On Election Day Tuesday, Nov. 6, Grosse Pointe residents will have the opportunity to vote on a bond proposal issued by the Grosse Pointe Public School System. The Board of Education voted 5-2 at its regular meeting June 11, to approve a resolution to formally adopt language for a $111 million bond proposal funding improvements and upgrades to the district’s aging facilities. Secretary Cindy Pangborn and Trustee Ahmed Ismail cast the opposing votes.

The decision to propose a bond grew out of an enrollment projection and facility assessment report issued by Plante Moran Cresa and subsequent meetings of a blue ribbon facilities committee comprised of community members and district employees. Committee members addressed whether the PMC report was credible and verifiable information that could be used to develop a sustainable facilities plan; what the district’s footprint needs are now, in five years and 10; and what funding is needed to sustain the educational program the community expects for its students.

The $111 million in critical infrastructure repair and replacement needs outlined in the PMC study fell into three categories: safety — secure vestibules, locking doors, integrated cameras, public address systems and asbestos abatement; energy — more efficient HVAC, electrical upgrades and window replacements; and construction — roof repairs, masonry, tuck-pointing and bathroom repairs. Several trustees referred to these upgrades as keeping students “safe, warm and dry.”

Ismail said he was “not against the bond,” but voted against it because he opposed the language used, suggesting it left use of the funds open-ended and will “turn voters off.” His motion to change the bond language failed.

“I feel we’ll have a higher probability of passing this bond if people know that what we’ve told them is going to be done (and) future boards do not have the opportunity to vary from that,” he said. “I’m looking for tightening down a definition.”

“I think the problem that we have is you’re trying to take a 200-page proposal from Plante Moran and condense it into a tiny ballot,” said President Brian Summerfield. “When you do that, you’re going to lose something. You just have to; you can’t be that precise. The danger of being too precise is you end up excluding portions of that proposal. … But we’re also going to put safeguards into place. That’s why we’re going to have this oversight committee. There’s also the facilities committee. It’s got to go through those two steps before it gets to the board.”

Treasurer Judy Gafa said she supported the bond language as written because it was created by an attorney who wrote bond proposals for many municipalities and school districts across the state.

“I’m going to support the wording the way it is because there was a professional who wrote that, not a school board group of seven people who don’t write bond language for a living,” she said.

Pangborn said she didn’t support the bond proposal because, “We don’t have a plan. … Where do we start when we don’t have a plan?”

“We have a 200-page plan,” Gafa said.

Trustee Christopher Profeta agreed there was a plan, outlining three years of strategic planning, town halls and blue ribbon facilities committee meetings.

“In 2017 we spent (time) with the blue ribbon (facilities) committee studying the 200-page report and determining that it was absolutely a valid and credible report and the projects that were listed at each building were valid and credible projects,” Profeta said. “They are on the website. They were presented to the community. Those presentations are on the website. To say there’s not a plan just suspends reality.”

“Plante Moran gave us a report that is extremely specific about exactly what each building needs,” Trustee Kathy Abke said. “We have not passed a bond since 2002. We also talked about and will form a committee of people from the community to (oversee) what the money is being spent on. We have answered the question … of we are not going to dump a bunch of money into schools that may possibly be closed. We’ve looked at doing it in two phases and the first phase will be focused on schools that we know absolutely are not going to close. A lot of the things that I’m hearing tonight were based simply not on fact and anyone that is interested in finding out, it is all posted on the district website exactly what it is that the buildings need. Our buildings … need to be taken care of and that’s what this bond is about.”

“There’s really only two ways to fund capital projects under Michigan law,” Summerfield said. “It’s either a really large sinking fund or you do a bond. The district has chosen not to do a really large sinking fund so we can’t keep up with those capital improvements. So you have to do a bond and you have to do it roughly every 15 years or you end up really falling behind. And if you fall behind, what does that mean? You’re going to have crumbling buildings and obsolete educational facilities.”

According to the resolution, the bond will be used to defray the cost of:

* remodeling and/or constructing additions, primarily additions for secure vestibules, to existing school district buildings, including security, roof, energy conservation and mechanical systems improvements;

* equipping, furnishing, reequipping and refurnishing school district buildings;

* acquiring and installing technology infrastructure and instructional technology equipment; and

* improving and developing sites, including outdoor athletic facilities, paving, fencing and drains, in the school district.

The estimated millage to be levied in 2019 for this bond issuance is 1.82 mills, or $1.82 per $1,000 of taxable value. More information is available at gpschools.org.

What triggers a school closing

In addition to facilities needs, Plante Moran Cresa determined the Grosse Pointe Public School System has faced a decline of approximately 1,000 students over 10 years. While total student capacity is 11,299, the district has not had more than 9,000 students since the 1978-79 school year, according to the report. The enrollment for the 2017-18 school year is 7,871.

In anticipation of a continuing decline in the student population, the board voted 7-0 on a resolution to adopt triggers or targets for potential future closings if any of the following conditions occur:

* Student enrollment decreases in any year by 10 percent or more than what is projected;

* Student enrollment at any school building is less than 50 percent of the building’s capacity stated in the report;

* Student enrollment is less than 65 percent of the capacity presently serving the following grades, as stated in PMC’s report: 2,909 students for kindergarten to grade 5; 1,488 for grades 6 to 8; and 2,949 for grades 9 to 12;

* Student enrollment in the entire district is less than 7,345 students (65 percent of the district’s overall capacity);

* The state foundation allowance per student is less than $9,924;

* The Michigan Public School Employees Retirement System rate increases by more than .2 percent above the 2018-19 MPSERS rate with no offset by the state.

According to the resolution, “If any of the above conditions are met, the administration will present a proposed comprehensive plan to increase capacity to 80 percent or more in district facilities being used for K-12 educational programming. The proposed plan shall be presented at the first regular board meeting 30 days following the condition being met.”

That a particular school’s enrollment triggered a condition is not a factor in determining closures. Rather, factors considered are which facilities are best for educating students, special programming, security, historical designation, cost, student demographics, the facility’s ability to be repurposed and its sale or lease value. Any school closing will prompt redistricting of school boundaries and grade-level groupings in the buildings.

Mike Rennell, Grosse Pointe Education Association president, commended the board on passing the resolution.

“I think it’s very important that we address our declining enrollment and that we don’t put money into those buildings and that we do have fiduciary responsibility with that bond money,” Rennell said. “But I also agree that we absolutely need that bond. We can’t continue in the direction that we’re going. Our buildings are falling apart and we need that money and so I fully support the bond.”