COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – Voters in Branch County will head to the to the polls one week from tomorrow, to decide the fate of two major school bond proposals totaling $124 million.
Coldwater Community Schools is seeking a $64 million bond to modernize its 70-year-old high school, which officials say has long outlived its original design. Meanwhile, Quincy Community Schools is requesting $60 million for a district-wide “Strong School, Strong Community” initiative aimed at replacing a century-old middle school and addressing nearly $56 million in critical repairs and infrastructure overhauls.
The Coldwater proposal focuses heavily on the high school campus, featuring a two-story, 62,000-square-foot wing for new science labs and a media center. If approved, the measure would result in a 1.5-mill tax increase, costing the average homeowner approximately $12.50 per month. District leaders emphasize that this project is a scaled-back version of previous requests, focusing on essential safety and climate control needs, including the addition of central air conditioning—a first for the high school.
Quincy’s $60 million plan addresses urgent structural failures, including plumbing issues and leaking roofs at the middle and high schools. The bond would fund a new academic wing at the high school to replace the current middle school building, alongside major renovations at Jennings Elementary. Due to Quincy’s lower taxable value, the proposal represents a net tax increase of 4.55 mills, which would cost the owner of a $200,000 home roughly $455 per year.
Both school districts have dedicated bond information tabs on their websites.
For those of you that don’t know, the Coldwater schools has blocked select Facebook posters that the believe will post negative comments on their proposal promo posts. They hope to give readers the false impression that far fewer people are against the proposal than are for it there for so you just won’t go to vote no. This type of censorship on a proposal is may well be unconstitutional but most definitely unethical. These are the people asking for $50M+ of your money and the [people teaching your children. Vote “HELL NO!”