Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By TOM STANKARD
Bessemer - A five-year bond proposal to finance the purchase of school buses and install a new telephone system will be voted by Bessemer School District residents on Tuesday.
The school is seeking to borrow $290,000. The estimated milage to be levied for the proposed bond in 2016 is .22 mill, or 22 cents on each $1,000 of taxable valuation. The millage would average $1.04 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation for the five years.
Bessemer Area School District Superintendent David Radovich said $20,000 would be used to upgrade phone systems and the remainder would be used for purchasing three buses over the next three years.
Proceeds cannot be used for repair or maintenance costs or employee salaries.
In a letter, Radovich said the phone system must be updated by Dec. 31, 2016, or the district will be fined $5,000 per month.
Radovich said one the district's school buses has been "red-tagged" by the state and can no longer be used to transport students.
"I'm sure you can agree that our children deserve the best education delivered in the safe, caring environment," he said.
Radovich said the community is "obligated to keep our children safe."
