Bond proposes to improve school districts

HOUGHTON — Residents in one Houghton County community are being asked to approve a bond proposal that will lead to some major improvements in their school district.

Education is a lot different than it was in 1972. That’s when the E,B Holman Public School in Stanton Township was built.

In a lot of ways, the facility is much the same as it was back then and lack of space is an ongoing obstacle to making improvements.

Stanton Twp. Schools Principle/Superintendent James Rautiola said, “When the building was constructed in 1972, that was for a paper and pencil world. Well, times have changed since then. We’ve moved more towards a technological world and we need the space so we can address the technological needs of our students as we move forward.”

The district is seeking approval of a $3.4 million bond proposal which would be an average of 3.22 mils to update the current building and to add some expansion to address their technology needs.

The issues with the facility are many.

So, if approved, what will the bond do?

Rautiola said, “The front of the building, you would see new offices, a gym, a media center that the community could use, a Title-One room. Within our building, the classrooms would be gone through. We will look at the technological needs of the teachers and we’d update the boiler system, the roof. It would almost be a complete makeover of our district.”

If it’s not approved, things will stay the way they are.

Residents will have an opportunity to ask questions about the bond proposal at a community meeting being held here on Monday, October 26th.