Ben Garbacz/Daily Mining Gazette The CCISD bond proposal failed to pass in Tuesday's election. The CCISD was looking to utilize a millage increase to modernize its facilitates. The CTE building was planned to be renovated and be repurposed into an Early Childhood Center.

HANCOCK — The $45 million bond proposal for the Copper Country Intermediate School District (CCISD) was rejected by voters of Baraga, Houghton, Keweenaw and Ontonagon Counties at Tuesday’s election with a tally of 5,868 against the proposal and 3,917 in favor.

The millage request for 1.5 mills was proposed to go into modernizing infrastructure operated by CCISD and in turn expand student services. Some examples included renovating the current Career and Technical Education (CTE) building to create the Early Childhood Center and the creation of new and expanded CTE spaces on CCISD’s central campus.

“Thank you to the voters for considering Copper Country ISD and local schools as far as what education looks like in our community,” CCISD Superintendent James Rautiola said. “I do appreciate those that got educated and got out to vote.”

Rautiola explained CCISD is still reassessing data and will evaluate a plan to decide what will be done moving forward as far as serving and infrastructure. CCISD will continue operating and serving the district in the capacity that it currently is. Rautiola said the election was aimed at infrastructure, and the programming is totally separate. Improved infrastructure could have contributed to enhancing programs, but Rautiola said infrastructure funds cannot be used in programming.

“Infrastructure updates for education will just have allowed better tools and service level into the future. So [it’s] business as usual as we sit here on August 6,” Rautiola said. “Our programs will continue as they’re going and we will continue serving the community to a level that we have and are accustomed to.”

Rautiola said all available options will be considered moving forward to address the CCISD’s needs.

“As for taking care of the total need, there’s not a mechanism in place in the state of Michigan at the moment that allows for that. It really goes to the voters for consideration and community support. The state of Michigan in and of itself doesn’t provide an avenue or a funding source for infrastructure for local schools,” Rautiola said.