School board to seek state bond approval

The Fremont school board unanimously agreed to petition Michigan’s Department of Treasury for a $39.9 million bond proposal, the first step in local efforts to build a new high school.

The project would include seeking a purchasing option for the Wagonmaker Farms property on 56th Street near the Newaygo County Fairgrounds.

School Superintendent Dr. John Kingsnorth said that the treasury petition is required because of the state’s backing of local bond issues.

After school officials meet with state treasury officials in January, the school board will need to formally vote on the bond proposal, which likely would be held next May, Kingsnorth said.

At the board meeting on Dec. 15, Fremont Board of Education President Anita Osterman said that the school district and the Fremont community can join hands and make a brighter future.

“We hold in our hands the hopes of today for all the children of Fremont Public Schools, and the dreams of their tomorrows,” Osterman said. “The community of Fremont holds their own future, as a community, in their hands. Together, when we all join hands, the hopes of today will become the dreams of tomorrow and the future for our children and our community.”

The proposed $39.9 million proposal is actually two projects, including money for a new high school and money for enhancements to the broader school district’s classroom technology.

Board members were responding to recommendations from two citizens’ committees, one examining the need for a new high school and potential sites to build it, the second studying the school district’s technology needs.

The technology bond would only be implemented if both bond requests were approved, Kingsnorth said.

During their deliberations, board members discussed whether a swim ming pool and enhancements to the outdoor sports stadium should be included in the bond request. Kingsnorth said that, while most board members expressed support for these items, “they feel that education is the essential priority,”

Technology needs throughout the district fall under that guideline, he said, involving computer and software upgrades to the 1996 infrastructure, more student laptops, and “21st Century learning classrooms” at the district’s other buildings.

Kingsnorth said that a 3.6-mill bond issue would cost $180 annually for a home with a taxable value of $100,000. The technology bond would not add to the yearly cost, but would stretch out the life of the bond a few years, he explained.

Citizen’s committee co-chair David Byrne applauded the board’s action.

“This work is so very important for the future of our children and the future of our community,” Byrne said. “Our goal now is to make sure that every voter receives the necessary information for him or her to make an informed decision.”

12/24/2008 Times Indicator Article (p. 1) Times Indicator
Fremont Public School News