The Hastings Area School System has an $11 million bond request on the Aug. 7 primary ballot which would pay for roof replacements, safety and security improvements, technology, buses and improving athletic facilities.

The estimated millage for the proposed bonds in 2018 is .85 mills (85 cents on each $1,000 of taxable value of property) for 15 years, with no mill net increase over the prior year’s levy.  

“The estimated simple average annual millage anticipated to be required to retire this bond debt is 1.54 mills ($1.54 on each $1,000 taxable value of property), the ballot reads.

“This proposal is .85 mills, and it requires no increase in the current levy to our taxpayers,” Superintendent Carrie Duits said.

“The current levy would extend for an additional four years, and then begin to decrease. As other issues fall off and decrease, this mill would go up so that over the course of the 15 years, the average would be 1.54 mills. The total with this bond would not go above the current levy,” she said.

“We also wanted to find an opportunity for our public to not have an increase in their taxes. After this election window, to repair our roofs and increase safety and security, we will be required to ask for an increase. The timing of this bond was strategic to address our needs and to minimize the impact on taxpayers with a no-mill increase from the current levy,” Duits said.

The millage proposal is in direct response to needs brought up by the community and the areas to be addressed are the top requests from a community meeting and parent and community surveys, she said.