I first became involved with the Niles Community School District during the 2006 bond issue preparation. Doug Law appointed me to the Citizen’s Steering Committee. After meeting for several months, it became obvious to me that the basic rationale for the bond issue was flawed.

I stopped attending steering committee meetings and joined SOS (Save our Schools), which was formed to oppose the bond issue. Even after that debacle, when the vote was 3.4 to 1 against the bond, Doug Law appointed me to the second steering committee to consider a second bond vote in 2007. I did not oppose that vote and remained neutral because it did not have the worst features of the first bond issue. The second bond issue failed two to one. I also ran and won a seat on the school board that same year. I resigned from the school board a year ago.

Before you vote on May 5, learn about the bond issue at: http://nilesschools.schoolwires.net/Domain/1149. Voters should be aware that the state of Michigan has a proposal to raise sales tax from 6 to 7 percent also on May 5. Also on the ballot are two local property tax proposals I and II for our schools. Local Proposal I must pass or local Proposal II will automatically not be approved.

I had additional questions about the local proposals after reading the information in the referenced website so I obtained additional information from Superintendent Dr. Michael Lindley and Michael Kounelis of Skillman Corporation, which is assisting the district plan the effort financed by the bond vote. Mr. Kounelis gave me the following additional information that clarifies how the money will be spent.

Proposal I ($29,770,000) consists of four main categories of effort:

Safety/security: $1,118,000

Energy Efficiency: $14,700,000

Technology: $1,100,000

Building and Site work $6,186,503

About half of proposal I will be used to replace windows, replace mechanical systems, and install new temperature control systems. Additionally, there are the following soft costs:

Contingency: $1,853,000

Professional Fees: $3,876,983

Election Costs: $935,514 (Dr. Lindley says election costs won’t be this high)

Proposal II ($10,300,000) consists of:

Energy Efficiency: $1,450,000

Building and Site: $5,469,000

Furniture: $1,100,000

Additionally, there are the following soft costs:

Contingency: $645,000

Professional Fees: $1,346,000

Election Costs: $290,000 (Dr. Lindley says election costs won’t be this high)

Proposal I will collect 2.89 mills and Proposal II will collect 1.0 mills. At the referenced website, there are tables that explain how much property taxes will increase because of these bond issues. Both bond issues would be paid off by 2045 (30 years).

I have a few observations about this bond vote. To me it’s strange that an interim superintendent would try to pass a major initiative like a bond issue. Dr. Applegate, the next superintendent and who will implement the two proposals, wasn’t selected until January, but the concepts for the bond issues were set in December. I have not communicated with Dr. Applegate but I assume that he fully supports the bond proposals.

Secondly, the $14.7 million for energy efficiency seems a very high proportion of proposal I. Michael Lindley will estimate how much these improvements to energy efficiency will save the district.

Thirdly, there are no plans for what to do with the district headquarters staff at Westside, which will close at some undetermined time in the future.

Nevertheless, I can determine no overriding reason to oppose the millage vote because it does not have the foolish aspects of the 2006 and 2007 bond issues. Neither do I support it. I do wonder about what will come next to Niles. Certainly no one believes that there won’t be the need for more bond issues between now and 2045. By then our oldest building will be over 100 years old and many of the others will be almost that old. I would have preferred a more mature plan that considered how to keep Niles’ schools current and functional throughout the next 30 years. But no school administration would ever publicly discuss what will probably be needed for 30 years in the future.

Of course, I have failed to answer the question posed in the title. Each of us must learn about the bond proposals and decide whether to support them or not based on how each proposal meets the district’s needs compared to the millage cost. I suppose that my vote will be determined by the Dr. Lindley’s estimate of how much will be saved by those energy efficiency improvements in the proposals.

 

Michael Waldron is a retired lieutenant colonel, U.S. Army, who was born and raised in Niles. He previously served on the Niles Community School Board of Education. He can be reached at ml.waldron@sbcglobal.net.