wouldn’t be allowed to incorporate and expand those uses. So, we are replacing that language with the new language that would include that,” McBride said. “That’s why it’s a replacement and not a renewal, even though it’s no new money. We can’t say renewal because the language is expanded for the usage.”
McBride said the sinking fund has been helpful for the district over the last few years since its last renewal. In that time, she said the district has replaced roofs on both the elementary and middle school/high school buildings, as well as other maintenance projects. With the expansion of the uses proposed on the ballot being expanded to technology and transportation, she said it would be big for the district.
“They are big-ticket items for school districts,” McBride said. “What it shows you is that even the legislatures, they understand that technology and transportation are needed to run schools, and allowing it in these sinking fund dollars, it shows that they understand that, but yet they can be really impactful if you don’t have something to support those costs.”
According to the proposal text, the full list of items a sinking fund can be used for are real estate purchases for school buildings, repairing or constructing school buildings, school security improvements, acquiring or upgrading technology, acquiring student transportation vehicles and maintenance equipment for them, acquiring eligible trucks and vans to carry parts and personnel for maintaining buildings, and equipment for maintaining them. Sinking funds cannot be used for any salaries or personnel costs.
Some of the projects the district is considering if the bond is passed is upgrading security camera systems, and doing work on lighting and ceilings in the middle school/high school classrooms.
Overall, McBride said voters in the district should consider the investment into their community when they see the proposal on the ballot.
“I feel that a thing for them to consider is that when you invest in your school, you’re investing in this, the students that are in your community. Schools have forever been the hub of the community, especially in small towns, and investing in the maintenance and improvements at the school are within reason, certainly. And we believe that we’ve never asked for anything that’s out of reason,” McBride said.
Marcellus Community Schools Bond Renewal
Over in Marcellus Community Schools, voters there will determine whether to support a bond renewal proposal that would see some significant changes to the district if passed.
The district is proposing a $12.25 million bond renewal, which would come with no increase to the millage rate currently levied by the district. The money would be used primarily for HVAC upgrades, new windows, new electrical, new lighting, accessibility work, and classroom updates.
However, the biggest-ticket item that the bond renewal would accomplish is moving middle school students into a proposed $4 million addition to the high school campus, and closing the district’s aging middle school building. The new addition would include six new classrooms and a new multi-purpose space that would support physical education classes, assemblies, performances, testing, community events, and create a dedicated space for the wrestling team.
“So, instead of upgrading the middle school site for the same cost, we can actually build new and bring everybody onto the same campus,” Superintendent Dr. Michael Dunn said.
Dunn said the proposed addition has been something generally supported in resident surveys and forums done by the district earlier this year, saying that residents support putting “good money into good, not good money into bad.”
“The community was very clear to us that they would rather invest money into new, not old, and that’s how we came to that solution,” Dunn said.
Otherwise, Dunn said, the other items that the district looks to get done are, more or less, at “end of life.”
“We’re at a place where, including roofing, most of it is at end of life, and they are failing. We’re at a place where we cannot just continue to say, ‘Do a band aid repair’ like we’ve done in the past, and they need to be upgraded or replaced. There’s just too much at one time,” Dunn said. He added they would work with a construction management team that he hopes will have the work completed in “no more than a couple of years.”
Other work outside of the schools that is expected to be completed as part of the proposal, according to a district FAQ, also includes what’s being called “flipping the field,” and flipping the visitor and home sides of the school’s football field, installing new bleachers on the new home side and adding a prefabricated press box that’s integrated into the bleachers.
Overall, Dunn said voters should consider the future when deciding whether to vote yes or no on their ballots.
“We’re hoping that they will see that it’s a good investment in what we’ve been doing and that they will continue just to invest in that future because people before them did the same thing for them,” Dunn said. “We’ve been very transparent in this process. We’ve tried to engage our community as best as possible. And we hope to see that support come out on Tuesday when it’s said and done.”
Robert Tomlinson can be reached at 279-7488 or robert@wilcoxnewspapers.com.
