FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Many school districts in the State of Michigan typically seek approval for bond proposals every 5-10 years. This allows for significant improvements to occur and keep district facilities current. The last bond proposal brought to the Centreville Public Schools District voters was a successful election in 2013. The Board of Education and district administration are committed to providing top-notch facilities that support the educational development of Centreville students. Our schools are a cornerstone and integral component of keeping a strong and healthy community. Upgraded facilities that support education for our current and future students will be a major component in maintaining a great place for students, families, and the broader community. Due to the size and scale of school buildings, large-scale maintenance, building updates, and replacement of facilities is costly and often not possible through the traditional funding received by school districts. Our district has a number of growing needs that require large sums of money to undertake. A bond proposal is the best approach to making the significant updates and improvements needed at CPS.

Schools receive funding from several sources. A simple breakdown of the two primary sources is as follows: Foundation Per Pupil Allowance* The State of Michigan provides a per-pupil amount of funding to school districts. Currently, the amount received per pupil is $9,150. Operational Millage (Non-Homestead tax levy)* This is a voter-approved tax levy that provides operational funding to support the annual school budget. The current Non-Homestead levy in Centreville is 18 mills. * Staff salaries and benefits account for approximately 80-85% of the use of Foundation and Operational Millage funding. The remainder of these funds is typically used for costs of educational programs, building operation costs, transportation, and supplies. This leaves very little funding available for facilities improvements. Voter-Approved Sinking Funds Voter-approved sinking funds provide an annual collection of taxes based on property values. Typically, the collection provides a smaller amount of funding that allows for minor facilities improvements and renovations. Sinking funds cannot be used for the purchase of buses or furniture. Centreville Public Schools currently does not have a sinking fund. Voter-Approved Bond Funds A bond is a state-approved borrowing process for a set scope of projects. When voters approve a bond proposal, the school district sells bonds in the authorized amount and uses the proceeds of the sale to pay for those projects identified in the bond proposal. Bond proposals are most useful when a district needs a large funding source for facility improvement projects. In many ways, the bonding process is like a homeowner obtaining a mortgage and making payments over a period of years. The current levy for bond debt in the Centreville Public School District is 6.20 mills.

No. Bond proposal funds cannot be used for employee salaries. They also cannot be used for normal repair/maintenance costs or other operating expenses. Bond proposal funds must be used only for purposes specified in the ballot language, and as required by state law, they must be independently audited.

We appreciate the continued investment the community has made in our school district and have been mindful of minimizing our impact on taxpayers by keeping a reasonable levy that is comparable to many surrounding districts.

If approved, the ballot proposal would allow the district to sell bonds and generate $17.14 million with a 0.8-mill net increase over the current tax rate. For the tax impact based on your actual taxable value please go to this link to utilize the tax calculator tool. Some community members may be eligible for the Michigan Homestead Property Tax Credit. This tax credit indicates that households that pay homestead property taxes greater than 3.2% of their annual income may be eligible. Eligible households may deduct up to 60% and senior citizens may be eligible to deduct up to 100% of the millage increase cost up to a $1,500 Homestead Tax Credit limit. The eligibility for the credit begins to decrease after the household income exceeds $54,001 and ends completely after the household income exceeds $63,001. To understand how this applies to your situation, please consult your accountant or tax advisor/preparer to determine the actual impact on your taxes.

No. The bonds would be sold in series. A series bond means that voters are asked to approve the overall bond amount one time at the May 2nd, 2023 vote, but then bonds to generate project funds would be sold in stages. The first series would be sold in the fall of 2023, the second series is anticipated to be sold in the fall of 2025, and the third series is anticipated to be sold in the fall of 2027. This approach is an opportunity to save on interest costs, and it also staggers cash flow for the project, so it is received when needed due to the potential staggered start and completion dates of the proposed projects.

