Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
BETH STEIGER, school board member, briefed the residents Tuesday in Bessemer on the bond issue and answered questions and concerns people might have. There was no oppositional presence felt, or if they were there, they maintained their quiet, as the group was very pro-bond.
BESSEMER - Proponents of a May 2 bond issue gathered in the A.D. Johnston High School multi-purpose room in Bessemer Tuesday evening to discuss the bond and project. No one spoke in opposition.
Beth Steiger, a school board member, made the presentation - chosen because she missed the last board meeting, she said.
"What are we going to do for citizens of the future?" asked Steiger, adding that the town owes it to the children and their future to pass the bond and remodel the school.
Steiger said Bessemer has 93 out-of-district students who come to Bessemer because of its quality education, while the school received the lowest revenue from its tax base in the Gogebic-Ontonagon Intermediate School District.
Approximately 80 percent of the residents of district would see their tax bill increase by $94 for the next 27 years and 9 months.
If passed, the school would consolidate A.D. Johnston and the Washington Elementary School for the 2018-2019 school year, hosting students from Pre K-grade 12 at ADJ. New computers, class room spaces and infrastructure would be part of the package to add curriculum choices and make the district more energy efficient.
Towards the end of the town hall, Steiger spoke about consolidation. The building repairs would be good if consolidation were to occur in the future because it would make Bessemer a more attractive option to keep a school, she said.
The threat of $30 million to build a new consolidated school, instead of $6.9 million for this project, was discussed, as well the numbers of voters between the Bessemer and Ironwood school districts, directly implying Bessemer would lose any balloted initiative because Ironwood's population is greater, forcing Bessemer residents to pay for a school in someone else's city.
Another town hall is scheduled for the Bessemer Township Hall on April 25 at 6 p.m.
Superintendent Dave Radovich said, "Everything is in place, it is up to the people."
If the bond passes, work would commence immediately and is scheduled for completion by the fall of 2018.
The bond cost is $6.9 million, which equals out to 4.7 mills on people's tax statement. The school website, bessemer.k12.mi.us, has a tax calculator residents can use to figure out their increased taxes if the bond passes, as well as additional information regarding the building plans.
