Archive: News

Lansing's Board of Education (BOE) got an idea of what the proposed Capital Project Phase II will cost individual taxpayers if it is approved. Dr. Richard Timbs told the board that if the base project is approved as currently configured homeowners will pay $174 per $100,000 of assessed value, about 10% more than they are paying now. If additional propositions are approved that figure could go up to $230 or 13%.

As currently configured, three propositions will be put before the taxpayers in the Spring. Proposition 1 is the base project, valued at $31.2 million. It includes necessary repairs and upgrades, renovation of old classroom space and construction of new space and moving the three school offices to the main entrances for better security. Proposition 2 would fund a new High School auditorium at a cost of about $7.2 million. Proposition 3 would purchase a new phone and security system, costing around $675,000.


Timbs explained that 91.1% of Propositions 1 and 3 are "aidable," which means that the State would pay 62.8% of the cost of 95% of those parts of the project, while taxpayers would pay the remaining 38.2%. The auditorium is more problematic, because the State does not fund auditoriums to the same level that they do classrooms and other spaces. If you add Proposition 2 into the mix only 80.8% is "aidable."

The Board, worried that taxpayers may not approve the project, is still struggling with its configuration. Superintendent Mark Lewis has formed a citizens' Ad Hoc Committee to test the waters. Its purpose is to educate the public about the project and get a sense of whether the community will accept it. He hoped for a cross section of district residents to give the BOE a sense of how the whole community will respond to the project. But the first meeting on January 5 only attracted residents from the Hillcrest area, as Board Member Christine Iacobucci pointed out in Monday's board meeting.

The BOE discussed ways to get the word out, but with only two days before the next committee meeting, they were short on time. Lewis said that the more community members that appear at the meeting, the better, and that the committee is not closed to newcomers.

Wednesday around 30 people gathered for the second committee meeting. Highlights were tours of the Middle and High school facilities and they were eye openers. If a picture is worth a thousand words, touring the facilities starkly showed the need the district is facing.  Participants were given plans of the current campus, and some showing how the new project would add on to what we have now.

Principal John Gizzi took the group to four locations in his school to show why new space is needed. Most disturbing was the technology building behind the school, which is over crowded and looked downright dangerous. Gizzy illustrated the need for more space by pointing out that a key storage area for the tech classes is in the girls' bathroom.

Even more disturbing was Principal Michelle Stone's tour of the High School. Music rooms are so inadequate, Stone told the assembly, that the chorus room had failed a building inspection that week. As community members stumbled into the band room, it was clear there is not enough room there. The art room, with no ventilation, exposure to humidity from the pool and crowded space did not seem conducive to producing art. Most troublesome was one of the science rooms, where students sit at desks with gas jets facing them and their belongings, because there isn't enough space for classroom desks and experiment stations both.

High School Principal Michelle Stone shows the group her building

From there the group went to the High School library, where Dr. Richard Timbs, the project's financial advisor, presented the numbers. He explained "aidability" to the group, and some of the intricacies of financing such a project. He explained that Proposition 3 does not add significantly more to what taxpayers would shoulder, and why Proposition 2 does.

Timbs also explained how school taxes to cover the project would decrease over a 20 year time period. If Proposition 1 passes without 2 and 3, taxpayers would begin paying $174.00 per $1000 of assessed value on their homes in 2009. This would go down to $123.00 in 2023 and jump the next year to only $25.00. With Proposition 2, these numbers were higher, starting at $230.00 and only jumping to $145.00 in 2024.

Kirk Narburgh and his team from King & King Architects was on hand to answer questions about how needs would be addressed by the project. Many questions were fielded by Lewis, Narburgh and Timbs, some of them tough. Former Middle School Principal Tom Jones asked to see the line item breakdown of the project. Superintendent Lewis said that he thought that would go beyond the purpose of this committee, which is to learn about and respond to the project in general. But when several others indicated they'd like to see the breakdown Lewis promised to provide it at the next meeting.

Dan Konowalow asked whether the BOE had considered adding periods to the school day to reduce costs. He said that when he was in school this was done to stretch physical resources by staggering student use. This has not been considered, though many complications to implementing it were raised by administrators.

As of now the jury is still out on whether the BOE will be able to sell the project to taxpayers. The Board may consider adjusting the scope of the project depending on the feedback they get. The next Ad Hoc Committee meeting is on January 18. At that time residents will tour the bus garage and learn about enrollment projections and the staffing impact the project will have.

Principal John Gizzi explains that the Middle School music area is cramped

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