Roscommon Area Public Schools is seeking $12.8 million for upgrades and infrastructure replacements officials say would keep kids safe, warm and dry.
The proposal would cover several essentials for the district’s school buildings, including new roofing, fire alarm systems and water system upgrades.
The funding would also the high school to install a new air filter system in the wood shop.
Catherine Erickson, superintendent of Roscommon Schools, says that the educational experience can be impacted if students are worried about their safety or comfortability in the classroom.
“All of these projects, quite honestly, are things that we take for granted,” she said. “In that you don’t notice them, and they’re not disruptive to your environment until they cease to function effectively. So when water is dripping, or seals on things on roofs aren’t functioning well and you have little vessels collecting water, that’s a problem.”
The funding would also go towards repairs of sidewalks, driveways and the high school track.
“We want to continue to provide the education environment and the facilities that were here for the generations that came previously, for the generations that are yet to come,” she said.
The half mill proposal would not increase tax rates, since it’s replacing an outgoing millage. The project would hold the district’s rate at 1.96 mills, around $200 a year for a home with a taxable value of $100,000.
For more information on your local proposals, visit 9&10′s local proposal guide, and stay tuned through the Nov. 5 election. For more information on voting, visit the Michigan Secretary of State.