Van Dyke to place bond issue on Nov. 5 ballot

WARREN — When voters in the Van Dyke Public Schools district head to the polls Nov. 5 for the general election, they will have the opportunity to support their school district.

The school board recently voted to place a $36.1 million bond proposal on the ballot. If the bond initiative passes, it will generate funding for a number of updates across the district.

Superintendent Piper Bognar said the bond is for 25 years. She is optimistic the bond will pass.

“It’s very exciting and would keep our buildings upgraded and beautiful,” Bognar said. “We can’t wait to see everyone at the polls. Our community has always been so supportive of our district.”

A bond proposal is developed by the school district and presented to the voters for approval. When a bond proposal passes, the bonds are sold in the capital markets at a date determined by the district, a financial adviser and an underwriter. Upon closing, funds generated from the bond sale are deposited in the district’s construction fund and are available to spend for completion of the projects contemplated in the bond proposal.

According to school officials, the Van Dyke bond proposal is a zero-mill increase ballot question. If the bond passes, it will generate funding to pay for improvements to school facilities districtwide. School officials have outlined the bond projects on the district’s website at vdps.net. Officials said the bond would not increase the current school property tax because of the previous bond issue.

“There would be no net increase of school property taxes as a result of this bond proposal because of an expiring bond,” the website states.

The district’s last bond issue passed in 2008 for $62.6 million, which provided funding for school building safety and security upgrades, technology enhancements and building updates throughout the district. With that bond, taxpayers paid 8 mills on it. If the 2024 bond proposal passes, the tax rate will decrease a bit with district residents paying 7 mills. That is why school officials are calling it a zero-mill increase.

“At the end of the 2023 tax year, the mills were 8 mills,” Bognar said. “It will be less than it is now.”

While the mills stay the same amount over the course of the bond, the tax rate could go up if the homeowner’s property value increases. If the bond initiative passes, it will provide a number of upgrades, which will assist with reducing operational costs, utility bills, and energy usage.

Bond dollars will address several health and safety concerns by replacing heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, removing asbestos, adding access controls to doors, and by providing upgraded laptops and classroom technology to students.

A project summary has been added to the website. The summary includes a list of projects scheduled at each school, including new roofs at some schools, new boilers, upgraded classroom furniture and more.

Part of the funds would renovate the old high school area into a multipurpose space to be used for a number of activities, including robotics, community rental space and mom-to-mom sales.  School officials also hope to install artificial turf on the high school’s football field.

School Board President Ivan Thomas said that after many discussions among the board members, “We came to the realization the best route for the community and district was to put forth the bond.”

He is “very optimistic” the bond proposal will pass.

“Our district, our neighborhoods, our community has a long-standing history of passing bonds,” he said. “That gives me great hope our bond will pass. There is no mill increase to the taxes our community is paying.”

Thomas believes the updates made possible through the bond will give the students a sense of pride, and the safety updates will make them feel more comfortable in class.

“The kids can just focus on learning and the staff and administrators can focus on teaching,” Thomas said.

If the bond proposal passes, Bognar said construction would begin next summer when students are not in class. The goal is to finish the projects within “two to three years,” she said. If voters approve the bond, the school will then vote on a construction company and architects for the projects.

Bognar plans to have several community meetings this fall where people can ask questions about the bond initiative. Residents are encouraged to check the district’s website for dates and locations at vdps.net.