Members of the Greenville Public Schools Board of Education met for a special meeting Monday where they voted unanimously to place a $45.23 million bond proposal on the May 3 ballot. — DN Photo | Cory Smith
GREENVILLE — Seeking construction of a new early-childhood addition, along with air conditioning for elementary schools and several other improvements, Greenville Public Schools is moving forward with a bond proposal this spring.
During a special meeting of the Board of Education on Monday evening, the board voted unanimously (with Trustee Charlie Mahar absent) on language of a bond resolution in the amount of $45.23 million to be placed on the May 3 election ballot.
If approved by voters, the funds would be used for a number of improvements spread out through two phases over a period of four years — the first phase of improvements beginning in 2023 and the second phase in 2025 (see accompanying info box for more details).
According to Superintendent Linda Van Houten, the key projects outlined in the proposal consist of improvements for health and safety, addressing aging infrastructure and improving the school district’s educational spaces.
While voters previously passed a $46.4 million bond in 2017, Van Houten said the new proposal will address needs for the district that were not included in that bond.
“In 2017, voters approved a bond proposal for improvements to safety and security, upgrades to educational technology and to address the most immediate of identified facility issues,” she said. “The 2022 bond proposal is planned to address the remaining, currently-identified issues over the next six years with an expected net tax rate decrease. While the 2017 bond took care of many critical issues, there are still core infrastructure systems that have outlived their expected life cycles, and educational needs such as a great demand for early childhood care and a growing Career Technical Education program need spaces and resources to support the educational needs of our students and community.”
Greenville Public Schools Board of Education Secretary Ron Billmeier, left, listens as Superintendent Linda Van Houten answers questions pertaining to a $45.23 million bond proposal for the May 3 election during Monday’s meeting. — DN Photo | Cory Smith
Van Houten said while the timing may appear suspect — only five years removed from the previous bond having passed — the opportunity at hand is unique in that the new proposal will not result in a tax increase, but in fact, taxpayers will actually see a decrease due to a $13.93 million bond passed in 1999 falling off of the tax roll in 2023.
Greenville Public Schools currently levies 7.2 mills for the debt tax rate. If the bond proposal (increase of 2.12 mills) is approved by voters, the net debt tax rate is expected to actually decrease by 0.2 mills from the current levy of 7.2 mills as the 1999 bond millage rate ends.
The over debt levy is expected to decrease to 7.0 mills on the tax levy in July 2023.
Additionally, the 7.0 millage rate would drop again in 2030 after the $14.57 million bond approved by voters in 2011 comes off the tax rolls.
“There is no increase in the millage rate,” Van Houten said. “The timing, this is all about the falling off of the tax rate and being able to do it with the decrease. If you wait and it falls off, potentially if (the Board of Education) wants to do this in two to three years, it will be a tax increase. It just happens to be that timing, that we’re in this place, that we can do it with a decrease in the tax rate.”
EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER
In proposing a new Early Childhood Education Center — complete with as many as 14 new classrooms, office area, motor skills room and extended daycare area — Van Houten said the new building would help GPS remain competitive against other area school districts in West Michigan, as well as address a need in Montcalm County.
An illustration shows where a proposed Early Childhood and Daycare Center for Greenville Public Schools would be constructed, attached to the north end of Walnut Hills Elementary School, if a $45.23 million bond proposal for the May 3 election is approved by voters. — Submitted illustration
“The state has indicated that Montcalm County is a daycare desert, that there are not enough daycares,” she said. “But we continue to indicate that in no way are we trying to put anybody out of business — any daycares or preschools. There are more than enough kids to go around — we have a waiting list of 30 kids in our program right now — and we will be reaching out to all of those preschools and daycares, to offer to partner with them. We want to be a good neighbor and a good partner with all of those organizations.”
Van Houten added that numerous studies show the benefit early childhood education and preschool offers students, impacting them all the way through high school and beyond.
