School Bond Issue
More Questions Than Answers


The Tuesday meeting of the Ontonagon Township Board generated more visitors interested in the O.A.S.D. Bond Proposal than the Township business at hand. The township board did discuss the matter of repairing the front steps to the building and it was learned that no one had submitted a bid on the project. A motion was made, supported and passed to extend the bid process one month and an advertisement would be placed in the local newspaper.

At the beginning of the meeting it was announced that this would be a regular township meeting and was "not a public hearing on the bond proposal."

Legally this was of course correct, however, a public hearing it was indeed. That's what everyone was there for and that's what everyone got. The regular meeting was formally and promptly, closed.

The floor was turned over to Matt Lukshaitus and Gray Webber, who spent the rest of the evening presenting the reasons for the Bond Proposal. First they described the bond committee as a cross section of the community. They didn't explain however, how school personnel were systematically excluded from "the committee" Mr. Lukshaitus, went into the need for a new roof on the High School which lead into something else and something else and something else. In the final analysis a $500,000 roof had turned into a $3,000,000. renovation of the entire district. Mr. Webber went into quite a bit of details and explained how the continuing decrease in student population required an addition to the jr./high school building. This year the number of students was down by 24 and only 500 are expected next year. For some inexplicable reason the Webber Cartel decided on an addition for 505 students instead of the 465 and 425 student estimates also given. Mr. Lukshaitus stated that just fixing the roof would not solve the dilemma of decreasing enrollment. When he was asked "how does the addition solve the problem of decreasing enrollment?" for the first time that evening both Lukshaitus and Webber were at a loss for words.

Anne Kingscott and Bruce Johanson asked a myriad of questions pertaining to the history of poor upkeep on the buildings that are still being paid for by Ontonagon Taxpayers. They questioned the wisdom of presenting a new tax proposal before the old bond is paid up. It is quite clear that those in attendance were concerned with the rise in food and energy prices. They don't think that this is the time to further tax those already living with pinched budgets. Others voiced concern that the new annex did not provide room for Head Start or Special Needs students. Head Start currently pays the district $2500. per month rent.

The Trio which included Paula Domitrovich zigged and zagged all evening as if they were in a game of dodge ball. One thing was certain they didn't want to hear at all from former School Superintendent Larry Ford, who was left standing unnoticed for what seemed an eternity. When he was finally recognized the write-in candidate for the school board unloaded on the failure of the committee and the school board for the district's current surplus situation. Ford accused them of failing to provide leadership by reducing teaching staff and programs while remaining unjustifiably top heavy in administration. He too condemned the administration and past administrations for not properly caring for the buildings entrusted to them.

The school superintendent stated that if passed, the additional tax on his home would only be $60. per year. A member of the audience then asked "what is the median income of the district?"
For the second time in the evening Mr. Lukshaitus was lost for an answer. He clearly did not know that the average income in the area was only one fifth of his salary. He was then told while $60. was no big deal to him, it might be monumental to someone living on a small already inadequate income! Once again, Mr. Lukshaitus was speechless.

One amazing thing was said at this meeting by the perpetrators of the bond proposal and that was no one knows what the tax money will pay for as the building plans shown to the community are not fixed in stone. In other words "the committee" is asking the taxpayers to agree on paying for a totally unknown quantity like buying a pig in poke.

At the end of the evening taxpayers left the meeting with more questions than answers.
 
 

 

 

 

 
 

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