Whenever it's time for Friday Night Lights at Mishawaka High School's
Steele Stadium, Superintendent Terry Barker said, he always hopes they don't have to wait until Saturday for them to come on."The wiring is shot," he said. "It's been there thirty-some years."
From worn-out flooring, countertops and sinks to sidewalks and parking lots that need repairs, to old heating boilers that aren't efficient, School City of Mishawaka's facilities -- including those stadium lights -- could use an array of upgrades.
The price tag to accomplish a two-page wish list of some 60 items? More than $28 million.
The problem? The school district, Barker said, doesn't have the capacity to borrow that amount of money for the project.
That means taxpayers could be asked in November -- via a school construction referendum -- if they're willing to foot the bill.
If the measure is approved, property taxes on a home valued at $100,000 would increase by about $100 per year, according to the school corporation's figures.
But before any of that, the superintendent says, he wants to explain the district's facilities needs to the community and gauge residents' feelings about paying for the projects by raising taxes.
Officials are doing that by way of a series of meetings during the next month at each of the district's schools
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http://www.southbendtribune.com/news/sbt-superintendent-mishawaka-schools-need-28-million-in-repairs-upgrades-20130428,0,70513.story
