By Jason Wesseldyk
Sports Editor
A new preschool building and new gyms for two elementary schools.
Those are among the main items included in a bond proposal that Plainwell Community Schools officials hope voters will pass in the November election.
This marks the second time in six months that a bond proposal from PCS will appear on the ballot. The one in May was rejected by voters, leading district officials to revise the proposal and cut more than $2 million from the total being sought, according to superintendent Matthew Montange.
“There were certainly concerns about the overall cost (of the previous bond proposal) combined with some of the projects and the number of students those projects would impact,” he said. “This resulted in the district identifying some different projects this time around.”
If passed, the bond would provide $39,835,000 for infrastructure improvements with no tax rate increase expected over the current rate.
“There was also confusion (with the previous bond proposal) regarding the 10.55 mils and no expected tax rate increase,” Montange said. “We are doing our best to communicate how this works as an extension of the current rate versus an increase.”
According to Montange, the current rate of 10.55 mils would remain unchanged until 2030 if the bond passes and would then begin to decrease. In the event the proposal were to fail, taxes would decrease starting in 2028.
“The district has taken several steps over the years to reduce the overall fiscal impact on voters,” Montange said. “This includes refinancing existing bond debt two different times, resulting in current bond debt that was scheduled to be paid off in 2034 to now be paid off in 2028.”
In addition to the preschool and new gyms, proposed projects for this bond include:
- Safety and security upgrades at all facilities (mainly internal doors, classroom door sidelight glass replacement).
- Replacement of track and turf at the stadium on main campus.
- Addition of a community locker room for the new pool (cut out of original design due to cost overruns).
- Conversion of old pool to indoor turf multiple purpose space.
- Completion or overage costs of current projects including the field house and air conditioning at Cooper and Starr elementaries.
The proposed preschool building, which would be located on Jersey Street, would include 10 classrooms. Currently, PCS operates eight preschool classrooms in its elementary buildings.
“The addition of a standalone preschool will allow classroom space to be freed up at our buildings to account for growth at the elementary level for both preschool and K-5,” Montange said.
Proposed changes to preschool requirements by the State of Michigan make the preschool even more necessary, according to Montange.
“The state is working toward requiring preschool for all four-year-olds and it’s entirely possible in the future that all three-year-olds may be eligible for preschool as well,” he said. “In the event that all four-year-olds qualify for preschool, we would not have the space to meet the demand for that many students.”
The two new gyms included in the bond proposal would be built at Cooper and Gilkey elementaries.
Currently, the space used for the gyms in those schools are also used as cafeteria and assembly spaces.
“The gymnasium spaces in those schools do not have actual gym floors, are very tight for space and must be dedicated to food service for approximately a third of the day,” Montange said. “New gym space would allow for a more equitable schedule between our elementaries, would not require cleaning after breakfast and lunch for PE class and would allow for youth teams to practice at those facilities in the evenings.”
To learn more about the bond proposal, visit plainwellschools.org/page/2024-bond. There will also be a Bond Forum and Meet the School Board Candidates event on Monday, Oct. 7, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the PCS administration building.
“My message to our community members is to please vote as you see fit and make sure you have accurate information,” Montange said. “If you have questions, please reach out and we will be happy to discuss any concerns and clarify any details.”
