The Brighton Board of Education Monday night discussed the possibility of going to the voters with a bond issue proposal this November.

Superintendent Greg Gray says the board will have to decide by mid-May whether to go to the voters with the bond request. Otherwise, it would be too late for district attorneys to craft the ballot language and handle other legal requirements.

Gray says the reason the bond issue needs to be considered seriously is that there are many pressing needs in the district, particularly in the way of facilities and infrastructure – matters the district was aware of back in 2012. Voters that year approved an $89 million bond issue, but many of the needs had to be removed from the request to give it a better chance of passing.

It’s estimated the bond issue amount would be between $35 and $45 million. According to Gray, a bond issue would be a better way to go than a sinking fund proposal because the revenues generated would be available immediately. He adds that the bond issue would not result in any tax increase and would be handled by the existing 7.19-mill cap.

The bond issue would also likely include language to establish a STEAM Center – STEAM denoting Science, Technology Engineering, Art, and Mathematics. STEAM teaches students to use engineering and technology to tackle real-world problems while building on their mathematics and science knowledge. Whether the board decides to go to the voters with the proposal, and, if so, the amount of the bond, could be decided at the next meeting on May 14. (TT)