MUNISING, Mich. (WZMQ) – With Munising public schools have a sinking fund proposal on the upcoming May 2 ballot, superintendent Mike Travis held an open discussion at the Gallery coffee company in downtown Munising.
With the most concern surrounding the children’s security and safety, the proposal meets the minimum requirements for a sinking fund, which is used for school facility upgrades and improvements. The majority of the fixes would focus on Mather Elementary School.
“Community loves that building, but it’s 102 years old, and if we are going to continuing educate kids in there, we need to do something about it. The windows in there are over 30 years old, we’ve got windows that don’t open, panes broken, window replacement is costly,” said Travis.
The proposal is for 1.9 mils over a 10-year period, and the school hopes it will generate $4.6 million in that time. And this financial burden is just pennies a day to keep their facilities safe and in good repair according to Superintendent Travis and he added, “The average daily cost is 39 cents, so in a week if you have a 150-thousand-dollar home, the tax increase for you would cost you less than this cup of coffee at gallery coffee, on a weekly basis.”
In preparation of the proposal the school looked at the necessary scope of work in school improvements vs. the possibility of building a new one.
“When you look at the cost breakdown to build a brand-new elementary school, you’re talking 10 to 20 million, depending on what you do, which is peanuts compared to what we are asking for upgrades,” said Travis.
Travis believes the sinking fund will extend the building’s life another 30 years for the community’s 10-year investment.
To learn more about this sinking fund, click here.
