Christmas came early for the Leland School District (LSD) as its second attempt of getting the school bond proposal to pass was successful, this time with an approved amount of $6.9 million.
After the 1,229 machine votes, absentee ballots and affidavits were totaled, there were 775 in favor of the bond and 460 not in favor of it.
The vote represented 62.75% of the votes in favor of the bond, and state law requires a vote of at least 60% for a school bond to pass.
In the previous election for the school bond held Sept. 10 when the district was seeking approval for a proposed bond of $8.75 million, 1,127 qualified votes were cast with 662 votes in favor and 465 against it, making the total of voters in favor only 58.7%.
If the previously proposed bond had been approved, the city’s millage rate would have increased by 14 mills. Calls were made to several officials about what the new millage rate would be, but calls were not returned by press time.
The bond funds, as discussed at several previous board meetings, are being used to repair the school’s air conditioning and heating system, renovating the football stadium and lockers, improving security and bringing bathrooms up to code and more.
LSD Superintendent Jesse King said the bond was crucial in terms of upgrades and maintenance of facilities, those of which have not had the financial capacity in years to address as the students deserve.
“Maintenance has been done, but with little resources,” King said. “This will give us opportunity to bring our schools into the 21st century to a degree that will span 25-to-30 years hopefully, and then the next generation can determine next steps at that point.”
King also said the bond gives the district an opportunity to provide roofs on its buildings with guarantees of 25-to-30 year life spans along with heating and air needed for the most crucial areas.
He added the bond would also provide academic opportunities in terms of Science and Health and Wellness education.
“Our elementary school has been required to have Science and be assessed on the state Science test and we’ve had to do Science in the absence of a Science lab,” King said.
With the middle school facing the same predicament as it relates to Science, King said the upgrade will give students an opportunity to explore science at a greater depth and a facelift to the athletic facilities as well.
“It will just meet the needs of our kids here in the Leland School District at a level that is long overdue,” he said.
Leland High School Principal Johnnie Vick said he and several others are excited about the bond being passed.
“What it means for our students going forward and for the generations to come is that they will have facilities they can be proud of and facilities that will accommodate their needs, which is so important,” he said. “We have so many issues from a facility standpoint and so the bond that was passed will allow us to serve our students in a way they deserve to be served.”
One Leland resident, who wishes to remain anonymous, said she is not in favor of the school bond because she thinks it is unfair to some local residents.
“I don’t think the school bond is fair. Those of us with homes that are valued at over $100,000 dollars are the only ones being taxed. Yes, some can afford it and are all for the school bond but there are some of us who work hard and barely get by that live in these homes worth more than $100,000,” she said.
The anonymous resident went on to say how there are some who may have to move due to the bond because they cannot afford it.
Another concern of hers was tag prices potentially rising depending on the worth of one’s car.
“This is not fair, this should’ve been something that should be taxed city wide instead of a select few.... or why couldn’t there have been fundraisers and bake sales and things like that to afford new things for the school?” she inquired. “That’s what other schools do when they don’t have the money. Instead, they would rather take it from us.”
One LSD parent, who wished not to be named, said the bond being passed was good news because all three of the schools need major renovations.
“I also think it would really help the kids in their performance at school,” the parent said. “A lot of times, they complain about the facilities, so I think it’s something for them to look forward to in the future. When they’re in a comfortable environment and an environment that looks nice, they’ll want to come to school even more.”
City of Leland Vice Mayor Lisa Bush said she’s glad the bond passed, especially for the benefit of the children.
“I’m glad it passed so the administration can do the things necessary to make sure the children have the proper environment to learn,” she said. “Leland has always been a very good school district and I’m just happy that the wishes of the board have been carried out and we’re just looking forward to the improvements in our city and great things for our children.”
