By admin TECUMSEH — Voters in the Tecumseh school district approved the creation of a sinking fund millage in Tuesday’s election and elected six school board members.
The proposal to levy 1.75 mills for five years passed with 5,560 “yes” votes, or 53%, to 4,922 “no” votes, or 47%.
The sinking fund will help the district repair the Tecumseh Memorial Community Pool building and do other repair and improvement projects around the district, including new roofs, updated heating a cooling systems, resurfaced parking lots and upgraded technology. The fund can only be used for building and site projects. It will supplement the funds the district receives through the state’s per-pupil funding formula. The school board has been budgeting 3% of its general fund toward capital projects in recent years and has pledged to continue to do so along with the sinking fund money.
“Today, we celebrate our community’s dedication to creating a brighter future for Tecumseh Public Schools,” Superintendent Matt Hilton said in a statement posted the district’s Facebook page. “This support for our sinking fund allows us to tackle much-needed repairs and upgrades that will benefit our students, staff, and community for years. We are honored and grateful for your trust in us to carry this work forward!”
“On behalf of the Tecumseh Public Schools Board of Education, I wish to thank the citizens of our community for their support in approving the Sinking Fund for our schools,” board President Tony Rebottaro said in the statement. “The board is committed to being good stewards of your money and pledge to use it to make Tecumseh Public Schools the best school district in the region.”
The passage of the proposal comes after Hilton, who took office in June as the board was deciding how to pay for the repairs to the pool building, made a push both with in-person meetings with various community groups and online videos to explain the proposal and how the district intends to spend the money.
“We also wish to thank Mr. Hilton and his staff for their tireless efforts in educating the community on this issue,” Rebottaro said. “His hard work and dedication were instrumental in the passing of this funding.”
Board election
All four current Tecumseh school board members running to remain on the board were elected Tuesday. Current trustees Greg Lewis (4,376 votes), Becky Brooks (3,907) and Lynne Davis (3,856) were elected to four-year terms, and Tim Simpson received 6,158 votes to complete a partial term that ends in 2026.
Also being elected to four-year terms were Darin Miller with 3,493 votes and Heather McGee with 3,800 votes. They beat out Holly Willey, Michelle Malewitz and Joe Kakenakes, who received 3,405, 3,390 and 3,019 votes, respectively.
Jacob Willey filed as a write-in candidate for the partial term that Simpson won. The Lenawee County Clerk’s Office reported there were 537 write-in votes. Willey’s total from that will be announced later.
The new terms for the board members begin Jan. 1.
— Contact reporter David Panian at [email protected] or follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @lenaweepanian.