By LINDSAY VanHULLE
FRANKFORT -- Administrators at Frankfort-Elberta Area Schools want their students to have access to the latest technology so they can be competitive in college and the workforce.
But that takes money.
The district will ask voters to approve a 0.31-mill bond proposal Nov. 4. School board President Teresa Mensching said it should last five years.
The funds would generate about $855,000, earmarked specifically for technology upgrades, the purchase of two new school buses, roof repairs and the creation of a meeting room and office space.
One elementary and two high school computer labs are in the district now, and administrators want to update the machines as well as provide a laptop lab, Mensching said.
"We really want to make sure that our kids are ready to go to college and use the technology that's in colleges today," she said.
Of the district's five school buses, two are more than 12 years old, she said. Bond funding would replace them.
And infrastructure improvements, such as to a section of roof that is 25 years old, would be possible.
Yet the economic crisis gripping Michigan and the nation could prevent the proposal from succeeding, she said.
"It is a very challenging time and I am concerned," Mensching said. "(But) we don't feel these items are frivolous in any way."
Forest Area Community Schools, based in Fife Lake, also has a tax proposal on the ballot.
Administrators are seeking a five-year, 1-mill sinking fund intended solely for building and grounds repairs.
Some of the district's buildings are more than 30 years old, and have a list of needed repairs, Superintendent John Smith said. Parking lots throughout the district also are deteriorating.
But declining enrollment means a dip in total per-student state funding -- dollars that funnel into the district's general fund to support day-to-day operations, Smith said.
That means money would have to be taken from the classroom to be put toward renovations, he added.
If approved, the district's school board would prioritize a list of projects.
"I believe that it could be a challenge to pass this," Smith said. "I think the community understands the need. I'm not sure if they can supply the need."
