Schools

Novi Schools May Seek Approval of $70 Million Bond

The bond will only appear on the May ballot if approved by the school board.

About seven months ago, the Novi Community School District underwent a total assessment of the entire district, which resulted in a comprehensive Facility Assessment Report.

“It deals with everything we could think of,” said Steve Barr, assistant superintendent of business and operations with Novi schools, at a community meeting Monday.

The report, by Plante Moran Cresa, looks at three categories: capital maintenance, class sizes and growth, and everything else — technology, security, furniture, equipment and buses.

Find out what's happening in Noviwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

All of the proposed capital maintenance and enhancements listed in the report will cost a total of about $75 million and are expected to be complete by 2020. After adding in available recreation funds and sinking funds, the total comes down to about $70 million.

That is what voters may be asked to approve in May. If the school board approves putting the bond on the ballot, Novi residents will vote on whether to approve the millage. The new millage will not change tax rates, Barr said.

Find out what's happening in Noviwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Proposed projects aim to maintain class size

The report breaks up what the district needs into critical and deferred needs.

“Some things we’ll replace immediately, and some things we’ll replace five years from now,” Barr said.

Critical needs are those that must be taken care of between now and 2016. Deferred needs are those that can be taken care of between 2016 and 2020. For example, roof repairs may be critical for some buildings, but deferred in others.

One of the proposals is to add classrooms to some elementary schools, like Parkview Elementary, in an effort to maintain class sizes.

“We average about 22 kids a classroom,” Barr said about classes in kindergarten through fourth grade.

Those additions will cost about $4 million. The district wants to spend money on these additions because increasing class sizes is non-negotiable, he said.

The plans also include enhancing the district's preschool program. The self-sustaining program, which is paid for directly by parents, is at capacity. There are two solutions to this preschool problem: add classrooms around the district or construct a new early childhood center for $11 million. Read more about that potential project.

Technology and security are also areas of focus in the assessment report. Check back with Patch Thursday for more information on the proposed technology and security improvements.

School board to vote on bond proposal for May ballot

The school board has to vote by Feb. 25 on whether to put this millage proposal on the ballot in May. The steering committee will present their finding to the board at its Feb. 6 meeting, and will recommend that the board approves the proposal for the ballot at its Feb. 20 meeting.

If it appears on the ballot and voters approve it, the district would issue the bonds in June and start the major projects in the fall, Barr said. If the school board does not approve to present the bond to voters in May, it may show up on the ballot in August or November.

For a detailed look at the report, including a summary of costs, visit the district’s website.

Read more: Novi School District May Construct New Early Education Center


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