MORENCI — The Morenci school district is asking voters to extend the district’s current bond levy out for a maximum of 30 years. The extension would raise $17.4 million to pay for upgrades at both the elementary and middle/high school buildings.
The bond proposal will go before voters on May 6. All district residents, regardless of whether they live in the city or a township, will vote at Morenci City Hall.
In 2024, the district’s bond repayment levy was at 7.96 mills. Superintendent Jennifer Ellis said the district’s most recent bond issue is on track to be repaid in 2028, so new bonds for the needed improvements can be rolled into the current millage without increasing residents’ tax bills.
To come up with a comprehensive facilities plan, the district enlisted the help of Kingscott, a Michigan-based architecture, engineering and design firm, and general contractor Clark Construction. They did a complete facilities assessment that identified about $38 million worth of projects.
Wanting to come up with a plan that would not require raising taxes, district staff then started to work on narrowing that list down.
“We held three different opportunities for the community to come in, look over the list of projects, and note the things that they felt were a high priority,” Ellis said.
Ellis and the district’s facilities and communications directors also visited the senior center and a Kiwanis Club meeting to talk about the project and gather feedback about priorities.
Safety and security
One project involves secure entryways at both buildings. The middle/high school building has a secure entryway that isn’t laid out very efficiently, while the elementary building doesn’t have a secure entry lobby at all.
“Right now when you enter the building, you’re right into the building — you’re not in an office area or a vestibule,” Ellis said.
Another big improvement would be parking lot lighting. There is currently very little parking lot lighting, which Ellis noted is a particular problem during the winter months.
Other changes would involve updating security cameras and adding some new ones; replacing the district’s key card system; upgrading the aging fire alarm system; and adding new fire protection measures.
Outside of the buildings, more safety enhancements would come from repairing and replacing sidewalks and pavement.
The bond issue would also allow the district to purchase two new buses. “It’s just time to add those to keep the fleet in good working order,” Ellis said.
The district currently has five buses that run every day, plus a few that are used as backups and for things like field trips and athletic events. The oldest bus is from 2005, and there are two 2010 buses.
Also falling under the heading of safety is bringing all restrooms up to date with Americans with Disabilities Act requirements.
Caring for the buildings
Other proposed bond projects simply involve keeping Morenci’s school buildings warm and dry.
At the elementary school, this includes replacing the boiler and updating heaters in classrooms. At the middle/high school, it includes replacing the chiller and the rooftop heating and cooling units, and also replacing exterior windows.
“Some of our exterior windows in the high school are the original windows, so they’ve definitely exceeded their original life and are pretty drafty,” Ellis said.
And then there are the roofs, which need to be replaced on both buildings.
“We pretty much are at a point where all of our roofs need complete replacement,” Ellis said.
Improved learning environments
Other projects involve improving the learning environment for Morenci students.
The elementary building has a variety of needs, including classroom furniture and technology.
“We are at a point where our last major furniture purchase is reaching the end of its useful life,” Ellis said.
In addition, she said, as schools emphasize more collaboration in learning, the furniture should reflect that.
At the middle/high school building, there’s also a need for new furniture and technology. That building still has some classrooms with chalkboards instead of whiteboards. And lot of the flooring needs to be replaced as well.
Rounding out the list are a variety of other projects like electrical work and other behind-the-scenes building infrastructure, refinishing the high school gym floor, and updating the weight room.
Ellis noted that some alternate sources of funding, such as grants for school safety and water systems that the district was recently awarded, have allowed some projects to be taken off of the bond list.
Project timetable
Although some projects — like installing security cameras and updating card readers — could be done pretty quickly, the bulk of the work will have to be done when school is not in session. Because of that, the target date for most of the work is summer 2026.
Voting information
In-person voting will be at Morenci City Hall, 118 Orchard St. Polls will be open on Tuesday, May 6, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Anyone who wants to cast an absentee ballot should contact their local clerk’s office.
More information is available on the district’s website.