I am a parent of four children attending Brighton Area Schools. My oldest child, who is a senior this year, will be voting for the first time and has expressed his intention to vote YES in the upcoming bond proposal special election.
If you’ve driven through Brighton recently, you may have noticed signs urging people to “Vote No” on the upcoming bond for Brighton Area Schools. These signs are backed by former BAS Board of Education member John Conely, who established the “Vote No Committee” (ID#159086) on March 19, 2026. It’s interesting to see Mr. Conely leading this campaign alongside fellow former Board of Education member Bill Trombley, who resigned after a potential conflict of interest involving his donut business.
At a “Meet the Candidates Forum” held in September 2014, Conely stated, “…raise the taxes,” suggesting that community support for higher taxes would help it thrive. In December 2018, he joined five other board members in supporting a bond application to extend the then-current levy of 7.19 mills. Trombley oversaw bond construction projects and recently stated on social media that he would support a “YES” vote on the bond if a different board member, not Mr. Myers, were the board president.
So, what accounts for this sudden shift away from support for Brighton Area Schools? Some might speculate that it’s because Conely and Trombley are no longer on the Board of Education and can’t take credit for these improvements.
This bond addresses long-standing needs that have gone unfulfilled for years. Mr. Conely was on the BAS Board when the district introduced the Brighton Orchestra program, but that board failed to adequately plan for necessary dedicated classrooms with proper instrument storage. Additionally, it’s important to note that there has never been a dedicated women’s locker room at the stadium, despite the number of female student-athletes in the district.
What does voting “YES” for this bond mean? Personally, I used the calculator on the BAS Bond Information page to determine the financial impact. My taxes will increase by $240 a year, which breaks down to approximately $20 per month, $4.61 per week, and just $0.65 per day. For comparison, this amount is roughly a quarter of the cost of a standard brewed coffee at Starbucks®, the least expensive item on their menu.
This bond proposal focuses on our highest-priority projects, particularly those that enhance student safety and provide the first updates to our music and performing arts programs in over three decades. As a friend and fellow parent remarked: “Failing to pass this bond doesn’t eliminate these needs; it only delays them, making them more costly and limiting what our schools can offer in the meantime.”
Christina Kafkakis
Genoa Township
Related
