News Photo by Reagan Voetberg Interim Superintendent Dan Bauer discusses the bond proposal at the Onaway Area Community School District Board of Education’s meeting Tuesday night.

ONAWAY — The Onaway Area Community School District Board of Education met for a special meeting on Tuesday night to discuss the school’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system, the board member vacancy, and the search for a new superintendent.

At their meeting on Thursday, Interim Superintendent Dan Bauer discussed his decision to resign. Additionally, former board member Jeremy Veal announced his resignation.

The central topic of discussion at the meeting was the school’s HVAC system.

“This is something that our kids desperately need,” Bauer said. “We have horrible air quality.”

According to Bauer, the carbon dioxide levels rise way up in the afternoon, which makes it difficult for students to focus.

At the meeting Tuesday night, the board voted to accept a resolution for a bond to be put on the ballot in the May 6 special school election. The bond would allow the board to borrow a sum not exceeding $10,290,000.

The money would be used for partially remodeling, equipping, and re-equipping the school building, including for heating, cooling, ventilation, and control systems, with electrical and natural gas systems to support the HVAC replacement and preparing, developing, and improving the site, according to the resolution.

The millage will be raised from one mill to 1.48 mills to fund the project, Bauer said.

Some community members who spoke during the public comment time were upset with the bond proposal because the board turned down an option to install an HVAC system that would utilize green energy rather than natural gas.

Board President Mike Hart stated that he talked to the organization offering the green option, called Up North Advocacy, and was unsatisfied with their proposal.

The organization has federal funding and said they may be able to cover up to 70% of the cost of installing the green HVAC system with those funds.

The issue, Hart said, was that the school would have to pay for the HVAC system upfront and receive the funding as a tax credit later.

Hart, as well as other board members, expressed concerns that with the pause on federal funding from the new federal administration, whether they would ever see the 70% in funds was a gamble.

Board member Lain Veihl was especially vocal about his opposition to the green energy option at this time. He expressed that the students need a new HVAC system as soon as possible for their health and safety, and the green energy option would take more time to implement.

“Advanced technology absolutely has its place,” he said. “I’m not sure testing it out on our school classrooms and on our children is the best place to test it out.”

Board member Tom Moran also stated that it is better to use the tried and true natural gas system considering how urgent the situation is at the school.

A couple of audience members were vocal about their support of utilizing green energy at all costs. Hart had to ask audience members to calm down as the debate about the issue caused tension among those in attendance.

Board members decided to meet on Feb. 18 to review candidates for the vacant board position.

To end the meeting, board members engaged in a workshop for superintendent evaluation training with Tim Hall from the Michigan Association of School Boards.

Reagan Voetberg can be reached at 989-358-5683 or rvoetberg@TheAlpenaNews.com.