Michigan voters OK $640M in school bonds but reject nearly 4 in 10 requests

• Michigan voters approved 62% of local school bond proposals in November
• That’s up slightly over recent years but down from 2018-2020 passage rates
• Superintendents acknowledge districts must build trust for community members to feel bonds are a worthy investment

In a national election where candidates hammered each other over economic woes, Michigan voters last week approved nearly $640.3 million in new school bond tax requests.

In total, voters approved 62% of local school bond proposals that officials had put on the general election ballot, according to a Bridge Michigan analysis of Gongwer News Service data.

That’s a slightly higher passage rate than the most recent years but down from just under 75% of school bonds passed from 2018-2021. 

Still, the 38% of local requests rejected by voters would have amounted to another $364 million for the school districts that sought the funding. 

Such tax requests — primarily used to fund building repairs or upgrades — have been failing at higher rates in recent years amid increased focus on the economy, complicated nature of school finance and shifting attitudes about public education since the pandemic.

Don Wotruba, executive director of the Michigan Association of School Boards, said he was “pretty encouraged” that voters approved so many tax requests last week despite a heavy candidate focus on the economy and inflation.  

Among the big proposals approved by voters: $188.7 million for infrastructure at L'Anse Creuse Public School District in Macomb County, $121 million for construction and remodeling in Wayne County's Crestwood district and $48.8 million for Baldwin Community District in Newaygo. 

Voters also approved smaller bond requests in Otsego, Antrim and St. Joseph counties. 

Related:

• In Michigan, voters sour on school bonds. Once an easy sell, half now fail
• Five things to know about Michigan school bond proposals this election

Whether a community ultimately supports a bond request usually comes down to the cost of the proposal, how the money will be spent and how the value is communicated to voters, Wotruba said.  

Voters in Republican-leaning areas have been more likely to reject school bonds, and last week was no exception: In Republican areas, 56.5% of bond proposals passed, compared to 83.3% in Democratic areas. 

If at first you don’t succeed…

At Gwinn Area Community Schools, half an hour south of Marquette, voters rejected a $30.9 million bond request. It wasn’t the first time officials had asked: 38% of voters backed a similar bond in 2023, followed by 46% this year. 

The district will likely try again in May, said Superintendent Sara Croney, who told Bridge she was buoyed by growing support from local voters and continuing dialogue between the school and community members. 

“We’re not going to focus on those that are going to vote ‘no,’” Croney said. “That is waste(d) time. We’re going to focus on getting more of the voters just out to vote.” 

It’s not unusual for school districts to bring failed bond issues back before voters. 

In May, local voters rejected a bond for Pentwater Public Schools by five votes. In November, a majority of voters approved a $7.59 million bond.

That’s a “big community win,” said Superintendent Craig Barter, who told Bridge he thinks the proposal passed, in part, because voters were actively sharing positive information about the proposal. 

His advice to other school districts looking to get projects funded by voters? 

“Don’t ask for anything that’s over the top, stay within your means, and be transparent with the information.” 

Millages, sinking funds

Michigan law limits how schools can use bonds, which must be approved by local voters because they are paid for through millage increases. 

Bonds can be used for construction or remodeling of buildings or athletic facilities, bus purchases, energy conservation improvements and certain technology hardware. They can’t fund textbooks, computer software, supplies and salaries or repairs and maintenance. 

Schools can also ask voters to approve sinking funds, which are paid for through millage increases limited to 5 mills per year for a decade. The pay-as-you-go savings accounts can be used to pay for some of those things that bonds cannot, along with school security and technology purposes.  

Voters approved all seven proposals to renew existing sinking fund taxes but only approved 10 out of 18 requests for increases. 

Among the proposals that passed: A tax increase expected to generate $7.5 million over five years to pay for building repairs and upgrades at Tecumseh Public Schools in Lenawee County. 

That’s a fraction of the combined $88.5 million in bond proposals for school infrastructure local voters rejected two years ago. 

Scaling back plans

In northeast lower Michigan, voters rejected a sinking fund proposal for Hale Area Schools.

The community has a large share of retirees on fixed incomes and farmers with a lot of land — groups both generally skeptical of raising taxes, Superintendent Jeffrey Yorke told Bridge. 

“We could be in a worse spot, that’s for sure,” Yorke said. “We’re going to have to just tighten up our straps and really prioritize what we have to have completed.” 

It’s not yet clear if the district will try to put another sinking fund proposal before voters in a future election. The district has some reserves it could tap into to work on the most urgent spending items, Yorke said. 

Voters who live in the Whitmore Lake Public Schools district last week rejected a sinking fund tax increase after previously rejecting a bond proposal. 

Superintendent Tom DeKeyser said the existing sinking fund can be used to tackle some of the repairs and improvements the district needs, but he feels like he has to “keep scaling back” plans. 

He said the district will continue to patch up potholes and fix curbs rather than completely redo the areas. The district will also work on heating and cooling issues but he worries about what happens if several units go out in the same year. 

“You should be able to make sure that if it’s a state funded school, you have roofs that don’t leak and your rooms are warm, safe and dry.”