Garrett Neese/Daily Mining Gazette — Christiana Norland, superintendent of Dollar Bay-Tamarack City Area Schools, gives residents a tour of spots where the district plans upgrades if voters approve a bond proposal Aug. 6.

DOLLAR BAY — Residents in the Dollar Bay-Tamarack City Area Schools district heard a presentation and asked questions about the district’s bond proposal Monday night at the first of two forums.

On Aug. 6, the voters will decide on a $4.685 million, 20-year proposal for security upgrades, a new computer system for the boiler, new classrooms and new parking lot.

The second forum will take place 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Tamarack City Fire Hall, located at 51733 Tamarack St.

To address security concerns, the proposal adds an office near the main lobby. Though the building already uses a buzzer system to allow people in during the day, the upgrades will give district staff nearby a view of the entrance, said Superintendent Christina Norland.

“That’s the number-one thing we are recommended to do by school safety experts,” she said.

It will also replace old doors, the intercom system and add new glass on the lower systems that will not shatter if hit by a bullet.

The bond will also update the district’s boiler system, which now uses a 20-year-old system running Windows 95. The bond will add thermostat controls in each classroom; now, the district’s customization options only extend to separating the building into four zones.

To deal with growing enrollment, the district will also add kindergarten and first grade classrooms. A special ed facility would be added. Existing bathrooms would be remodeled, while one would be added on the second floor.

Space on the lower level, which served as a gym before the construction of the district’s current gym, will be put back into service as a second gym and multipurpose room.

With one gym, scheduling conflicts have pushed some sports practices to as late as 9:30 p.m. Children also have no place inside for recess during inclement weather.

Renovations would allow the district to prepare meals on-site, rather than transporting them from Houghton.

The wood shop would be moved to the heated bay of the bus garage across the street, Norland said.

The district would add its own preschool, which Norland said would help the district retain families who send their children to Houghton or Hancock’s preschools.

The district will build a new parking lot on land near the building. The district’s current unpaved lot is cramped and has poor drainage, leading to frequent puddles.

Although it does not own the land, it plans to swap property donated to the district on Hellman Street. Even if the bond issue does not go through, the board plans to acquire the property, Norland said.

“As you know, we’re landlocked, and there aren’t a lot of places we can grow,” she said.

The gym roof will also be repaired to fix chronic leaks.

A home with a $64,000 assessed value ($32,000 taxable value) will pay an extra $9 per month under the bond, the district said.

The bond is the first for the district since 1997. As a result of refinancing, that bond will not come off the books until 2026.

Even with the new bond, the district’s millage load will only be about 6.7 mills — above the 6-plus mills of Lake Linden-Hubbell and Calumet, but below the 9-plus mills of Houghton and Hancock and 11.45 of Adams Township, Norland said.

Norland added the caveat that the district may have to change the proposal depending on needs and the development of the design. She used a hypothetical example of repairing the roof and finding a rot problem underneath.

“This is just to let people know that if that happens, we’re prepared, but this is what we want to happen, and the budget is based upon that,” she said.

Safety is the district’s top priority, she said; however, it would likely deal with higher-than-expected costs by cutting back where possible, such as making the parking lot addition smaller.

Asked by Dollar Bay resident Kristin Lortie for a more detailed budget of the proposal, Norland said the district’s attorneys had advised them not to publicize it, given the likelihood of the exact numbers shifting. However, she was be available to discuss it in a sit-down with the person, Norland said.

Afterward, Lortie said she had mixed feelings about the bond. The district had demonstrated need, she said but she wanted to see more supporting materials. Along with a budget and a ranking of priorities, she would like a long-term plan for the district.

Residents had mentioned other district upgrades, such as replacing the boiler and adding more bleachers in the main gym. Norland said the district board had worked to narrow down the items being sought. The state Treasury, which approves bond language, had also recommended the district not seek more than $7 million, Norland said.

“Give me a 20-year plan for the properties, give me a 50-year plan for the properties,” Lortie said. “Allow the voter to really get some more insight into this property over time, not just which are the critical priorities we think we can do with the Treasury’s assigned budget.”

Diane Engman of Dollar Bay came to find out what improvements would be made to the building, given the size of the bond.

“I think the extension of the elementary, that’s a well-needed thing,” she said. “A lot of times the kindergarten and first grade are large classes and they need more room.”