2 school proposals on Tuesday's ballot

Two St. Joseph County School Districts will appeal next week to their respective taxpayers in hopes of supporting millage-renewal requests.

Voters in White Pigeon Community Schools and in Mendon Community Schools will participate in the only local elections next week.

White Pigeon Community Schools

White Pigeon Superintendent Shelly McBride said she has attempted to remind district voters the request is not seeking any new money.

Next week’s request, she said, is a continuation of the bond voters passed in 2014 and again in 2019 to benefit the 730-student district.

“These bonds expire every five years and the district is asking for the same amount of money from taxpayers in 2024 as we did in 2014 and 2019,” the district’s second-year superintendent said. “This bond proposal, if approved, will allow White Pigeon Community Schools to continue to support our students and staff by maintaining and upgrading our facilities district-wide, increasing our safety and security measures throughout the district and continuing to provide up-to-date technology equipment for our students and staff.”

Specifically, McBride said the in-classroom restrooms at Central Elementary will be updated and classroom floors will be replaced. In addition, lighting upgrades will be made district-wide, more ADA parking and accessibility added, and mechanical and electrical systems replaced when they are at the end of their useful cycle.

“White Pigeon currently has the lowest bond debt millage in our area at 0.85 mills,” McBride said. “Our community supports us … they have shown that for close to 20 years in sinking-fund and bond proposals. We’re not taking advantage of their support, we’re just asking for continued support of White Pigeon Community Schools.”

More information about the five-year request can be found on the district’s website or by calling McBride, at 483-7676.

Mendon Community Schools

Meanwhile, Mendon Community Schools Board of Education is also asking for support of a request that will not result in new taxes.

Superintendent Leasa Griffith-Matthews said the district is seeking renewal of 8 mills over a six-year period.

She said if the millage is approved, $20 million would be allocated over a three-phase period covering six years. Griffith-Matthews said the district would like to continue addressing its needs and putting on hold its wants.

“We are looking to put air conditioning in our (two) buildings, we’re looking to put in some extra square footage at the elementary office, our sick room, storage in our office and create a conference room,” she said.

In addition, the funds would allow the district to update its cupboards, sinks and bathrooms at its elementary school.

The middle school wing would also receive a much-needed upgrade, Griffith-Matthews said.

“We’re looking at updating carpet in a few areas at the middle/high school, but all carpet at the elementary would be updated,” she said. “We would also like to do an addition at the middle/high school for bathrooms down by our auxiliary gym. We get a lot of complaints from people attending middle school sporting events who have to walk all the way back to the halls to the cafeteria area because that’s where the bathrooms are.”

Also, the 460-student district is seeking to develop a new bus garage to replace the current one, which was built in the 1950s.

Griffith-Matthews said early phases of proposed work exceeded $32 million. She said the amount is way more than what the district felt was a comfortable seeking and subsequently lowered its scope to about $20 million.

“And we always put aside money for technology to try to make sure we’re keeping up in that area,” she added.

Griffith-Matthews said conversations she has had with the general public seem to support the district’s vision and its needs. Still, she knows better than to take things for granted.

“We stand to lose a lot if we all of a sudden lose 8 mills and I think most people realize how detrimental that would be to the district,” Griffith-Matthews said. “I was born and raised here and this community has always been so supportive and so positive about everything with the schools. We’ve been very fortunate here in Mendon.”

Polls are open Tuesday 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

This article originally appeared on Sturgis Journal: 2 school proposals on Tuesday's ballot