By By ANDY HAMILTON / Niles Daily Star
NILES – Parents of Brandywine Community Schools students Angie Searles and Doris Schoenleber said the last bond campaign was a success.
The 2003 effort did well in educating voters on how the $14.4 million was going to be generated, Schoenleber said. The campaign also made it easy to tell others what the scope of the project was about.
"I think they did a good job last time communicating what was going to happen," said Schoenleber, who is also running for a seat on the Brandywine board of education. "I think that's how it passed."
The current millage rate is expected to drop to 3.84 mills in July as a result of the district refinancing the 2003 bond. Brandywine is proposing on the May 8 election ballot a reauthorization of 4.85 mills to generate $5.75 million for a period of 25 years.
"No more taxes; that's the main message," said superintendent Gary Rider. "We don't extend the length of the bond."
If passed, projects would be completed in the summer of 2008 at Brandywine Elementary School, Brandywine Middle/High School and Bell Education Center, which would get a new roof.
At the elementary school the health and fitness center, the parking and student drop off arrangements and the building's outer shell would be revamped. Improvements at the middle/high school would include finishing the water project, outer shell upgrades and revamped locker rooms and band and choir rooms.
The bond steering committee also created a list of additional projects to be completed if bond funds are leftover as was the case with the 2003 effort. A track at the middle/high school is an option, as is an entrance canopy in the front of the same building.
Searles and Schoenleber joined about 30 others Monday night for the Brandywine Pride campaign kick-off. The informational meeting was a review of the project and also provided community members the opportunity to join bond campaign committees.
Co-chairs of the Brandywine Pride bond campaign are Tina Newman and Robb DeJonge.
Members of the Brandywine community are welcome to join bond campaign committees at any time by calling the administration office at (269) 684-7150. Newman said volunteers might be asked to work more hours closer to the election depending on the committee they join.
The information and marketing committee chaired by Jeff Mott has been charged with creating flyers, banners, buttons, press releases and other campaign advertisements. The same group will distribute scripts, building blue prints and question and answer sheets for use by volunteers talking with voters.
Ralph Vosburgh and Erin Douglass are co-chairing the voting resources committee, which is responsible for a database of registered voters and committed 'yes' voters. Volunteers on the committee will also call voters the day of the election to remind them to head to the polls.
The finance committee led by Diane Smith will focus on fundraising, paying bills and filing the necessary forms after the election.
Crystal Napper and Mindy Yakim will be co-chairing the canvassing and event committee, which will be organizing volunteers for campaign events, registering people to vote and talking with absentee voters and 18-year-old voters.
The phone bank and election committee headed by Kymm DeJonge and Tammy Youngs will organize volunteer callers and an election day location, plus direct drivers for voters who need transportation to the polls.
Karen Weimer, who will be replacing Rider in the bond process when he departs Feb. 28, said an informational meeting on election laws will be held March 5.
"I want to assure you what is in our scope and what was presented to the [Michigan Department of Treasury] is what we are going to do," Weimer said.
Rider said to generate the money necessary to repair all Brandywine facilities the district needs to continue the pattern of refinancing previous bonds and requesting voters to reauthorize the millage rate.
"I know communities and school districts that are in their fourth of fifth phase of doing this," he said.