Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to reflect the correct sources of the $500,000 donation to Tecumseh Public Schools for the addition of a high school music room.
TECUMSEH — And for the past few months, a full-scale marketing effort has been underway to spread the word about the $75 million bond that Tecumseh Public Schools submitted for a May 3 special election.
The district’s Facebook page is lit with information that the bond would not increase the current population of 7.2 million, but would extend it to 2053.
During March and April, Superintendent Rick Hilderley held informational breakfasts, luncheons and meetings with residents to explain the merits of the capital improvement projects that will take place when the problem is over.
District Communications Director Vic Pratt has worked almost full-time on the project and was assisted by the district’s architectural firm for the project, TMP Architecture of Bloomfield Hills, and business owner’s representative, Plante Moran CRESA of Bloomfield Hills.
While the district cannot market the project by telling voters where to stand on the issue, there is a small community organization called Say Yes to Tecumseh that is pushing voters toward a yes vote.
“We’re really focusing on the generation of kids that can really benefit from this, but more importantly, I think it’s important even for people like me, especially with kids who are already through school,” says George Lesko Yes voluntarily said. “I think it’s important that they understand that really good schools really mean keeping the value of real estate, our schools, our businesses, all of that stuff. Everything revolves around the school system.”
The district’s marketing campaign is more about spreading information.
“All we do is provide the information, the facts so to speak – what to build, how the money will be spent, how it will be spent,” says Greg Van Kirk, Partner at Plante Moran, known as CRESA.
Here are the features of the bond program detailed in the fact sheet on the district’s website:
New lower/upper elementary school
- The four elementary schools are merged into one.
- New 135,000-square-foot PK-4 elementary school for 1,100 students at Tecumseh Acres site.
- Modern learning environments to support flexible, collaborative and hands-on learning opportunities.
- Specialized spaces for art, music, physical education and gastronomy.
- Flexible furniture.
- instructional technology.
- teacher jobs.
- Redesigned car and bus stops with new staff and visitor parking spaces.
- Physical education classes for students and new playgrounds.
- Security systems, camera/buzzer systems and additional security cameras.
- Improved website functions.
- The new elementary school will be accessible from four different streets.
- Complete separation between cars and buses.
- Loop and parking for parents and visitors at Patterson and Adrian streets.
- One-way streets with fast lanes to facilitate traffic flow.
- Bus access and exit at South Union Street.
- Separate nursery driveway, car park and driveway off Spafford Street.
- New employee and visitor parking spaces.
- Additional event parking spaces and access use for events.
Tecumseh Middle School
- New secure entry.
- New flexible furniture.
- New teaching technology.
- Renovation of the media center.
- office remodel.
- New driveways, parking lots and playground.
- Renovation of the swimming pool.
- New security systems, camera/buzzer systems and additional security cameras.
Tecumseh High School
- New additional gym.
- New music room.
- office remodel.
- New flexible furniture.
- Upgrade security systems, camera/buzzer systems and additional surveillance cameras.
- Upgrades to Instructional Technology.
Athletics Upgrades
- New outdoor team/changing rooms.
- New grass pitch.
- Move play area.
- New sports equipment.
The tie language can also be found on the district’s website.
It is planned to demolish the current four elemental buildings. The district has budgeted nearly $3 million for the demolition in the $75 million proposal.
“There could be occasions where we save money on the demo budget and reallocate the funds elsewhere,” Pratt said in an email. “Tecumseh Acres will definitely be demolished. But let’s say a building like Sutton could be sold or given to the LISD (Lenawee Intermediate School District). Next to the Sutton ELC (Early Learning Center) is the Milton C. Porter Education Center. We know that the ISD is always looking for space. So that might be a route we’re going that would save on demo costs. Of course, we could sell all the plots to a developer, which saves us further costs. All of these options will be explored should the bond pass.”
The $500.00 to be donated to Tecumseh Public Schools for the high school’s new orchestra room came from many fundraisers conducted by parents and friends of the Friends of the Tecumseh Schools Orchestra and the community. A portion of the funds were donated to the Friends of Tecumseh Schools Orchestra by the Elizabeth R. Wilson Foundation. The funds will be kept (and will grow) at the Lenawee County Community Foundation until construction of the space by the schools begins. These funds may not be used for purposes other than those for which they were raised; an orchestra room at the high school.
Flexible furniture replaces the old desks that have chairs attached. Classrooms across the country are transforming into a modern learning environment. This means that desks and tables can be easily moved around the rooms. Flexible furniture offers a variety of seating options, including more open than occupied seating, different height seating options, and different types of seating options. Work surfaces in flexible classrooms include a variety of height-adjustable desks, drop-leaf desks, and write-on desks or surfaces.
Development of bond proposals
In February 2020, Tecumseh Public Schools commissioned TMP Architecture to update the 2014 District Facility Assessment and provide a program assessment of the elementary school buildings to identify deficiencies in building infrastructure throughout the district. TMP designed the high school and worked with the district on other construction projects.
The district formed a building future committee in May 2020. It consisted of 34 participants, including parents, coaches, teachers and administrators. The BFC participated in five virtual meetings between June and September 2020 to help prioritize goals and objectives for the future of district facilities and ultimately analyze and select concepts to align facilities with the district’s vision.
After the BFC reached consensus on direction, the district decided to test Tecumseh community members’ perceptions of the potential bond program through a poll with the premise of a zero increase or a potential decrease in the current debt-financing rate. EPIC-MRA conducted the survey in September 2020 and surveyed 250 registered voters in the district. Based on the feedback, the district decided to wait until a later date to present the proposal to voters.
On October 7, 2021, the committee reconvened to discuss the potential bond program. The cost estimates were updated and a new financial analysis was prepared by the District Financial Advisor. The BFC agreed to recommend a bond proposal for May 3, 2022.
On November 8, 2021, the BFC presented its findings and recommendations to the Board of Education, which voted to support the continuation of a May 3 $75 million bond election.
The current millage rate for school debt is 7.2 mills, or $7.20 per $1,000 of the taxable value of a property. This is also the proposed Millage rate for the bond offering to fund capital improvement projects. The 7.2 mills were approved by voters about 20 years ago to build the high school and improve the other school buildings, and will be phased out over the next few years.
If accepted by voters, the 7.2 mills would continue in some form until 2053. For a home with a market value of about $200,000 and a taxable value of $100,000, this would cost the taxpayer $720 per year.
If voters reject the proposal based on the school district’s current debt service plan, the current millage is expected to decrease to 3.78 millage for fiscal year 2022 and continue to decrease through fiscal 2028, at which time the current bonds would be paid off and the debt millage against would go zero.
The district continues to saturate the community with flyers and other print media, and there will be many more meetings, chaired by Hilderley, that will address issues of the public:
- April 19, 3-4 p.m. at the Patterson Intermediate Learning Center, 401 N. Van Buren, Tecumseh.
- April 19, 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Tecumseh High School, 760 Brown Street, Tecumseh.
- April 20, 3-4pm at the Sutton Early Learning Center, 2780 Sutton Road, Adrian.
- April 21, 3-4 p.m. at Herrick Park Intermediate Learning Center, Tecumseh.
- April 21, 6-7 p.m. virtual meeting on Zoom; Display of information that is put online shortly before the meeting date.
- April 28 6-7pm virtual meeting on Zoom; Display of information that is put online shortly before the meeting date.
On election day, May 3, polling stations will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. All in-person voting will take place at the AJ Smith Recreation Center at 810 N. Evans St. in Tecumseh. Voters have until 8 p.m. on election day to turn in their absentee ballots, whether they drop off their ballots at the office of the clerk or mail them in.