The Menominee Area Public Schools have a proposal on Tuesday’s ballot that would raise $44 million over a 30-year period.
The main portion of the referendum would be to build a new elementary school on the same site as the junior/senior high school, and tear down the current central elementary school. There would also be capital improvements at the junior and senior high schools, and re-purpose the Blesch Intermediate School for future use.
This is a mail-in election, as ballot have been sent to registered voters in the district, due to the coronavirus outbreak. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said on Monday there will be at least one polling place open in every jurisdiction that has an election in Michigan on Tuesday.
This information is from the Menominee Schools web site:
NEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
• To be built on the same site as the Jr./Sr. High School • Tear down Central Elementary • Repurpose Blesch Intermediate School • Modern learning environments • Latest safety & security designs • New student drop-off/pick-up configuration
CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AT JR./SR. HIGH SCHOOL
• Projects that extend the useful life of the Jr./Sr. High School
• Safety & security updates including new secure entryway
• Energy saving and cost reduction projects such as HVAC and lighting upgrades
• New parking lots and reconfigured student drop-off/pick-up • configuration •
Improved modern learning environments for 21st Century education
Q: What happens to Central Elementary and Blesch Intermediate Schools?
A: Nothing will happen until the new elementary school is ready to open and start serving kids. Once the new school is open, Central Elementary school will be torn down and the new elementary school parking lot and playground will be relocated to its new site. Blesch Intermediate School is not planned to be torn down and will be repurposed. Alternate use(s) important for the school district are currently being explored and community input will help with these decisions.
Q: What happens to Blesch Auditorium and Blesch Stadium?
A: The auditorium and stadium are important community venues and will remain. Upgrades and enhancements are actively being considered. The funding for these improvements will come from regular operating budgets and/or private funding, but not from the referendum.
Q: What is the timing for the new elementary school and projects at the Jr./Sr. High School?
A: If the referendum is successful, engineering and architectural work will begin as soon as possible and include much input from teachers & staff. The new elementary school will hopefully break ground in spring 2021 and open in the fall of 2022. Capital improvement projects at the Jr./Sr. High School will be scheduled on an ongoing basis over the next several years beginning in late 2020. (These schedules could require adjustment as a result of the effects of the COVID-19 virus outbreak.)
Even more details are posted here: https://www.menomineestrong.com/
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