Glen Lake Schools To Float Another Bond Proposal

Glen Lake Community Schools will take another crack at a bond proposal in a few months, but this ask will be considerably smaller than the last.

Superintendent Jason Misner says the school board on Monday greenlit a plan to float an $8.2 million, 20-year proposal in the Nov. 5 general election. This is roughly a quarter of the $36 million proposal that failed last November.

The scope of work tied to the new proposal is pared down significantly from what was included in the 2023 proposal, Misner says, and will supplement non-bond spending by the district itself.

“We have a fiscal responsibility to fund as much of this as we can (outside of a bond),” he tells The Ticker. “We have an obligation to budget appropriately and to make the ask to our community as small as possible.”

The board considered a higher bond proposal or taking out a loan, Misner says, but ultimately settled on the $8.2 million option, which amounts to 0.48 mills over 20 years. A fact sheet provided by Misner says bond proceeds would mostly go towards HVAC work, including the replacement of several ventilators and the addition of new duct work distribution to support “climate-controlled classrooms with improved indoor air quality.”

Classroom casework and flooring will also be replaced as needed, partially due to the new configuration of the classroom mechanical units.

“This will provide additional appropriate storage for a cohesive classroom learning environment when the updates are complete,” the fact sheet says.

Bond proceeds would supplement $3.5 million in non-bond spending by the district to purchase new boilers to replace the district’s aging current models. Ultimately, Misner says, the district is asking voters to work together with the district on an HVAC overhaul.

“The board’s thinking that we’re putting money into the most pressing needs in our school, we just need some help finishing the job,” he says.

The district spending on new boilers will happen regardless of the bond’s fate, Misner says, and will be part of up to $12 million in spending by the district over the next decade to chip away at district needs. Certain costlier elements of the $36 million proposal – including a new-build, secure point entry space – have been scrapped.

Misner hopes the plan gives the community confidence that it is responsibly and effectively leveraging the money it already has.

“The community wants to see where and how we’re spending our dollars, and I think that’s very important,” Misner says.

While the district is legally barred from directly advocating for a yes vote on the proposal, it will now take steps to ensure that district voters know exactly what the bond issue entails.

“We just want to get information out to folks. This is pretty straightforward – it’s for HVAC and the corresponding cost to get it done,” Misner says. “It's a much smaller ask than we had last time.”