9/24/13 - A split vote by the Howell School Board last night will put $702,000 to work for students instead of providing a refund to taxpayers. Two years ago, the previous school board voted that the money left over in the 2001 construction fund used to build Hutchings Elementary would be put into the debt fund for that building in 2013, contributing to Hutchingsâ multi-million dollar mortgage payment. If the order had not been rescinded, Terres says it would have provided the average homeowner with a one-time savings of about $35. Board members Mike Moloney, Deborah McCormick, and Doug Moore were in favor of this option, but the rest of the board voted instead to rescind the order and keep that money in the 2001 construction account. They said from there it could be spent on computers, technology, and equipment that would benefit the students of the school, which they argued was in keeping with the original intent of voters when they approved spending the money. They also argued that the district should not be giving away money at a time when state shared funding is on the decline. (TD)
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