On Tuesday, voters in Washtenaw County approved a $53 million bond proposal to renovate a school for students with special needs.
The High Point School serves students with medical needs and challenges. That includes many students in wheelchairs.
Scott Menzel is superintendent of the Washtenaw Intermediate School District.
He says that the millage would cost taxpayers between $18 and $55 a year depending on the market value of their home.
“It seems to me that it's a good value proposition in order to ensure that our students with the most significant disabilities in Washtenaw County are educated in an environment that meets their needs,” Menzel said.
Menzel says currently, the High Point School has narrow, winding hallways. He also says the school's classrooms are between 650 and 800 square feet.
“When you think about multiple wheelchairs in a classroom with multiple staff serving the students in the wheelchairs, those small classrooms aren't really conducive to an appropriate educational learning environment,” he said.
Menzel said renovations to the school would include enlarging classrooms to about 1,000 square feet, and creating more streamlined hallways.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect voters' approval of the school bond.
