St. Ignace Area Schools Board of Education agreed to seek permission from the Michigan Department of Treasury to sell $2,675,000 in bonds to fund a project aimed at improving technology, replacing buses, and building a wood heating plant. The school board, which met Monday, January 25, hopes the bonds will be financed by 0.7 mills assessed against property for 11 years. Voters will decide whether the expenditures are a good idea in an election set for Tuesday, May 4.

The millage-backed bonds will pay to replace all buses in the district's eight-bus fleet over the 11- year period, buy interactive instruction boards for every classroom, buy a computer for every student in grades five through 12, buy a 30-computer laptop cart for kindergarten through fourth grade classes, provide for replacement and updating of the computers over the 11-year period, and build an $800,000 wood chip heating plant to heat the school to save on heating costs.

District administration first suggested a 0.55 mill tax levy to fund the project, which initially included the purchase of five buses and did not include funds for replacing computers that broke or became outdated. A schoolappointed committee of area citizens met in November and suggested St. Ignace Area Schools ask for more money to pay for more buses and computers in the years to come.

Superintendent Mike Springsteen said the district can expect a response on the bond application by February 19, at which time the school board will consider the bond agreement for final approval at a meeting at 4 p.m. February 22, at the Middle School Library.

"They reviewed it last week and pre-approved the application," Mr. Springsteen said of the treasury department. "It looks like they will approve it."

The citizens’ advisory committee will be called to meet again, he said, if the treasury department approves the bonds. Mr. Springsteen said the schools will seek their input on the implementation of the plan and it will be an opportunity to mobilize them to promote the new millage.

Student Expulsion

A senior at LaSalle High School was expelled from the school for the remainder of the year, owing to a decision by the Board of Education Monday night to uphold a recommendation from LaSalle Principal Don Gustafson.

The student's parents attended Monday's meeting to appeal the board's decision, which is based on a point system currently in place at the district that maintains that the Board of Education will consider expulsion for any student who reaches 15 points.

The parents said one of the incidents, in which the student received points on January 5, was handled poorly by the teacher, who stuck a finger inside the student's mouth to confirm the presence of chewing tobacco. The parents argued that there was no proof of chewing tobacco and asked that the board not assume guilt based solely on the word of the teacher. Mr. Gustafson contends the teacher found proof that the student was chewing tobacco.

The parents said the incident pushed his punishment points to more than 15. If he had not been given points for that incident, they contend, he would have had enough points for suspension, but not for expulsion.

The student, Dylan Rountree, has been offered a plan to meet graduation requirements from home.

On the expulsion, Trustee Ann Massey was the lone dissenting vote. Trustees Sean Arthur, Ronn Farr, Jane Weiss, Dave Latva, Mike Grogan, and Rick Litzner voted for expulsion.

Mr. Latva said he would like the policy committee to meet and consider the district policy on allowing an expelled student to receive a diploma with his or her classmates during the spring graduation ceremony if all alternative graduation requirements are met.

"If he completes his classes," Mr. Latva said, "I would not have a problem with him walking with his class."