The Dexter Leader
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YES! Voters give schools a pass
District residents overwhelmingly OK $47.9 million bond renewal
By Sean Dalton, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: May 8, 2008
The Dexter Community Schools $47.9 million bond renewal, or Dexter Community Schools Proposal D as it appeared on ballots, passed by a 2-to-1 margin as of 11:35 p.m. Tuesday night with 99.15 percent of precincts reporting.
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Across the county 8.48 percent of 242,608 registered voters went to the polls. Of those, 1,586 voters in the Dexter area cast ballots in favor of extending the 8.5 mill levy on property taxes in the Dexter Community School district. 2,385 voters participated.
That levy was a result of the 1998 bond proposal and would have started to decrease in the amount per taxpayer in 2013 until being paid off in 2028. The most recent passed bond proposal will extend the levy's 8.5 mill rate to 2018, after which it will still pay off in 2028. The 1998 bond was originally intended to pay off in 2031, but population growth and rising property values allowed the debt to be paid off more rapidly.
"We are thrilled with the results," said Superintendent Evelynn Shirk Tuesday night. "Even in these very difficult economic times, the residents of the Dexter Community School District have once again shown their commitment to the schools and the students.
"Dexter is a quality school district because of the support demonstrated by parents, students, community members, business owners, and staff.
"The funds generated by this 'yes' vote will be used to enhance the safety of the school environment as well as provide the necessary educational tools for our students to become productive members of the community and the world."
Board of Education member Kim Covert was glad to see the bond pass as well. One of the realities she has lived with as a first time, first year board member is the implications of the bond passing or not passing. She was a member of the CORSE committee that was instrumental during the prototypical stages of the bond proposal.
She and the rest of the board and several staff members were at North Point Seafood and Steakhouse in Dexter Village.
"I think it's great news and I'm glad the community has decided to maintain the investment they've made in the district," Covert said. "I look forward to seeing the improvements take place.
"When I signed up for the board they said it's a couple of meetings a week, you'll be fine. Now we've got a lot more work, but that's fine with me."
Dexter High School Principal Kit Moran was pleased with the results, particularly after the district's center-stage performance in the 2006-7 MEAP scores, which Dexter led the county on in nine of 22 categories.
"There is a lot of infrastructure that we're going to get taken care of at the high school, such as safety improvements and doors," he said. "We also have a couple of current classrooms that will get converted to science classrooms. We're really short on science classrooms with water and gas that can be used as labs."
Moran said that the big bond items that he is looking forward to is the improvement in technology."
"Our computers are all starting to slowly die," Moran said, adding that the bond money will come just in the nick of time on that front.
"We're going to motor along as usual I don't have to worry about having my budget cut to take care of a lot of these improvements."
Dexter School Board President Larry Cobler and board member Bonnie Everdeen will remain board members, as they received 1447 votes (48.87 percent) and 1480 (49.98 percent) votes respectively.
Everdeen took Dan Jacobs board seat after he resigned last August.
Cobler and Jacobs began their previous terms in 2004.
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