(BRANCH COUNTY) - Voters in both the Coldwater and Quincy school districts rejected major bond proposals Tuesday aimed at replacing, renovating, and upgrading aging school buildings.
In Coldwater, voters turned down a proposed 64-million-dollar, 30-year bond issue that would have increased taxes by 1.5 mills.
The proposal focused on upgrades to Coldwater High School, including new classrooms, expanded science and STEM areas, air conditioning, roof replacement, safety improvements, accessibility upgrades, and mechanical system updates.
District officials had described the project as a modernization effort for the 70-year-old high school building, which was last significantly updated in 1994.
It marked the district's third failed bond attempt since 2020.
In Quincy, voters also rejected a proposed 30-year, 60-million-dollar bond issue that would have increased local taxes by 5.3 mills.
The Quincy proposal included demolition of the district's 1931 middle school, added academic space at the high school, renovations at Jennings Elementary, and district-wide upgrades to HVAC, electrical, safety, and accessibility systems.
District officials said the proposal was driven by extensive infrastructure needs and low taxable value within the district.
A third-party facilities assessment previously identified about 47 million dollars in repair needs over the next decade, along with nearly 9 million dollars in immediate needs.