MUNISING, Mich. (WZMQ) – Voters in Munising will soon decide on a 1.5 mill sinking fund proposal for their schools. If approved, the measure would generate just over $2 million over five years, funding building repairs and infrastructure upgrades across the district.
For homeowners, the cost is estimated at around $100 per year.
“Your schools die, your towns die, and the up is really an epitome of that because of our population and the way you know, industry is structured up here,” said Munising Public Schools Superintendent Mike Travis.
Munising’s fiscal woes are a direct result of a shrinking tax base because less than 30% of the land in the district is taxable.
“The smallest pocket of land that we have in our district is actually private land, which is taxable at slightly less than 30%,” said Travis.
Aging infrastructure is becoming a glaring problem at 105-year-old Mather Elementary School, where aging boilers are nearing failure, windows don’t open, and air quality is an issue. The building has limited ventilation and no fresh air circulation.
“There is no air handling that operates in Mather Elementary, said Travis.
A recent study commissioned by the district found elevated CO2 levels and found that poor air flow may be contributing to how quickly illnesses spread among students and staff.
“We’ve recently had testing done, and the carbon dioxide levels in at least 15 of our classrooms are in the marginal range. The studies show that when you have between 1000 and 2500 parts per million of carbon dioxide, it negatively impacts cognitive function, which is your brain, working, thinking, and learning, said Travis.
If voters approve the sinking fund, the district says, it can begin addressing those critical needs right away, without adding long-term debt.
