Coloma Community Schools seeking $8.7 million bond next month
Voters in the Coloma Community Schools district will be asked to consider a nearly $9 million bond proposal aimed at facility upgrades next month.
In a promotional video, Superintendent Dave Ehlers says the proposal would allow the district to borrow up to $8.73 million to remodel, equip, and re-equip school buildings, expand instructional technology, and improve the junior high school. The board of education is seeking the bare essentials at a time when many voters would balk at any sort of request.
“I believe one of our biggest functions in the next few years is to make sure our kids have a learning environment that is safe, secure, and provides them with the next generation of learning needs,” Ehlers said.
Among other things, Ehlers said the bond would be used to improve the classroom environment with better lighting, air quality, and temperature control.
“There’s quite a variance in performance depending on the classroom, and about 15% of a student’s improvement can be tied directly to the classroom and the facilities they learn in. So it’s really no surprise that the classroom environment does matter.”
Ehlers says the bond would help keep students warm, safe, and dry.
The district says the bond won’t increase anyone’s current tax rate. The estimated millage for 2026 is 0.65 mills, representing no net increase over the prior year’s levy. The bonds would be repaid over a period of up to 20 years.
The election is May 5.
