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Students at Cramer Junior High are happy; their school will get a new roof soon under a sinking fund approved Tuesday by voters. E-H LOOKS TO FUTURE: Happy School Parents Will Soon See Building Upgrades
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"Bet your bottom dollar there's tomorrow," as the lyrics from the musical "Annie" go, Essexville-Hampton School parents are basking in the rainbow today and looking forward to tomorrow.
By virtue of about a 2-1 victory ratio on a two pronged bond and sinking fund improvement proposal vote approved Tuesday, parents and students now can look forward to a vast array of future upgrades to the districts four school buildings.
Meanwhile, the Midland Schools will raise $120 million on a bond issue for improvements to buildings and technology upgrades that sailed to victory on a 60-40 ratio, 4,390 yes to 2,848 no. Midland will levy an additional 2.95 mills for 12-15 years. While 21.7 percent of voters went to the polls in Essexville-Hampton, Midland's turnout was about 17 percent.
Midland school officials over the past two months hosted more than 60 public meetings to explain the issue to voters.
Supporters in the E-H district did bet their bottom dollars and their time, contributing liberally to the campaign coffers and mounting a two-day cell phone bank from a hospital donated office on Sunday and Monday.
Under leadership of three district mothers, Amber Davis-Johnson, Shawna Walraven and Megan Samyn, parents and backers young and old beat the bushes for three months to explain the plan and recruit "yes" voters.
Results by precinct were:
Essexville bond, precinct 1 - 312 yes, 149 no; precinct 2 - 313 yes, 157 no;
Essexville Sinking Fund, pct. 1 - 316 yes, 147 no; pct. 2 - 311 yes, 162 no.
Overall Essexville bond - 625 yes, 306 no; sinking fund, 627 yes, 309 no.
Hampton, Bond AVs, pct. 1 - 62 yes, 58 no; pct. 2 - 84 yes, 97 no; pct. 5 - 48 yes, 70 no.
Hampton Bond at polls, pct. 1 - 155 yes, 72 no; pct. 2 - 259 yes, 109 no; pct. 5 - 134 yes, 70 no. Hampton Bond AV totals, 194 yes, 255 no; polls totals, 548 yes, 251 no.
Hampton Sinking Fund AVs: pct. 1 - 61 yes, 58 no; pct. 2 - 80 yes, 102 no; pct. 5 - 42 yes, 76 no; sinking fund AV totals, 183 yes, 236 no.
Hampton Sinking Fund at the polls, pct. 1 - 149 yes, 80 no; pct. 2 - 244 yes, 123 no; pct. 5 - 130 yes, 74 no. poll totals: sinking fund, 523 yes, 277 no.
Overall Hampton sinking fund totals, 706 yes, 513 no.
Official totals from the office of County Clerk Cynthia Luczak are: Bond: 1,367 Yes; 782 No; Sinking Fund: 1,333 Yes; 822 No.
There was a turnout of 34 percent of Hampton Township's 3,171 registered voters, up from about 29 percent in the August bond vote, according to Erin Andress, assistant clerk.
Limited by cold temperatures, sometimes below zero, door-to-door canvassing was not a major factor in the win. The trio of "thirty something" chairpersons focused instead on social media.
A bond-sinking fund Facebook page was posted, drawing hundreds of "likes" and creating the kind of enthusiasm needed to motivate a positive vote.
Town halls run by Supt. Matt Cortez and Assistant Lori Flippin at all the schools offered explanations to parents and served as rallying points for the campaign.
Amber Davis-Johnson, an attorney and parent, explained the tax issue: "For the first two years when these proposals assess the highest tax the amount of mills assessed to Hampton Township residents would STILL be about 11 mills less than our neighboring Bay City residents are assessed. Essexville would be about 3 mills higher for the first two years, less than 1 mill higher for the following three years and about 2 and a quarter mills LOWER for the next ten years.
On the priority list for a five year three mill sinking fund, that will raise $5,575,964, are Garber High, $1,184,985 in improvements; Cramer Junior High, $1,079,770; Verellen Elementary, $649,240; and Bush Elementary, $217,650.
Major costs are $1,120,000 for a new roof at Garber; $670,000 for a roof at Cramer; $630,000 for a new 3,600 square foot cafeteria at Verellen; $296,000 for a roof and $141,500 for boiler repairs at Bush.
In addition, listed under the Jaffe Administration Building is $85,000 allocated for new school buses. Only $4,503 is slated to be spent on improvements to the administration building.
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