Last November, the majority of people voted against the Sault Ste. Marie Area Schools bond proposals. It was defeated with 2,837 no votes and 1,179 yes votes.
71 per cent of the people who voted said no to the schools' proposal to borrow up to $57 million through bonds to build a new elementary school and to remodel the Sault Area High School and Career Center building.
The administration went back to the chalkboard and recently introduced a new bond proposal back in July.
It states:
"Shall Sault Ste. Marie Area Public Schools, Chippewa County, Michigan, borrow the sum of not to exceed Forty-Three Million Six Hundred Fifteen Thousand Dollars ($43,615,000) and issue its general obligation unlimited tax bonds therefor, for the purpose of:
-erecting, furnishing, and equipping a new elementary school building; acquiring and installing instructional technology and instructional technology equipment for the new elementary school building; demolishing Washington and Lincoln elementary school buildings; and preparing, developing, improving, and equipping playgrounds and sites?"
This past Wednesday at Lincoln Elementary School, Sault Area Public School's Superintendent Amy Scott-Kronemeyer presented, in a open-public forum, information about the bond to a small group of citizens.
It is one of several "District planning and information sessions" open to the public. There are six more sessions scheduled before Election Day on Nov. 5.
The concern is that both Lincoln and Washington Elementary schools are each over 70-years-old and have out-lived their use. The school adminstration says the two schools are falling apart and are unsafe.
In the ninety-minute session, Scott-Kronemeyer explained exactly what she, and the school board, feels the school district needs.
"After we received the response from the 2023 election, and heard back from our community, it was still a priority of the board to go forward with an elementary school and reduce the initial project that included the high school down to the most important priority which is the elementary and that is what we submitted to treasury. Treasury looks at our bond and looks at our buildings and our needs and makes sure we are not over-asking our community in that bond," she said.
Nancy Rose has lived in the area for 66 years.
She walked into the session not knowing what to expect.
"I wanted to come and hear it from the horse's mouth and not what people put on social media," Rose said.
Rose said it's important to attend meetings like this. Just over a dozen people attended Wednesday's session.
She thinks now she will even attend the board meetings to learn more about the district.
"How can you make an informed decision about something like this from Sault Rants and Raves. How can you make up your mind when you don't have all the information?" Rose added.
"Coming here and listening to Amy....she gave us all those sites. I can look at the school budget and see where things are going," Rose said.
Rose said she is uncommitted in voting either way on this issue until she learns more and thinks others should do the same.
"Just ask questions before you make it a hard 'no'. I am, like many others, are worried about things too, including the national election coming up," Rose concluded.
If you would like more information about the school bond, click here.
