Approximately 50 to 60 residents gathered in the Huron High School Commons Monday night to give input to the Huron School Board regarding the Board’s study on the need for expanding the districts elementary schools. After hearing Koch-Hazard Architect Jeff Hazard run down the four best options for expanding the elementary schools and hearing about possible financing options, those attending talked in groups of approximately a half dozen people each. Chris Studer represented his group and says he feels like the District has no choice but to move forward with an expansion…
Arnie Clays says he was sold on expansion before he got to the High School and believes the investment in facilities would be worth it….
Most of those in attendance favored Option D, which calls for Buchanan Elementary to house Kindergarten and First Grade, Madison, Second and Third, Washington, Forth and Fifth and to mothball Jefferson Elementary School. Option D would cost 25-point-seven million dollars. However a three-point-three million dollar bus barn was taken off the estimate to bring the cost to near 22-million dollars. School Board Vice Chair John Halbkat says the district was hoping to simply use the 900-thousand dollars currently being used to pay for the Huron Middle School and funnel it to the elementary school expansion when the bond is paid off this year…..
Halbkat added that when the Middle School bond was approved, Alpena had it’s own school district. Alpena has since dissolved and a large part became a part of the Huron District. The added property tax valuation from the Alpena district includes the L-S-I plant and money that was not a part of the Middle School Bond. Since the Middle School Bond was made, valuations have gone up nearly 500-thousand dollars.