Les Cheneaux Community Schools may be facing a tight race for approval of a $12.6 million bond proposal.
Bob Lohff, superintendent of Les Cheneaux Community Schools, said the package of renovations has received mostly positive support from the community — but he was still expecting a close vote on Nov. 7.
If approved by voters, the measure would levy 1.8 additional mills for 25 years, bringing in a total of $12.6 million for school renovations and new additions. The millage would cost about $90 per year for a home with a taxable value of $50,000, according to documents from the school.
The most significant changes would be updates to some original features of the consolidated school building, including bathrooms and ceilings, along with the construction of a fieldhouse and greenhouse.
Lohff said the additions would benefit students and the broader community.
“I think the school is the heartbeat of the community, especially in small communities like we are,” he said in an interview.
The fieldhouse would be open to the public when not in use by students, Lohff said. It would serve as a second gym for students and an event space for the broader community.
The renovations would also add several security measures to the school. A new communication system would be installed, along with replacing exterior door controls and certain interior doors.
Renovations in the current school building would cost around $3.3 million, while the remaining $9.2 million would go towards new constructions.
Lohff cast the renovations as a means of attracting more students to the area, saying that many neighboring schools already have additional gyms and other features that would be added by the proposal.
The proposal will appear on the Nov. 7 ballot. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voters can find more information about their local elections from the Michigan Secretary of State.
