By Tom Gilchrist
For The Advertiser
CASS CITY — The seven members of the Cass City Public Schools Board of Education haven’t decided to sell or keep the former Campbell Elementary School, so they’re turning the question over to the 5,533 registered voters in the Cass City school district.
“The board is just split on the issue. They just are not sure what the right thing to do is, so they’re going to let the community vote on it,” said Cass City Superintendent Jeff Hartel, noting voters will see the question on the November ballot.
The school district comprises land in three counties, with 4,392 voters living in Tuscola County, 948 in Sanilac County and 193 in Huron County. For months, board members have debated whether to lease, sell or keep the former school. At Monday’s meeting, they decided to let voters weigh in.
The school was built in the 1950s, but after voters approved a tax increase, workers built a west wing — including a new gymnasium — about 10 years ago, according to Hartel.
“The thing that board members were saying is that this school board wasn’t here when they decided to build that school, and most of them weren’t on the board when they decided to ask voters for a millage to put money into that school,” Hartel said. “They just have a hard time making that decision when they weren’t part of any of that other decision-making.”
While ballot language hasn’t been determined, voters will decide whether the school district should sell or keep the former school within a certain time period, Hartel said.
Some residents have urged the board to keep the school considering the arrival of the new Dairy Farmers of America milk-processing plant. If the plant grows as some envision it, more than 300 employees will work at the plant eventually.
“But in saying that, there’s no guarantee that that is going to increase our enrollment,” Hartel said. “Those jobs could go to people already living here, or to people living in Caro who drive to Cass City. You’re not going to sell your house just to move to Cass City.
“The jobs are not not going to guarantee an enrollment increase, but we’re holding out hope that it could be some increase.”