Brighton Area Schools board pauses plan to place bond on November ballot after public calls to prioritize music facilities
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Subscribe
Summary
At a special meeting the Brighton Area Schools Board of Education declined to approve placing a bond on the November ballot, saying more community engagement and clearer project scope are needed after extensive public comment urging investments in music and performing-arts facilities and teacher support.
The Brighton Area Schools Board of Education at a special meeting moved to pause plans to place a proposed school bond on the November ballot, citing the need for more community engagement and clearer project scope after several residents urged the board to prioritize music and performing-arts facilities and teacher support.
Board members and district staff described the meeting as a culmination of months of planning with architectural firm King Scott and construction manager Clark Construction Company. The board said professionals had helped define alternate designs and cost options, but several trustees said they were not comfortable finalizing bond details in time for November.
The district heard a string of public comments focused on the district’s music and performing-arts programs. Nate Nicholson, a parent, said, “I strongly support it,” urging the board to reinvest in performing and visual arts. Jennifer Evans, director of band and orchestra at Scranton Middle School and a Brighton Area Schools employee, told the board the current middle-school spaces are “undersized, outdated, understaffed, or makeshift” and warned that rising sound levels and inadequate storage hamper instruction. “Investment in musical instruments, qualified staff, and access to quality equipment are not luxuries, they are necessities,” Evans said, urging the board to include dedicated music facilities in any bond.
Other public speakers described specific needs and proposals. Christina Kefkakis asked the board to consider upgrades including BCPA (Brighton Center for the Performing Arts) improvements, new high-school classrooms for band, orchestra and choir, safe instrument storage, and a new black-box theater she estimated at about 300 seats. She said recently the district had spent “over $4,000 in repairs” with a local music vendor. Several parents and a PTO leader emphasized teachers’ contributions and asked the board to direct bond funding to support staff, reduce class sizes and improve learning spaces.
Board members said the district and its community broadly support investing in schools, but several trustees objected to the compressed timeline for a November ballot. Multiple trustees said they preferred postponing to allow a year-long community-engagement process similar to the 2018 bond planning and suggested targeting a May or 2026 ballot instead. One trustee described the choice as “slow walking” the process: allow more time for alternatives, community displays and clearer scope so voters can make an informed choice.
Although trustees indicated support for moving forward with a bond in principle, they did not take a formal vote to place a measure on the November ballot. Instead the board agreed to pause and continue work with King Scott and Clark Construction to refine scope, costs and community outreach with the aim of returning with a clearer proposal.
Votes at a glance: The board approved the meeting agenda at the start of the session. A motion to “approve the agenda as presented” was made by Dr. Krebs, seconded by Mr. Storm and passed 6–0.
The board wrapped the special meeting without further action on the bond. The district announced its next regular meeting is scheduled for Aug. 11 at 7 p.m.