A bond proposal for a little more than $19 million is on the August ballot in the Mattawan Consolidated School district.
Among other things, the $19,120,000 bond would pay for the demolition of three vacant buildings; new roofs for the middle and high schools; and security upgrades, such as coating windows with a break-resistant film and full-body cameras at front-door buzzers.
Superintendent Robin Buchler says renovations funded by the roughly 0.45-mill tax would also allow the district to open a preschool for three- and four-year-olds while possibly housing services such as a food pantry in the same building.
Buchler says the community has been asking for a preschool. “We will be able to do that if this bond passes on August seventh because we’ll finally have room to put that kind of program together,” she told WMUK.
Teca Lewellyn is the parent of a Mattawan student and a spokesperson a group supporting the millage. She says it is urgent that the schools take steps to protect themselves from dangers such as shootings.
“That’s, gosh, not even something that we had talked about four years ago when we built the new buildings. That just wasn’t a thing, but it’s a real thing now,” she said.
The Mattawan school district passed a much larger, close to $79 million bond in 2014. A non-homestead school operating millage renewal is also on the August ballot.
