FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1. Cost of a new building is prohibitive, would require a significant tax increase, would double/triple current tax levy.

2. East Elementary will serve the district for 20-30 years with infrastructure updates.

3. If room is needed in the future for early childhood programming, East would be a great place for that even if a K-12 campus is eventually built.

The cost involved with building a new elementary building would be double or triple the cost of the current $22 million referendum and would require a significant tax increase to our community. From an engineering and architectural standpoint, the “bones” of our school are good. Updates to the infrastructure and equipment and updates and modifications to how we operate in the building are far more cost effective and fiscally responsible.

The district’s focus is primarily on infrastructure and maintaining/improving existing spaces within the confines of the budget. Primary focuses include improving the health and safety of students and staff at all facilities, (air quality, asbestos abatement, safe/secure entrances, fire suppression), ADA improvements, replacing and improving infrastructure that will reduce utility costs, operational costs, and lower energy usage, and significant updates to East Elementary, including the addition of much needed classroom space.

Not to exceed 22.22 million dollars. Because of an expiring bond, the Cheboygan community has the unique opportunity to extend the millage (from a bond previously passed in 2005) and improve the District’s facilities at the exact same rate, resulting in a ZERO-MILL NET INCREASE OVER THE PRIOR YEAR'S LEVY on resident property tax bills.

Yes. The current floor plans and renderings are concepts. Should the referendum pass, teachers and staff will be included in the design process.

The district currently levies 2.0-mills for school infrastructure (previous bond) but that levy will continue to go down in 2025 and 2026 until those bonds are paid off.  The district can ask the community to extend the current 2.0-mill levy into the future to provide ongoing infrastructure support.  That means that your tax levy would not increase from the current year's levy but remain the same and allow the district to make much needed renovations.

• Yes, on May 7, 2024, Inland Lakes passed a $15 million "zero-mill increase", and Oscoda passed a similar $20 million referendum.  Rudyard and Alanson also passed referendums on May 7.

• In November 2023, Petoskey passed an $18.7 million "zero-mill increase" as did Manton at $7.4 million.  In the previous few years Buckley, DeTour, St. Ignace, McBain, Mancelona, Pickford, Harbor Springs, Charlevoix, and Boyne City have all passed "zero-mill" bonds to address building needs without raising taxes on local taxpayers.

The timing of the referendum in August is for several reasons:

• BUDGET ALIGNMENT: Holding the referendum in August aligns with our budget cycle, allowing the School District to maintain a consistent level of taxes without significant fluctuations. This consistency helps taxpayers plan their finances with greater predictability.

• CLEAR COMMUNICATION: The School Board wants all voters to fully understand the details of this referendum to make an informed decision. In November, the presence of State and Federal elections would make it more challenging to communicate our referendum's specifics with the abundance of other information being discussed.

SitelogIQ offers their services at a fixed cost, unlike many in the industry. This makes them the most fiscally responsible choice because there will be no financial surprises at any point of the process. 

SitelogIQ has all the necessary departments in-house, such as engineers, architects, community engagement, construction managers, and project managers. There is not a need to contract outside services, which saves costs.

The school board will choose the project contractors, not SitelogIQ. They will weigh cost, experience, and location to make the best choices for the project.

If it does not pass, the district will begin to draw down on its existing general fund balance, now at 25%. If the district needs to spend money on projects it will dwindle quickly, putting the district into a less advantageous financial position, which may impact future expenditures.

• The district replaced 3/4 of the High Schools original windows which included asbestos abatement of the window calk. We replaced 10 exterior doors at the high school that were over 30 years old. 4 interior fire doors that were insulated with asbestos were replaced, as well. We replaced the roof over the gym that was over 25 years old. We replaced 10 original ventilation motors throughout the building.  

• We replaced the entire original roof over the middle school.  A new playground was installed and a new carpet cleaner was purchased for the building.

• The roof over the cafeteria was replaced at East Elementary. Six exterior doors were upgraded. We replaced entrance carpet with tile and bought the building a new carpet cleaner and floor scrubber. 

• The district replaced the exterior cafeteria doors at Inverness which were original to the building and bought a new carpet cleaner.

• The sinking fund is .5520 mill, the district is hopeful that it generates 403K this year, up from 376K for 2022-2023. It is used more for maintenance than for infrastructure.

• Past projects paid for by the sinking fund include: roof replacement at Inverness/Board Office, replacement of asbestos tile at East Elementary and the high school, lighting upgrades to energy efficient LEDs district wide, installation of the exhaust fan and C02 monitor in the bus garage, sidewalk repairs, etc.