School buildings are constantly in need of facility updates. As we move into the future, the district will monitor opportunities for generating funding for necessary facility improvements. Based upon preliminary financial projections associated with the May 2023 bond proposal, it is anticipated that the next significant bond opportunity could occur in 2038 or earlier. As these future opportunities arise, the district intends to continue to be transparent with the community and will seek feedback on potential approaches.

The last bond proposal brought to the voters by Centreville Public Schools was in 2013. St Joseph ISD placed a ballot proposal with a 1 mill increase in front of the voters in 2019. This proposal was intended to support Career Technical Education (CTE) programs throughout St Joseph County and is to be levied over a period of 10 years.

Jr/Sr High School Improvements Track removal/replacement Varsity locker room addition Jr/Sr High cafeteria floor tile replacement New cafeteria tables Gymnasium HVAC upgrade Ceiling replacements Select flooring replacements Soffit enclosures along the north wall and District Administration entrance PE locker room remodel (ceiling/lighting/HVAC) Select lighting replacement with LED fixtures Jr. High classroom and music room carpet and paint walls Replace the north exterior windows & wall of the Jr High wing Security shutters for interior doors 1:1 student Chromebooks Elementary Improvements Lighting replacement/upgrades Roof replacement Ceiling replacements Remodel/update restrooms Select flooring replacements Building-wide clock replacement Interior doors/hardware replacements Replaced the commons area HVAC unit Lighting replacement with LED fixtures Building card access at front office Playground drainage upgrade Install irrigation system to the playfield Security shutters for interior doors 1:1 student Chromebooks District Improvements Demolish old bus garage Construct new maintenance/transportation building Jr/Sr High and Elementary parking lot asphalt removal and replacement Demolish the "Covered Bridge School" building (community education) New drive and parking north of the elem gym Remodeling of the district administration offices Installation of interior and exterior security cameras at all facilities New transportation radio system Installation of security cameras on all buses

Residents within the Centreville Public School district who will be 18 years of age or older on Election Day and are registered to vote.

Go to the Michigan Voter Information website www.michigan.gov/vote or call the Clerk’s Office where you reside.

You need to update your voter registration if you have changed your name or address since the last time you voted. You can do this at any Secretary of State Office or at the Clerk’s Office where you reside.

Yes. Since voter approval of Proposal 3 in November 2018, registered voters do not need a reason to vote by absentee ballot. You can request an absentee ballot application from your Clerk’s Office or by going online to www.michigan.gov/vote and clicking on Absentee Voting in the left column. Absentee ballots should be available to voters after March 18, 2023, and may be cast through Election Day.

Centreville Public Schools is committed to a process for ongoing evaluation and monitoring of all school facilities. Continually evaluating and monitoring school facilities helps to protect the community’s investment in its schools. During the spring of 2022, working with construction, technology, and architectural specialists, the school district completed an in-depth facility study. The study identified districtwide facility needs and has helped inform the proposed direction of the bond proposal. If interested, the study is available on the district's website at: cpschools.org. In the fall of 2022, conversations with staff, students, community members, and the Board of Education identified additional thoughts for advancing the facility offerings as they relate to the educational needs and goals of the district. Many of the items that were shared were beyond the maintenance and upkeep needs identified in the facility study and were focused on projects that help support educational programming needs. As ideas and scenarios were studied for a potential bond proposal, additional input from the broader community was obtained through two community steering committee meetings and two community forums in the fall of 2022. These meetings vetted potential ideas for a bond proposal prior to a plan being presented to the Board of Education in November and December of 2022.

