MCC likely to go back to polls in November

MCC likely to go back to polls in November

By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief

SCOTTVILLE — The Mason County Central Schools Board of Education is likely going to ask its district voters to consider a revised bond proposal during the Nov. 7 election. Earlier this month, voters turned down the school’s second attempt at a bond proposal, 856-722, losing by 134 votes, which would have included major security and infrastructure upgrades to school facilities, especially the 65-year-old high school. In May 2022 voters turned down a similar proposal with a wider margin of 826-593, losing by 233 votes.

The most recent proposal was asking voters to approve a 1.6 mills increase in property taxes which would have raised $31.54 million. The 2022 request was asking for 1.95 mills increase that would have raised $33.64 million. 

During its regular meeting on Monday, the Board of Education gave a consensus approval for Superintendent Jeff Mount to set a meeting with the Michigan Department of Treasury to apply for bonds. 

“The needs haven’t gone away,” Mount said. “We still need to make major repairs to the high school and we still need to improve security. These are not ‘wants’ but rather they are ‘needs.’” 

Both previous bonds would have included major upgrades to the high school, particularly B Hall, including the school library, which has had little renovations since it was opened in 1959. The High School and the district’s other four buildings — Middle School, Upper Elementary, Scottville (lower) Elementary, and Victory Early Childhood Center (formerly Victory Elementary School) — would have received updated entrances allowing limited access into the building by routing visitors directly to the secured offices. The recent bond also would have included reconstruction of the Scottville main campus’s streets, equipment upgrades and the construction of a community events center. 

Mount said a special meeting of the school board will be called for sometime next week. 

“Nothing is off the table at this point,” Mount said. “It’s likely we will do some scaling back but we need the board’s input. Every item on the bond was important and necessary. Our school district needs to be relevant and needs to be competitive. This means updated facilities.” 

Since it was formed in 1955, Mason County Central School District has only had five facility bonds, starting with the 1957 approval of a $955,000 bond ($9.64 million adjusted for modern inflation), which approved construction of the current high school and improvements to Scottville Elementary and Victory Elementary (Riverton Township Unit School District did not consolidate with MCC until 1966). 

• May 2022 election results: 1,419 voters: 593 (42%) yes to 826 (58%) no.
• May 2023 election results: 1,578 voters: 722 yes (46%) to 856 (54%) no.