by April Scheinoha
Reporter

    This November, Greenbush-Middle River School District voters will have the opportunity to vote on whether to build a new, consolidated K-12 school in the Greenbush area.
    Superintendent Tom Jerome said the GMR School Board voted 5 to 2 on Monday, July 13 to seek voter approval to construct the new building.
    Voting in favor of placing that question on the ballot were Carrie Jo Howard, Shane Kilen, Jeff Nelson, Paul Robinson and Kurt Stenberg. With the exception of Howard, who lives in Strathcona, all live in Greenbush. Voting in opposition were Middle River residents Joe Melby and Laurie Stromsodt. The question will appear on the ballot Tuesday, Nov. 3.
    The Northern Watch contacted several School Board members in the days following the decision. Melby and Stromsodt declined to comment. Kilen and Howard both hadn’t return phone calls as of presstime Friday morning.
    Known as Option 3, the proposal is estimated to initially cost the most out of the four options presented to the board. However, according to information provided by the district, this proposal would offer the most long-term savings of all of the options presented.
    The Greenbush Tribune has reported that the Greenbush City Council has offered land to the district for a new school near the Greenbush Airport. The Middle River Honker cited Stromsodt’s husband, Mark, as saying that land is also available in Middle River for a new school. Mark Stromsodt is the former mayor of Middle River.
    If approved, the new building would replace two school buildings. Currently, the district operates Greenbush School and Middle River School. The former serves students in kindergarten through fifth grade, and ninth through 12th grade. The latter serves students in kindergarten through eighth grade.
    Earlier this year, 482 district residents responded to a survey asking them how they want the district to proceed. The options ranged from maintaining the status quo to constructing a new, consolidated building at a site between the two cities.
    Of the respondents, 26 percent preferred Option 3, which referred to a new, consolidated K-12 building between the two communities.  Respondents had a mixed response as to where to build the facility. Thirty-three percent preferred Greenbush as the location. Another 33 percent preferred a location between the two cities. Nineteen percent preferred Middle River, and 15 percent provided no answer.
    The majority of respondents (42 percent) preferred Option 1 – maintaining the status quo and upgrading the current buildings to comply with codes and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Twenty-four percent preferred Option 1.5 – calling for the above upgrades and an addition onto one of the buildings. The Middle River City Council, Middle River Community Club and Middle River Sportsman’s Club signed a public letter of support regarding Options 1 and 1.5.
    Six percent preferred Option 2, which called for renovating one building to house one section of preschool to fifth grade. Under that proposal, the other building would house preschool to 12th grade.