Alanson sinking fund, bond proposal requests pass in May election

ALANSON — Both proposals for Alanson Public School passed in Tuesday's election.

The May ballot included two asks from Alanson Public School, including a request for a sinking fund renewal and a new bond proposal.

The sinking fund proposal was a request for a five-year millage renewal, which could be used for real estate purchases, construction and repairs on school buildings, security improvements, and the acquisition and upgrading of technology.

Unofficial results show the proposal passed with 209 yes votes and 111 no votes.

The renewal will allow the district to levy a rate of 0.7258 mills through 2029. The millage is expected to bring in around $154,000 per year.

The bond proposal — which asked voters to decide whether or not they would approve a millage rate of 0.82 mills, bringing in $2.2 million — was approved with 189 yes votes and 130 no votes.

The money brought in through the bond proposal would help the school make upgrades through different projects, including bringing in new carpeting, purchasing new school buses, renovating locker rooms, removing canopies from the school's exterior and more.

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Money brought in from bond proposals can only be used on projects included in what's specifically requested on the ballot.

“There are improvements in the bond proposal that impact the safety and security of the school building, like replacing the outside steel doors in each classroom in the elementary/middle school wing," Superintendent Rachelle Cook said in a press release prior to the election. "These doors have become rusted over the last 20-plus years of use. Some of the other improvements in the bond proposal are replacing old, worn carpet, or renovating the locker rooms which are in poor condition and not functioning completely. We want to be able to improve the learning environment for the students.”

— Contact reporter Karly Graham at kgraham@petoskeynews.com. Follow her on Twitter at @KarlyGrahamJRN.

This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Alanson sinking fund, bond proposal requests pass in May election