Next Tuesday more than 20 thousand people living in the Mishawaka school district will have the opportunity to vote on a school improvement
plan.The plan renovates nine of the district's schools but would also increase property taxes.
For the first time ever the School City of Mishawaka is asking people to vote in favor of a referendum that would improve
buildings with a $28 million bond.John Young Middle School is slated to receive the most money
of all of the schools with a roof falling apart.Superintendent Dr. Terry Barker says, “We have carpet that's over twenty years old. They are worn out, frayed, they are stained, collected twenty years of wear and tear. It’s not the best situation. Lighting needs to be replaced and upgraded. We have roofs where we have leaks and we need to seal our buildings better. Because it has an impact on student achievement.”
The opposition says the plan does not address academic needs and focuses on infrastructure too much.
Anne Wiesjahn says she would like to see, “discussion of items that would support our teachers, that would provide additional remediation opportunities
and increase engagement of our students.”To find how much the property tax increase could cost
, there’s an actual calculator on the state's website that can give an estimate of your house.http://www.wndu.com/news/headlines/Special-election-set-for-Mishawaka-Schools-referendum-229776201.html
