By Gari Voss
The Allegan Public Schools Bond Proposal that the voters passed on May 4, 2021, has been bringing changes across the district. The $87.5 million did not increase homeowners’ millage, but it did enable the school district to make substantial changes to the Middle and High Schools while uniting the elementaries onto a single campus behind L.E. White Middle School.
Within a year after receiving approval from the voters, the Middle School witnessed upgrades, and the new science wing with five classrooms was completed. Parents became proficient at following the Middle School’s new drop-off and pickup flow of traffic, and the new vestibules at the high school and middle were completed.
The work continued as the Middle and High Schools witnessed improvements in technology. The new tennis complex was transformed with a new clubhouse and courts.
Security was high on the public’s and parents’ priority list. This has been accomplished with secure entrances, door monitoring and security cameras.
The summer of 2024 brought about more changes. Renovations were done to the Allegan High School with drainage, masonry, and surface work, but that was just a small part of the work.
Superintendent James Antoine shared, “In addition to major cleaning, the high school boilers were replaced, the high school science floors received a new epoxy finish, the underground fuel tanks at the bus garage were removed and placed with an above ground tank, the middle school gym floor was burnished and finished, the concessions stand and dugouts were painted to finally represent our colors with pride, certain high school parking lots were seal coated, and parking lot drains repaired. It was amazing how much our facilities staff and contractors were able to accomplish over the short summer months.”
The most in-depth project related to the Bond of 2021 is the new elementary school campus. The K-5 school will bring together the three elementary schools that are currently spread around Allegan. By early 2023, excavation had begun. By the beginning of the summer of 2024, the footprint of the buildings was taking shape. By late August 2023, infrastructure and walls were well defined. The plan to open in the Fall of 2026 looks to be on schedule.
