Midland Public Schools board reviews 2025-26 budget outlook, advances facility bond and several contracts; approves robotics property purchase

Midland — Midland Public Schools trustees reviewed an initial 2025–26 budget outlook, heard a community update on a $285 million facilities improvement bond planned for a May 6 special election, and approved a slate of procurement and contract items including a purchase agreement for a robotics facility during their April 21 budget workshop and regular meeting.

Anna Womack, the district finance presenter, told the board that “a public school budget is not advisory in nature but rather an accounting of the source and uses of public funds.” She said the district is preparing an initial 2025–26 proposal for board adoption at the June 16 meeting, and that the district expects to build the budget on the governor’s proposal of a $392 increase in foundation allowance per pupil while noting continuing uncertainty from Lansing. Womack said enrollment projections show relative stability at about 7,415 students and stressed the end of ESSER pandemic funds as a driver of tighter planning.

The board and staff emphasized why a healthy fund balance matters: to avoid summer cash-flow borrowing, to support priorities such as student services, compensation, and capital projects, and to maintain programming during leaner years. Womack reported the audited fund balance on June 30, 2024, was $37,396,824 and reminded trustees that a 1% variance in the general fund equals roughly $1.16 million.

Board President Phil Rausch and other trustees then led a discussion of the facilities improvement bond proposal, which has been developed after a two‑year facilities assessment by French & Associates and Barton Malow and months of public outreach. Rausch described the bond as “a needs based proposal that really meets the…