Safety and Security – The safety and security of our students and staff are the highest priority. Peace of mind in the classroom allows for a more comfortable learning experience. Secure Entry Vestibules – The bond includes upgrades to the existing building entries at the Junior/Senior High. The main office will be relocated so that the new main entry vestibule will direct visitors into the office space before having access to any other areas of the building. The new location will also allow office staff to have better visibility of the parking lot and drop-off areas. The district administration office entry at the west side of the building will also be modified to create better control. The use of electronic door controls and video doorbell systems will allow office staff to control and monitor visitors entering the building. The vestibules will have the capability of ‘locking down’ the building via duress control buttons. Fire Alarm System Replacement – The fire alarm systems at Centreville Junior/Senior High School and Centreville Elementary School are out of date and in need of replacement. The new systems will allow for improved communication to all building occupants in the event of an emergency. Safe Passageways -The stadium walkways are increasingly becoming a safety issue. Replacement of many of the walkways will allow for the safe passage of spectators coming to and from the facility. The wood stairway to the press box is in dire need of repair to provide safe access to the press box level for coaches and media. Educational Environment Improvements – As educational trends continue to change and evolve, our facilities need to be flexible and relevant in ways that fully support best practices in teaching and learning. State-of-the-art educational environments that are comfortable and inspiring will help our students to be prepared for careers of the future. Classroom Environment Upgrades - The mechanical systems are aimed at providing greater student and staff comfort and well-being through improved air quality and by providing thermal comfort for all times of the year with the addition of air conditioning. New classroom furnishings and technology will allow for greater flexibility in the learning environment. Specialty Classroom Improvements - The bond scope seeks to provide a dedicated music room at Centreville Elementary. The current music room is located on the stage in the gymnasium. The construction of a new space will allow for a classroom environment that is much more suited to the needs of elementary music curriculum delivery. The addition will also allow for the stage area to be returned to use as a space for performances. Space Programming Flexibility - The proposed cafeteria addition at Centreville Elementary will provide dedicated elementary gym space separated from cafeteria space. Currently, the same space serves as both, and limits the flexibility of use for elementary physical education, due to the meal-time setup and tear-down. The separated spaces would provide greater opportunities for indoor recess activities that will allow students to have physical activity that helps improve focus when returning to the learning environment. The new space has the potential to become a community asset and could be used for community organization programming and other uses. The multipurpose addition at Centreville Junior/Senior High School will provide increased opportunities for athletics and is anticipated to help with the current need for athletic practice space. The wrestling team currently practices in the cafeteria and the new addition will allow for the program to have a new space to work within. Beyond athletics, the space will also support large group gatherings, performances, and community events. Energy Efficiency / Operational Costs - As part of the mechanical systems replacement, we will look at installing higher-efficiency equipment. Upgrades to our mechanical systems will include new building temperature controls that will allow for greater monitoring and control over energy use. Replacement of exterior windows and doors at both facilities will improve the thermal performance by removing existing single-pane systems that are inadequate. As part of the new roof installation at the junior high wing, additional insulation will be added to meet current energy code requirements. Energy savings improvements allow the district to divert funding from operational costs toward items that will directly impact education.

The series approach for the bond will mean that funding will be obtained at two-year intervals which will help to save interest costs on borrowing all of the monies needed for the projects up front. The amount of work being proposed in the bond proposal is significant. As such, our partners believe it to be the best practice to stagger the implementation of the projects. This will allow for greater contractor participation and will not overstress the current construction market that is struggling with labor availability. Greater participation of bidders means greater competition and hopefully better bid results that will benefit the school district. Completing these projects in phases will also minimize the disruption to student learning and district activities.

The budgeting that has been provided for the proposed bond scope is based on current market conditions. Going forward, the costs include typical yearly escalation factors and construction contingency funds for unforeseen conditions that are encountered during construction. The district will work to preserve the projects as originally presented to the community during the pre-bond planning phase. In the event unexpected market conditions arise, the district intends to implement projects in order of highest priority to lowest priority and will be fully transparent about any change in plans that may be necessary due to elements outside of their control.

The district is in the process of making mechanical equipment upgrades to the elementary that will prepare the building for air conditioning. ESSER funds received as part of the COVID relief plan are being utilized to cover the costs of these projects. This work will be completed during the summer of 2024. The proposed scope of the May 2023 bond does include upgrading mechanical equipment in a few select areas (including air conditioning) that are not being funded with ESSER funds. The bond scope also includes electrical service and panel upgrades that will provide the necessary power infrastructure to support air conditioning.