BILLINGS The Billings school board is seeking feedback for three high school bond options.The bond options, which range from $88 million to $242 million, aim to fix things in Billings high schools that Superintendent Erwin Garc ia said are long overdue."Many of these investments were made 100 years ago," Garcia said Tuesday. "It is time for us to reassess where we are with those investments."The first option has a price tag of just under $89 million, which would cost the owner of a $300,000 home $39.78 annually in property taxes. Garcia said it would fix deferred maintenance and make safety improvements to the three high schools.Thats just to cover the roofs, pavement, electrical issues, that are beyond the typical maintenance schedule, Garcia said. "Each year, we get $2 to $4 million in our budget for maintenance, but that doesn't fix everything."The second option is just under than $200 million, which would cost $94.46 annually for a $300,000 household. Garcia said it would add academic upgrades to things like school auditoriums, HVAC systems or school gymnasiums.Option three totals nearly $242 million, which would cost $115.56 annually for a $300,000 household. Garcia said that this option would include athletic upgrades such as weight room and locker room improvements.Garcia said that the board is seeking feedback at this point."We want to ask the public what the public would be willing to support," Garcia said.Billings resident Geoff Sloan said he would not support any of the bond options due to the increased cost."They're asking for a lot of money," Sloan said Tuesday afternoon. "Even the smallest one they're asking for is a lot of money."Sloan said that the increase in property taxes comes at a time when many are struggling with their current bill."Its already too much and at this point, its make or break for some," Sloan said. "When that comes up every six months, thats a hard check to write."Sloan said he does want the schools to be in good standing, but he believes the budget could be managed better."You don't want to say no because it's for the kids," Sloan said. "Everything that we have to do for our own households, if we don't have the money for it, we don't put it on the credit card."But Garcia said that bonds are the only way fixes like these can be paid for, and he argues that it'll only get more expensive later if voters say no."Right now, there's no other mechanism under the state of Montana except to go to taxpayers and ask," Garcia said. "That's why we need to take care of the issue now, either passively or actively."Garcia said the bonds won't appear on a ballot until 2027. He said the district does not want to compete with a Yellowstone County jail expansion bond set to come before voters this fall. ...read more read less