LAMAR COUNTY, MI (WDAM) – The Lamar County School District is retrying its $117 million bond in the Nov. 5 general election after failing to get enough votes to pass it in a special election in May. .
Nothing has changed on the checklist that the district hopes will be financially covered by the bond issue.
“We are still looking at construction of a new Sumrall High School, a new Oak Grove Middle School, a new Purvis High School, a new office building at Oak Grove Elementary School, and a new multi-purpose building at Lumberton Elementary School,” LCSD Superintendent Dr. Dr. Martin said. stephen hampton
Hampton said since the first referendum, some area residents have expressed support for the bond issue, while others do not want the bond to pass.
Some people are voicing a number of concerns on a Facebook page called Lower Taxes in Lamar County.
Parts of Pearl River County overlap with the territory of the Lamar County School District, and Pearl River County residents want to know if they can vote on the bond.
“People who live in Pearl River County but live within our school district will vote on this bond referendum,” Hampton said. “They’re going to put it on the November 5th ballot.
Simply put, everyone who lives within the district votes and ultimately pays for the bond. ”
Hampton said there are concerns about where the new school will be built. Some residents don’t mind some of the chosen locations, particularly Oak Grove Middle School and Sumrall High School.
Hampton said these locations were chosen to reduce costs.
“These locations are also Section 16 land that we own, and the school district already owns that land,” Hampton said. “You don’t have to spend a single dollar to buy land.
“All proceeds from this bond will go directly to the building and will be a cost-saving measure for Lamar County taxpayers.”
Opponents on the Facebook page are concerned that money is being sought for expansion projects in school districts facing enrollment constraints.
But Hampton said not only was that not what the district expected, but LCSD already faces overcrowding issues.
“Currently, the district has 49,506 square feet of mobile classrooms,” Hampton said. “And this bond issue will allow us to eliminate all mobile classrooms.
“This is to help with current student enrollment, but it also helps us prepare for the future because we want to make sure we understand trends. If we work with demographers, in addition to increasing enrollment, , we will also see growth across the county. This bond transfer will not only be a huge benefit for our school district, but also for economic growth in Lamar County.”
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