There is something for everyone in the $258 million Howell Public Schools’ bond proposal, on which district residents will vote Nov. 7. From two brand-new elementary schools to a renovated middle school to upgraded infrastructure and safety equipment to a community center, it’s hard to find a piece of the proposal that won’t touch every resident in one way or another.
Scaled back from an original $400 million assessment, the bond proposal will also maintain the HPS tax rate of 5.5 mills, as well as its lowest-in-Livingston County status.
At a recent briefing on the bond issue, Superintendent Erin MacGregor said a team of stakeholders helped determine what was most important to include in the issue as it got scaled down.
The original $400 assessment by consultant King Scott was more than what MacGregor was comfortable asking the community to approve. A team of stakeholders considered the HPS strategic plan’s areas of focus — safety and security, learning environments, teaching tools, aging building infrastructure, and community needs — to determine which projects were most important to include.
Basically, the committee was tasked with determining which improvements would get district voters the biggest bang for their tax bucks.
Certainly, building maintenance and updating was important, as was upgrading safety measures; but if approved, the bond issue will also bring some exciting changes to the district. New buildings will replace Southwest and Northwest elementary schools, the oldest in Howell, creating parity among the district’s buildings for its youngest students. Highlander Way Middle School will get an addition, as well as updated infrastructure. A community center that will sit near the Howell High School Fieldhouse will allow the district to host regional events, and provide indoor tracks, courts and workout facilities for community members to use.
Another significant addition to the district will be a home for the RISE program at Challenger Elementary for autistic students.
RISE stands for Reaching Independence and Strengthening Emotional skills; BEST is the middle-school version, and it stands for Building Essential Skills Together.
Both programs support students with autism who are on a diploma track. The goals is to have the students in general education classrooms, learning from general education teachers, and interacting with other students. In order to do that, though, the students need a space to learn essential skills. And for many of these students, it also allows them to complete their general education work in a smaller setting with support.
Howell started using the RISE program several years ago, and it serves students from throughout the district. While it isn’t marketed in Schools of Choice information, if a student was a fit, it would be available to them.
You can read more details of the bond proposal in a series of slides available by clicking here.
You can also attend community meetings about the bond issue. The next meeting is set for 5:30 p.m. Wednesday in the media center of Northwest Elementary School, 1233 Bower St. in Howell.
You can view a series of slides outlining the bond proposal by clicking here.
The district has additional information on the bond issue here.
