Whether or not you have kids in schools, the one thing that touches everybody in the Lake Orion community is the Lake Orion Community Schools district. On Tuesday, August 2, they are asking area voters to pass a two-mill millage for a “Sinking” fund. The Lake Orion Review urges voters to support this request.
As Publisher, one of the deciding factors for me to support this bond, was this: Every one in the district, every teacher and administrator has taken a pay cut – and the teachers have taking two pay cuts in two years! This is huge and to me, shows the level of commitment they have to our community, schools and more importantly to our school­aged children.
Are there parts of this proposal I dislike? Yes, of course. I am not sure repaving parking lots, two to three million square feet of concrete between the lots and sidewalks is needed, nor making the schools entrances even more secure than they already are. However, we all know everything has a shelf­life, like the football stadium turf, and once the life span is reached, it does need to be replaced. You cannot turn back the hands of time and go back to gravel parking lots and grass/sod playing fields. The turf needs replacing before a student athlete is injured on a split seam.
My friend, Orion Township Supervisor Chris Barnett told me many of the new homes going up around town are selling for $450,000 – this tax base will help the township out a lot. Not so much so for the school district – as funding for schools comes from the state, based on the student headcount. Even though these homes are big and expensive, the families moving in do not all have school­aged children.
Schools Superintendent Marion Ginopolis says LOCS is asking the community to vote ‘Yes’ on the building and site sinking fund. We believe this is a good way to get our schools the money needed to keep the buildings in working order. When passed, the proposal will help extend the life of all the district’s buildings. I’ve been told that in some buildings, there are more cans catching water from leaking roofs, than there are collecting trash.
The schools technology networks need upgrading, as does building security, boiler systems, windows, doors and lighting.
The district has 16 buildings; your YES vote will generate $3.5 million dollars annually for 10 years, all with no interest. After Proposal 1 was passed years ago to stop people from being taxed out of their homes, it became the responsibility of the public to keep buildings in good working condition and it is time to invest in the district again.
I believe the administration and the school board have done the hard work of getting the dollar amounts down to a conservative number we all can live with. I urge you to vote ‘Yes’ in support of LOCS sinking fund this Tuesday, August. 2.
– Jim Sherman, Jr., publisher