• Forty-two districts are asking voters to approve school bonds
• Local districts rely on bonds to pay for major infrastructure projects
• One analysis of public school buildings shows nearly $23 billion in repairs are needed

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While the race for governor and US Senate continues to dominate the airwaves in Michigan, flying under the radar are more than 100 ballot questions to raise money for schools. 

Forty-two districts are asking voters to approve school bonds on Tuesday’s ballot, according to Gongwer News Service.

 In total, districts are asking for nearly $4 billion in bonds for everything from constructing new buildings to fixing bathrooms and buying buses.   

The requests come as voters face rising prices and as it’s increasingly challenging to get bonds approved.

Many of the districts requesting bonds are trying again after a previous proposal failed. 

“If a district needs to raise (money) for repairs, upgrades, new buildings, whatever that may be, the only way they can do that is via these types of bond campaigns,” said Robert McCann, executive director of the K-12 Alliance of Michigan, a group of 123 school districts. 

Related:

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Districts spend the majority of their operating funds on employee wages and benefits. That leaves little left for building upgrades, renovations or purchases. 

Many districts face aging infrastructure and have sought state funds to pay for updating facilities.

One estimate finds that public school districts need nearly $23 billion in repairs, more than the entire state K-12 budget this fiscal year.

In July, the state awarded $224 million in grants to 31 school districts for school repairs. Another $100 million in grants is available but “much more is needed,”  said Michigan Department of Education spokesperson Bob Wheaton. 

“The Michigan Department of Education has advocated for and will continue to advocate with our partners in the Legislature for more infrastructure funding so that students and educators have the school facilities they need for students to learn.”

McCann said bonds are “Band-Aids to the larger problem” of school infrastructure funding. 

“There has to be a broad look at how we solve this problem with a dedicated funding stream for state support for school infrastructure,” he said. 

Fixing aging buildings

Dearborn Public Schools, the third largest district in the state, has the largest school bond on the ballot. 

The district is seeking approval for a $1.5 billion bond “to build new schools, improve safety across the district, add hands-on STEAM learning spaces, renovate at every school, and eventually ensure that every school is air-conditioned.”

“It’s going to be revolutionary, and it’s what our students deserve, no doubt about it,” said Superintendent Mike Esseily. 

Some boiler systems are 50-60 years old, and the average of a building in the district is 71 years old, said Esseily.

Eastpointe Community Schools is asking voters to approve a $99 million bond for projects such as updated classrooms and restrooms and new HVAC systems. The district’s nearly century-old high school building does not have air conditioning in classrooms.

The district also plans to merge the middle school and high school into one building and upgrade to the district’s early learning center. 

Superintendent Christina Gibson said consolidating would allow for more college and career programming and cut down on operating costs like cleaning and utilities. 

Gibson said she feels for families with rising costs and has tried everything she can to avoid making this request. In February she tried to secure a $25 million state budget earmark. She also sought a state grant specifically for infrastructure.  

“We’re trying to provide high quality educational experiences for our children,” Gibson said. 

If the Dearborn bond passes, the district would stop collecting its operating millage. Esseily said leaders are “very cognizant” that residents are experiencing higher costs and sees the decision to not collect the operating millage as a “kind of our way to really meet residents hopefully where they’re at, and make it appealing to them.” 

Jason Helsen, associate executive director of Michigan School Business Officials, said voters are asking “healthy questions” about bonds and the state’s foray into infrastructure grants shows the state is grappling with the “big dollar question” of funding school infrastructure. 

More than 100 proposals 

School districts have three types of funding proposals on the ballot: bond issues; sinking funds, which are a kind of pay-as-you-go account funded by property taxes, and operating millages. 

Tuesday’s ballot includes: 

• 42 school bond requests
• 14 sinking fund increase requests
• 9 sinking fund renewal requests
• 14 school operating millage increase requests
• 37 school operating millage renewal requests
• 4 intermediate school district millage increase requests
• 3 intermediate school districts operating millage renewal requests

Communities are also asking voters to approve taxes for libraries, roads and public safety. Seven communities have marijuana proposals on the ballot. 

Michigan schools use a combination of local, state and federal funds.

Second (or fifth) time’s the charm? 

Some communities are trying again to raise funds after previous efforts have failed. 

Gwinn Area Community Schools is trying for a $24.95 million bond. It’s the fifth time in recent years the district has tried to pass a bond. 

Comstock Public Schools is requesting a $23.7 million bond Tuesday after bond efforts failed in May 2026 and November 2025. 

Brighton Area Schools, Hopkins Public Schools, Meridian Public Schools and Yale Public Schools are all pitching bonds that are smaller than rejected proposals from May.

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