“This will about double our space for daycare and it will add five sections of GSRP (Great Start Readiness Program), with 15 kids per section,” she said. “This is about just meeting the needs of our community, it is one of the number one things that comes up over and over and over again and we know the impact of early childhood education and what preschool opportunities do for our students when it comes to student achievement. It’s huge. Kindergarten teachers will tell you over and over again, they can pick out a student who has had preschool any day of the week.”
Van Houten said the new day care options at the Early Childhood Education Center would not replace current day care options at the school district’s four elementary schools.
CTE OPTIONS & MORE
In regard to expanding CTE options at the middle school and high school buildings, Van Houten said in performing a previous parent/community survey, continuing to expand those options remained a high priority.
“We’ve already expanded our CTE options, but we are continuing to move toward more career opportunities for our kids, offering lots of options in that area,” she said.
In installing air conditioning at the school district’s four elementary schools, as well as modifying the HVAC system at the middle school, Van Houten said those improvements are focused on improving air quality throughout the school district.
Greenville Public Schools Board of Education Treasurer Jim Anderson asks a question while pointing to a proposed site plan, showing the reconstruction of a student drop-off area at Lincoln Heights Elementary School, as the items included in a $45.23 million bond proposal were discussed during Monday’s meeting. – DN Photo | Cory Smith
“Improving air quality can be accomplished by upgrading or replacing parts of mechanical systems to improve ventilation and filtration,” she said. “Increased ventilation provides more fresh air to indoor spaces. Filtration systems help capture airborne germs. If the bond is approved by voters, the district will work with our architecture and engineering team to determine appropriate solutions that would improve indoor air quality and heating and add air conditioning where currently lacking at the elementary schools.”
Van Houten said while the bond, if approved, would be completed in two phases, the items within those phases can be shifted around based on priority, such as revamping the student drop-off traffic pattern at Lincoln Heights.
She also stressed that funds from the bond will not be able to be used to pay teacher salaries or benefits.
In voting to approve the ballot language, members of the board showed a consensus of support for it.
“This was a ton of work in a really short time frame, with a lot of other stuff going on,” Trustee Jodi Petersen said addressing Van Houten. “Thank you.”
Greenville Public Schools $45.23 million bond proposal in detail
Walnut Hills Elementary School — $18,914,312
• Addition of an Early Childhood Education Center
• HVAC improvements
• Fire alarm upgrades
• Kitchen addition
• STEM classroom remodeling
• Furniture and equipment
• Student devices
• Instructional technology equipment
• Selective parking lot paving
• Site work to support building additions
• Playground improvements
Baldwin Heights Elementary School — $2,887,015
• HVAC improvements
• Fire alarm upgrades
• Kitchen addition
• STEM classroom remodeling
• Furniture and equipment
• Student devices
• Instructional technology equipment
• Site work associated with kitchen addition
Cedar Crest Elementary School — $3,165,740
• HVAC improvements
• Fire alarm upgrades
• Kitchen addition
• STEM classroom remodeling
• Furniture and equipment
• Student devices
• Instructional technology equipment
• Site work associated with kitchen addition
• Select paving improvements
Lincoln Heights Elementary School — $3,912,538
• HVAC improvements
• Fire alarm upgrades
• Kitchen addition
• STEM classroom remodeling
• Furniture and equipment
• Student devices
• Instructional technology equipment
• Site work associated with kitchen addition
• Select paving improvements
• Parking lot and drive improvements
Greenville Middle School — $8,285,367
• CTE classroom addition
• Selective roofing improvements
• HVAC improvements
• Furniture and equipment
• Student devices
• Instructional technology equipment
• Site work and utilities to support building addition
• Outdoor learning and recreation space
• Loading dock improvements
Greenville High School — $7,278,008
• CTE classroom addition
• Selective roofing improvements
• Furniture and equipment
• Student devices
• Instructional technology equipment
• Replace tennis courts
• Site work and utilities to support new building addition
• New entrance drive and parking
• Selective paving improvements
Central Services Facility — $134,432
• Selective paving improvements
[ad_2]
Originally Appeared Here