Buchanan schools advocate for $35M bond

District proposes renovations at older buildings

By JULIANA KNOT

HP Staff Writer

BUCHANAN — Voters in the Buchanan Community Schools district will cast their ballot on May 2 to decide on a nearly $35 million bond proposal.

The proposed bond would pay for the renovation of the 75-year-old Moccasin Elementary School and the 101-year-old Buchanan High School. Moccasin has never been renovated before.

If passed, the millage would increase by 2 mills, for a total of 5.5 mills. A Buchanan-area home with a taxable value of $100,000 would have to pay an additional $200 annually in property taxes.

Both buildings would see improvements to security, lighting, HVAC, windows and other infrastructure upgrades.

The proposed bond would be used to expand Moccasin’s building, adding a wing for additional classrooms, a new media center, a gym and an elevator. The plan also calls for changing the bus pick-up and drop-off stations, as well as upgrading playground equipment.

Should the bond proposal pass, the district would also add on to Buchanan High School, expanding the cafeteria and building a health and wellness center. The renovations would also create a secure entrance by the proposed wellness center, which would essentially be a weight room.

The plan calls for renovating the classrooms, the media center, the culinary lab and the science lab. Two bathrooms would become ADA-accessible. The bond would also pay for improvements to the auditorium and the track and football fields. In the proposed plan, the district would replace the auxiliary high school gym flooring.

In 2021, the district conducted a facilities study, which showed the need for major repairs to the high school and Moccasin buildings.

Voters narrowly rejected a similar bond last fall, with 2,061 votes in favor and 2,326 votes opposed. Superintendent Patricia Robinson told The Herald-Palladium in March that they surveyed voters to see what changes they would recommend. The board then changed the bond proposal.

The district will hold an informational meeting at 6 p.m. today at Buchanan High School. The Buchanan Area Chamber of Commerce has endorsed the proposed millage increase.

Contact: jknot@TheHP.com, 932-0360, Twitter: @knotjuliana