Voters in the Suttons Bay School District will go to the polls in May to consider an $18.3 million bond proposal.
The Suttons Bay Board of Education voted unanimously Monday to approve a resolution to call on a special election in May to consider the bond request which will be used for “building and site purposes.”
“Our bond proposal is prequalified by the Department of Treasury,” said Suttons Bay Elementary Principal Shelagh Fehrenbach, who filled in for Superintendent Casey Petz at Monday’s board meeting. “It’s awesome and it’s so great for our kids. I am very hopeful.”
A copy of the resolution was not provided to the Enterprise by staff as requested at the conclusion of the meeting.
County Clerk Michelle Crocker provided the resolution when it was submitted by Tuesday’s deadline at 4 p.m.
The bond request comes after a facilities assessment completed in 2023 by Cornerstone Architects, Nealis Engineering, and Owen Ames Kimball, as well as two community forums in October regarding district facilities. At the forums, Suttons Bay School shared assessment findings with the public and received feedback from the community on possible action steps to move the district forward.
Although all facilities have undergone various stages of renovation throughout the years since first being constructed in the 1950s, the assessment details how the recent enrollment numbers over the last decade imply that “an element of right sizing may need to be implemented in order to better reflect the needs of the school district and community.” The district utilizes two main buildings for the education of approximately 600 students, with the north building housing both the elementary and middle school, and the south building occupied by the high school.
The Village of Suttons Bay has undergone a transition in student population through recent years, with the engineering assessment noting how in the 2000 census, 21.8% of the 271 households (population 589) had children under the age of 18 living with them. In the 2010 census, there was a decrease with only 16.1% of the 271 households (population 618) having children under the age of 18. Ten years later in the 2020 census, the population was 613, with the decrease in households with children again correlating to lower enrollment at the public schools.
Both the elementary and middle school are housed in the same extensive building, the north wing, which also includes an older 1950s constructed wing that is currently used for storage. The engineering assessment states that the condition and functionality of this older construction wing “appear to be in disrepair and underutilized” and that in its current condition, “the size of the elementary school may not reflect the anticipated school occupancy numbers.”
However the utilized classroom space of the elementary school appears to be in good condition. The middle school building was deemed to appear in good adequate shape, and the high school is comparatively in good condition. The campus grounds, in particular the parking lots, athletic fields, and vehicular access, were found “to be disproportionate to the needs of the school — which can be costly in terms of maintenance.”
As a consequence, the report said adjacency and efficiency may be negatively affected.
The goals of the bond proposal, according to board minutes is to:
• Address longstanding issues with the north end of the complex • Modernize campus/buildings to meet current and future needs
• Reduce the footprint of the campus/school.
It would also be used for the creation of a school support building, acquiring and installing instructional technology and equipment for school buildings, and equipping, developing, and improving playgrounds, athletic fields and facilities, driveways and sites.
If approved the estimated millage needed to the cover the debt is .42 mills per $1,000 taxable property valuations.
The proposal also states that the estimated simple average annual millage anticipated to retire this bond debt is 1.28 mills ($1.28 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation).
“The school district does not expect to borrow from the state to pay debt service on the bonds,” the proposal language states. “The total amount of qualified bonds currently outstanding is $2,055,000…” The May 7 election will be the second school-related proposal faced by district voters this year. In December the board voted to seek a renewal of an 18-mill levy on non-homestead and non-qualified commercial properties for a four-year period from 2025 to 2028.
The millage, which would generate approximately $4.8 million in 2025, must be approved for the district to receive its full per pupil foundation allowance from the state.
Revenue from this renewal millage would support operating costs like textbooks, classroom materials, staff and technology. This millage proposal would generate approximately $4.8 million in 2025, if approved, bringing in stable funding for adequate services to be provided to all Suttons Bay students.
Suttons Bay is the only K-12 school in the county considered “in-formula” meaning they rely on receipt of the state per pupil foundation allowance which this year is $9,608.
