MARQUETTE, MI-- The superintendent of Marquette Area Public Schools is asking the school board to approve a $6.285 million bond proposal to make upgrades in the district.
Bill Saunders explained the proposal’s six projects to the board at a work session Thursday night.
The first would expand classroom space, as three of the four elementary schools are already full, and enrollment is expected to increase.
“So, since we’re already out of space we’re actually into the special areas, so we’re using computer labs and other things for educational space, and with that forecast of projected continued increase in enrollment we really need some more elementary classroom space,” Saunders said.
The bond would also make upgrades to the high school track so MSHS could hold the U.P. track and field finals, and construct an auxiliary high school gym to avoid nearly daily practice and game conflicts.
“We have 21 teams from 13 different sports—more sports than any other school in the U.P. trying to fit into that one gym—and it just hasn’t been working for us,” Saunders said.
The football field’s grass would also be replaced by artificial turf, which would avoid weather complications and allow teams to play nearly any time of year. Money would also be used to purchase a new planetarium projector and make the planetarium ADA-compliant for students and adults with disabilities.
And the bond would let the district construct a computer makers lab to meet and enhance STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) requirements.
Saunders said the bond on Cherry Creek and Superior Hills is currently at .58 mills, but will drop to .38 mills this summer. The $6.285 million proposal represents about a .2-mill increase. Combined with the decreased elementary schools millage it brings the request back up to .58 mills, so it’s not a tax increase for residents. The new bond would extend approximately ten years.
If approved, the bond would go on the May ballot.
