Jim Bendlinski speaks at Monday’s Houghton Portage Township Schools board meeting in support of a proposed $23 million bond for facility improvements. (Garrett Nice/Daily Mining Gazette)
HOUGHTON — A $23 million bond proposal for additional classroom space and other equipment at Houghton Portage Township Schools dominated the public comment period during Monday’s board meeting.
The first 30 minutes of Monday’s meeting was devoted to public comment on the issue. Five of the nine people who spoke Monday supported the proposal.
The 30-year bond will fund the construction of a new early childhood center to house 5-year-olds and kindergarten students as a way to alleviate overcrowding in elementary schools. There is also the possibility of a classroom for 4-year-olds. At the junior high school, a new robotics laboratory will be established and the science room and career/technical education space will be renovated. Safe entry and technology upgrades will also be funded at both buildings.
To pay for that cost, the current millage rate, which was scheduled to be lowered starting in 2029, will instead be extended through 2031. Interest rates would then gradually decline over the remaining life of the bond, which matures in 2055.
Scott McInnes, a member of the HPT School District Concerned Citizens group formed to oppose the bond issue, spoke at several public meetings expressing his opposition to the bond issue.
He said after factoring in interest, district taxpayers would end up paying $46 million over the life of the bond.
He also said the average rate of 2.77 mills, which costs $277 per year for someone whose home has a taxable value of $100,000, is “extraordinary” because it includes years until residents start paying in 2029. “It can easily lead to misunderstandings.” , the average millage increases to 3.18 mils.
Additional bonds also concerned him, given the possibility that more bonds may need to be sought as the district addresses other needs. The district also said it has had to borrow $5.8 million from the state since the $10.9 million loan was passed, suggesting the millage rate should have been higher.
“Every time we get closer, new bond issuances emerge,” he said. “You have not announced any short-term or long-term plans for how many children you want to attend school. We, as the public, need to know what your plans are here. We need to. It looks like we’re going to keep building and keep bringing in kids.”
Bond opponents also worried about what would happen if future trends in school preferences went against the district. Houghton resident Peter Negro said the total number of students in the area has decreased by 74 students over the past 10 years. It is predicted that the number of people will decrease by another 43 over the next five years.
“It’s not growth, it’s regression,” he said. “The only reason you’re growing now is because of the schools you choose. If you can only accommodate 1,000 kids, that’s what you need. I don’t understand. Elsewhere in the ISD, some of these objectives There must be underutilized facilities that could be used.”
Some questioned the cost of property taxes and the impact Houghton’s growth would have on other neighborhoods. Mary Chopp, who was part of the committee that handed over the ties that led to the new gym, said the gatherings come at a time when people are “stretching beyond their means.”
“I love competition, I think it’s healthy, but we need to put an end to student numbers because the biggest problem is overcrowding, right?” she said. “I feel like we’re becoming the Walmart of education and we’re getting too big and taking in too many people.”
Other district residents said it was worth the extra cost to provide better facilities for the district’s students, and that the school choice program ultimately benefited the district.
Brian Irizarry, a Houghton resident who has three children in the district, said Michigan’s school choice program created a model of supply and demand, which naturally led to increased enrollment. When his family moved to the area, his family was considering vendors that offered AP Calculus. Parents are also drawn to amenities such as swimming pools and auditoriums, and programs such as the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps and varsity soccer teams.
Irizarry preferred expanding facilities rather than capping enrollment, but would support capping if the bond is not passed.
“I think people are simultaneously expressing concern about classroom crowding, as if they were victims of their own success,” he says. “But I think everyone recognizes that we are trying to make things better…As educators, I hope you keep families, students, and educators in mind. We are willing to pay extra to increase capacity or add to the facilities and amenities our school offers.”
Bill Fink, speaking as a retired member of the Portage Township Board of Trustees, emphasized that his views are his own. When he moved to town with his family 34 years ago, he had two criteria for where he wanted to buy a home. One is within the Houghton-Portage Township School District and the other is within a zoning jurisdiction.
He supports the district’s participation in school choice programs, saying it is likely to attract high-quality students.
“Certainly we have a lot of students who get into the schools they want. I think they enrich our district. They allow us to make really, really competitive curriculum decisions. ”, he said.
Fink also said that although it does not apply to millage, the principal residence exemption allows people who live in housing within the school district to be exempt from up to 18% of the school operating taxes they would otherwise pay. .
Some residents appreciated the district’s transparent disclosure of information about the bond proposal, as well as the committee work and series of community forums held prior to the bond vote. Portage Township resident Jim Bendlinski questioned some of the opponents’ numbers. For example, the 60% difference between the miscellaneous fee that residents would pay in 2026 and the amount they would have paid in 2026 without the bond if the district had not borrowed money to pay for it. Current bond. A layman would immediately interpret that as a 60% increase, he said.
“I’m really looking forward to recruiting and working with the people who are coming out and graduating from this early childhood center because I think it’s going to be beneficial,” he said. “And those people will be participating in our local economy.”
The district has a bond information page at hpts.us/district-bond.php. The civic group has set up its own information page at houghtoncitizens.com.
In other actions, the Board will:
• Approved Nikki Kaufman as representative of Houghton Portage Township Schools in the Copper Country Intermediate School District.
• Approved the purchase of new servers from CDW up to $10,500.
• Approved the purchase of a new carpet cleaner/extractor from Dalco up to $10,900.
SOUTH RANGE — The Nov. 5 election will give South Range residents the option to re-elect George Eakin.
