Voters are being asked to approve borrowing up to $20,540,000 for:

• Remodeling, furnishing, and equipping existing school facilities
• Upgrading instructional technology
• Improving playgrounds and sites

Voters will be asked to choose:

• “Yes” to approve bond at current tax rate and fund the essential renovations and upgrades to the schools
• “No” to decline and allow millage to expire; denying funding for the proposal

Bond funds will primarily support upgrades to the Sault High School campus, which will now house Sault High School, Sault Middle School, Sault Elementary School, and Sault Area Career and Technical Education Center. Projects include:

• Converting the high school pool area into a multi-purpose room for athletics, assemblies, and events
• Transforming the library into a two-floor space with increased classroom and lab capacity
• Installing permanent walls for better learning environments
• Upgrading instructional technology
• Building a new playground for the elementary school (which will move to the old middle school)
• Updating furnishings
• Renovating outdated locker rooms and bathrooms (original 1970s design)
• Enhancing safety and communication systems

No. Michigan state law does not permit bond funds to be used for school employee or board member salaries. Our Board of Education primarily serves as volunteers. By state law, bond proceeds can only be used for capital improvements. They cannot fund employee salaries, day-to-day operations, or routine maintenance.

If the bond passes on August 5, 2025:

• Fall 2025-Spring 2026: Architectural and engineering planning (approximately 6 months)
• Fall 2026: Construction begins on projects that can occur while school is in session (like the pool conversion)
• Summer 2027: Completion of remaining projects that require students to be out of the building
• 2027-28 School Year: All projects will be completed and available to students

• These are essential improvements, not luxury items
• Each project directly benefits student learning, health, safety, or comfort
• Modern facilities are needed to support 21st-century learning
• The district’s funding is already budgeted for student programs, business and reporting requirements, and general maintenance. For example, the middle school roof collapsed this winter, requiring approximately $3 million in repairs after insurance (about 10% of our operating budget) which is being funded through district funds

Voters can vote in person on August 5 at their designated precinct, vote early at designated early voting stations, or vote by mail by requesting a mail-in ballot.

Without bond funding, the district would not have sufficient capital to complete all planned projects. We would need to reassess which maintenance tasks are essential to building operations and fund those through the general fund. Major capital improvements would likely be postponed indefinitely. Essential improvements would come from the general fund, reducing resources for educational programs. The district would also lose funding as millage rates decline.

When building maintenance projects are paid for by the general fund, that means less money can be spent on student programs, which will impact the learning experience for all our children. Outdated facilities play a significant role in this impact.

Additionally, if the bond proposal does not pass, Sault Ste. Marie Area Public Schools will levy no mills, as the current millage will fall off completely.

Sault Area Public Schools owns significant property throughout the community:

• The property on Marquette Avenue and Easterday from Marquette to Cloverland's substation on Seymour
• Property on Three Mile behind the former foster care home
• The Soo Township building
• The properties where Lincoln and Washington schools are located
• The VanCitters property (football field and maintenance facilities)
• A school forest out by Gaines Highway

The Sault Area Public Schools district owns sufficient property to accommodate future expansion, if needed. Consolidation does not limit our ability to grow if enrollment increases in the future.

Yes. The district owns sufficient property to accommodate future growth if major industry or population increases occur in our community. Future expansion would be feasible using our existing property holdings.

The school board will explore opportunities to sell or demolish these buildings after the election. The board hopes to receive compensation for these properties, which would help support educational programs and district needs. Any decisions about the buildings' futures will be made by the board following the election.

For example, these properties could potentially be repurposed for residential development. For example, the Lincoln property could be subdivided into approximately 22-25 lots at current standards, which could provide affordable housing for young families in the heart of the city. This would not only benefit the community but could also boost school enrollment.

If the properties are sold and return to the tax rolls (rather than remaining tax-exempt), they would generate new tax revenue for the city and district. The board will consider all options that best serve both the school district and the broader community.

• A school bond is like a home mortgage for the district – we borrow money upfront for essential improvements to our facilities, then pay it back over time through property taxes, just as a homeowner secures financing for major renovations and repays it monthly.
• Simple Comparison: Just as families take out mortgages to build or improve homes that they couldn't afford to pay for all at once, school districts use bonds to fund large-scale improvements that benefit students for decades to come.
• In Plain Terms: Think of this bond as the district's mortgage – it allows us to make necessary improvements now while spreading the cost over many years, ensuring both current and future students benefit from better learning environments.

Several factors influenced the board's decision:

• Feedback that previous proposals were too costly for taxpayers
• Recent passage of other local millages (library, animal shelter, emergency services) that impacted taxpayers' bills
• Economic concerns at both local and national levels
• The cost of the $3 million locks project
• Lower student enrollment projections

Following COVID, the district held focus groups that encouraged a comprehensive proposal. The first bond proposal in 2023 included similar high school improvements plus a new elementary school but was rejected as too costly for district taxpayers.

In 2024, the board then proposed a bond focusing solely on a new elementary school to bring students together and reduce maintenance costs on aging buildings. This proposal also failed to pass.

After analyzing enrollment projections, demographic trends, and housing availability, a coalition recommended consolidating all operations onto the main campus with grades 6-12 in one building and K-5 in another. This approach saves taxpayers from building a new school.

The 2014 “Safe, Secure, and Connected” millage was completed on time and within budget. It funded:

• Secure entrances throughout the district
• Technology upgrades (which have since been replaced twice, as expected)
• Sound field systems (which will be moved to the new elementary school)
• Projectors (still usable ones will be moved to new spaces)

Since 2014, door locks have been replaced once to meet updated standards, and technology has been upgraded multiple times as expected (the original batch of Chromebooks were used beyond their 5-year lifespan and were finally replaced after COVID).

Your tax rate would remain the same as it is currently (1.65 mills). This represents a decrease from the 2023 rate of 2.48 mills. 1.65 mills mean $1.65 collected per $1,000 of taxable value. This maintains the current tax rate with zero net increase.

Sault Area Public Schools has the second-lowest millage rate among Upper Peninsula school districts. For comparison, neighboring Pickford levies 4.58 mills.