I would like to remind residents of the recent school bond funding proposals presented to voters. In 2011 a $22.5 Mil. bond was rejected. In 2012, the school spent $3.5 from their general fund to cover essential items of the $22.5 request, which would imply they had a remaining wish list of $19 Mil. Surprise, in 2013 the school board presented the voters with a Proposal A millage for $28.7 Mil. which was a 51% increase from the unfunded 2011 request. This was also defeated. And now, in 2016 they present us with a $35.2 Mil. sinking fund request which is an 85% increase from the unfunded 2011 proposal!. The “Gold Plating” continues at Lake Orion Schools. I am confident voters will also reject this bloated request. Previous articles in the L. O. Review indicated the School Board was considering either a 1 mil or 2 mil proposal and of course, they opted for the higher amount.. I am sure that the school board’s strategy will, after defeat of this request, to be back on the ballot in November with the 1 mil request. I recommend that instead of always looking to the taxpayers, they look internally and cut out the fat in their $79.1 Mil. budget. Let’s start with the combined total of 8 assistant principals and superintendents, and then address why there are almost as many non-teaching positions as teaching positions in the school directory. They would have to reduce their budget by only 2% to fund the 1mil alternative. They must also pull ahead the necessary school closings to “right size” the school system to match declining enrollment. Finally, I don’t believe the current school board or Administration are good stewards of taxpayers money. A recent glaring example is in the closing of the Moose Tree Nature Preserve. Ask your school board member or Marion Ginopolis why, instead of selling the science tables, desks and furnishings to a salvage operation, listing them on on e-bay or offering them for sale to Orion residents, they were loaded into a dumpster and disposed of!
Thomas Sanna
Orion Township resident