Vote Jan. 8 Nearly Sure $16 Million School Bond

It became virtually certain after yesterday's special Board oJJMucation meeting that a $16,LbOO bond issue will be presented to the Ann Arbor School District voters Jan. 8, 1968. The bonding issue will cover the cost of a four-year building program. The trustees are forced to go down to the wire- next Monday - b e f o r e finally setting the date and amount, however, because a legal technicality prevented final action yesterday. The bonds had not yet been pre-qualified, that is, financially backed by the state, which is a prerequisite for calling a bonding referendum. An informal poll of the school bcard members at the close of the meeting, however, indicated almost unanimous approval for the January date and the $16 million plus figure. Another special meeting, open to the public, has been scheduled for 4 p.m. next Monday to make the final decisión, the last day on which the referendum can legally be called for the Jan. 8 date. The meeting will be held in the schools' Administrative Offices, 1220 Wells. Yesterday's special session was scheduled because of a complaint by Trustee Paul H. Johnson that the two hours of previous discussion was too little time to devote to a $16 million bonding. Johnson had also questioned the monetary figure, calling it excessively high. Members of the Washtenaw County Intermedíate School District, the Library A d v i s o r y C o u n c i 1 and the Apprentice Training Advisory Committeel were present to answer the trustees' specific questions about their projects which wiil be paid for by the bonding issue.' Nick A. Ianni, superintendent of the county school district, stressed what he termed the desperate necessity for a county trainable school for the severely retarded- a $475,000 bond item. He explained that Washtenaw County cannot legally bond tol build such a facility, and that the entire amount, with interest, will be repaid. Johnson again stated his contention that xhe $475,000 item mtght jeopardize the entire bond issue because the people are unaware of the needs and activities of the Intermedíate School District. Homer Chance, the school's director of libraries, and the Rev. Richard Preis, president of the Library Advisory Council, outlined what are regarded as immediate needs for library expansión and construction. Ray Gilbert of the Apprentice Training Advisory Committee likewise told the trustees of a beed for building a ncw facility for apprentice training. "Right now we're at a standstill and buiging at the seams," he declared. An alternative t h r e e-year building program, presented for the trustees' consideration, by Acting Supt. W. Scott Westerman Jr., was also discussed. It was generally decided, however, that the nearly $7 million which would be allocated to the first stage of a third senior high school was too important to be scrapped (which would be the result of adopting the $9 million, three-year program). After general discussion, the trustees reached agreement that there is a definite need for the $16 million building program. "Procrastination will get us into difficulty," declared Trustee Harold J. Lockett. Trustee William C. Godfrey e c h o e d Lockett's opinión, and said that the school district should get its house in order "so that the wolf isn't constantly at the door." (He was referring to overerowded conditions at the schools.) "I see no reason to delay," commented School Bcard ident Hazen J. Schumacher Jr. "Ann Arbor has traditionally been behind in building high schools," he said, "and it coüld happen again if we don't get moving." Trustee Joseph T. A. Lee expressed the hope that the taxpayer will realize that the bonding proposal is based on "educational needs," and not on any political basis. "I feel that the irajority of the people will feel that this is a worthy program," said Godfrey.