Voters and employees in the Kearsley school district are presented with an opportunity to share their opinion on the new 28- year bond proposal on the ballot May 3.

This $21.65 million bond proposal would cost the average Kearsley homeowner $0.54 per day, though prices are expected to decrease over the course of the project, as well as vary per household.

The bond proposal was written with the input of survey-takers among staff and community members, with the finalized version including funds for improving student safety, school security, remodeling and refurnishing schools, developing and improving driveways and parking areas, and constructing a community recreation facility

Here’s what the project looks like for each school building:

Weston

Site Work

• Install storm water management retention system
• Expand parent drop-off loop at Southwest parking lot
• Site work at entry vestibule addition

New Construction

• Construct a secure entry vestibule addition

Remodeling / Rehabilitation

Exterior

• replace West roof area
• Re-Key exterior building doors

Interior

• Re-Key interior Building doors

Furnishings / Equipment

• Replace classroom furniture and furnishings

Dowdall

Site Work

• Site work at entry vestibule addition

New Construction

• construct a secure entry vestibule addition

Remodeling / Rehabilitation

Exterior: Re-Key exterior building doors

Interior: Re-Key interior building doors

Furnishings / Equipment

• Replace classroom furniture and furnishings

Fiedler

Site Work

• Site work at entry vestibule addition

New Construction

• Construct a secure entry vestibule addition

Remodeling / Rehabilitation

Exterior: Re-Key exterior building doors

Interior: Re-Key interior building doors

Furnishings / Equipment

• Replace classroom furniture and furnishings

Armstrong

Remodeling / Rehabilitation

Exterior: Re-Key exterior building doors

Interior:

• Re-Key interior building doors
• Remodel locker rooms
• Remodel science labs

Furnishings / Equipment

• Re-Equip robotics / STEM area with more flexible furniture and furnishings
• Replace media center furniture and furnishings

KHS

Site Work

• Community Recreation Facility addition

New Construction

• Community Recreation Facility (competition gym with spectator seating, weight room, indoor track, training room, and team locker rooms)

Remodeling / Rehabilitation

Exterior: Re-Key exterior building doors

Interior:

• Remodel Auditorium lobby restrooms
• Re-Key interior building doors
• Replace boiler

Bergtorf

Remodeling / Rehabilitation

Interior: Remodel existing wrestling room into a robotics lab

The improvements that were selected to be made were, in a sense, chosen by the community.

Last June, the district sent out a community engagement survey to gauge what improvements the public would want included in a bond proposal.

In this survey, parents were asked to select their top priority improvements to the school, ranking their choices 1-15.

The community recreation facility ended up as the number three priority on this project, and, if the bond is passed, will serve as the newest construction in the district since the addition of the science wing to the high school in 1999.

But why is this happening now?

Davison, Lakeville, Clio, Bently, and other local districts have passed bonds in recent years, but according to Kearsley’s Superintendent Paul Gaudard, this proposal was finally put up for voting after two-and-a-half years in the making because the economy has started to level off.

“We just felt like the time is right,” Gaudard said, “for the most part, the economy is good right now.”

Another concern was the disruption to learning environments during future school years if there is active construction on school buildings.

Gaudard is confident these interruptions will be limited, with the noisier work happening outside of school hours or during the summer.

“I think it will be minimal,” said Gaudard, who is prioritizing the focus in learning environments, “all of that will be made very clear to our construction managers.”

But what about Pumpkin Patch?

There is nothing explicit in the bond proposal about making improvements to the preschool building, but there is funding coming from the district’s “sinking budget” intended to redo the parking lot and replace the building’s doors and windows.

A main point of advertisement for the bond proposal has been the cost of $0.54 per day- approximately $200 per year- to the average Kearsley homeowner.

This is based on home value. The average home in the district is worth about $135 thousand, creating the benchmark tax of $0.54. A higher home value would equate to a higher tax.

This vote is open to every Kearsley homeowner and parent, which includes the school-of-choice students who live outside the district.

Gaudard wasn’t exactly sure how the vote would go on May 3, but his approach so far has been straightforward.

“I don’t know exactly, we’re going to wait and see what happens,” said Gaudard, “We’ve tried to be transparent and focus our campaign on providing the facts.