KINGSLEY – Kingsley Area Schools are asking voters to decide on funding district upgrades and building expansions with a $39.2 million bond question on May 6.
The ballot proposal seeks to levy 4.90 mills ($4.90 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation) on all homes to raise money for school district projects.
If approved, the bond will pay for upgrades to the elementary, middle, and high school buildings, a new space for the middle school and a fitness center.
The debt must be paid off in 30 years or less, according to the ballot language. An estimated simple average annual millage of 4.07 mills ($4.07 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation) is needed to retire this bond debt, the ballot says.
The millage rate was chosen based on the district’s needs, according to Superintendent Joshua Rothwell.
An internal review took place last year and a list of projects was determined based on the district’s needs and its budget.
The list of original projects totaled more than $51 million, but Rothwell said that number “is a pretty heavy lift for our community.” So the district narrowed the list to address the priorities of safety and space, he said.
The internal review also found there was a need to renovate the HVAC systems and replace the roofs on all three buildings. The board decided to pay for these projects through the general fund because it was “too big of an ask” to include it as part of the bond, Rothwell said.
Those projects are currently out for bid, but Rothwell estimated the cost would likely be about $4 million.
A Facebook group with 105 members called “Vote NO! Kingsley School Bond Proposal 2025,” created by the Taxpayers Concerned for Kingsley’s Future group, express concerns about the costs and the bond request repeatedly in posts and comments.
“Obviously it’s a heavy lift,” Rothwell said in response to the opposition. “It is, over the course of the term of the bond, 4.07 mills — that’s the average. So we realize that we’re asking a decent chunk from the community.”
The superintendent pointed out that voters haven’t paid for any capital bond projects since 2019, so the district has had six years at zero mills.
“It’s also, you know, it’s the future,” he added. “It’s generations of kids here in Kingsley and, in my thoughts, I just want to provide the best possible learning space for them.”
A 2019 bond failed after the school district asked for a 30-year, 7-mill tax proposal to raise $39.94 million. That bond would have funded the construction of a new middle school with modern security features, an 800-seat gymnasium and a 750-seat auditorium for the high school.
Voters decisively rejected that request, 1,099 to 385, according to the results from the Grand Traverse County Clerk.
To keep costs down this time, Rothwell said the district scrapped some of the larger projects and focused on utilizing all the current space and resources available.
The current plan proposes an addition to the high school to house the middle school instead of a standalone building, which would allow the schools to share expensive spaces, such as the cafeteria and kitchen, shop and band classrooms.
Varsity Football Coach Tim Wooer, who said he sees both sides of the issue and understands why some voters aren’t in support of the bond, added, “I trust that our administration and our school board will not be frivolous with taxpayer dollars.”
“I simply want our students and future students to have what everybody else has – something that is reasonable and functional for our students,” Wooer said.
Bond projects
The district faces critical space issues, according to Rothwell. Elementary teachers are using custodial rooms and closets for intervention and one-on-one work, he said. And preschool classes are taking place in a portable building that has “surpassed its lifespan,” he said.
This year, the building did not pass a fire inspection and some work had to be done to get it up to code, the superintendent noted. It’s a question as to whether it will pass licensing and code in the future, he said.
In addition, choir, band, and athletic programs are competing for limited gym space and there is no dedicated performance area.
If the proposal passes, the current elementary would become the Lower Elementary School, housing grades pre-kindergarten to first. This would allow the preschool program, which is currently housed in a portable building that has four classrooms, to move into the school.
“We’d really like to improve the learning space for those GSRP kids. I think that’s a huge priority for a lot of our young families in our community as well,” Rothwell said.
Then the Upper Elementary School, for second to fifth grades, would be moved into the current middle school.
Both schools would receive new secure entry vestibules and new entry doors.
Currently, the district has what Rothwell called a buzzing system, which requires visitors to get “buzzed in.” This type of system allows visitors, once they are inside, to have full access to the building. Vestibules, such as the ones proposed, would hold visitors in the office, requiring them to check in.
The high school would also get a new secure entry vestibule and a 53,756-square-foot addition that would become the new middle school. This addition would house new classrooms, a multi-use space, separate storage for band and orchestra classes, a choir room, and a commons area. New furniture and technology devices also would be paid for with the bond funds.
A proposed fitness center for students that community members could use also would be added to the high school.
The fitness center would be available early mornings and late evenings for community use. The design of the center includes a remote access system that locks the public out of the school when the center is open for community use, and allows students during the school day.
The current fitness area, which Rothwell described as “more of a weight room,” is too small for the number of kids the district has enrolled in physical education and athletic programs, he said.
Wooer said there are about 50 to 70 students who utilize the weight room during zero hour, which is the time before school starts. It’s used for extra training and, in the summer, about 100 students use the space daily.
Wooer said some people misunderstand the structure and think it is a community center. The coach clarified that the administration would simply be allowing the community partial access as an additional benefit.
“When I hear people say, ‘That’s frivolous, our community doesn’t need that.’ That is true. Our community doesn’t need it – but our kids do,” he said.
If the bond proposal fails again, “We’ll have to go back to the drawing board,” Rothwell said.
The security issues and the preschool space would still need to be addressed, he said.
“That portable is just not going to last forever, so we’re going to have to make something happen as far as that goes,” Rothwell said. “So that’ll probably be the main focus and then … the rest of those kids I think will just have to be pretty packed into their classroom.”
Wooer said Kingsley is a very special place – he “bleeds orange and black” – and expressed the hope that the election doesn’t change the community he loves.
“It is difficult to ask for increased tax dollars,” he said. “There’s no doubt about that, but I think the worst thing that could happen is that we become divided.
“Our community has always been one that supports each other and supports our school, supports our athletes and our students and our band – and each other.”