Caledonia board calls May special election to renew nonhomestead millage; other routine measures approved

The Caledonia Community Schools Board of Education on Jan. 27 voted to place a renewal of the district's nonhomestead operating millage on the May 6, 2025 special-election ballot and approved several routine items including officer elections, bank authorizations and the district's 2025 meeting calendar.

Superintendent Dirk briefed the board on how the nonhomestead millage interacts with the state's foundation allowance, and recommended the board adopt an "option 2" renewal that would renew the current levy and add additional cushion to help offset recurring reductions under Michigan's Headlee amendment. "We can renew plus ask for and increase the cushion," Dirk told the board, describing a proposal that could include up to 5.5 additional mills on a single ballot question.

Why it matters: The nonhomestead millage is the district's local portion of the per-pupil foundation allowance the state guarantees. Superintendent Dirk said the district receives $9,608 per pupil for 2024-25 and that roughly $48 million of the district's revenue comes through that foundation allowance; he said about $16 million of that is generated on local nonhomestead property. The district faces recurring Headlee rollbacks when property value growth outpaces inflation; Dirk presented historical rollbacks and modeled future projections to show how a cushion could preserve revenue over the next five years.

On the ballot: The board voted, by roll call, to adopt the option 2 resolution calling for a special election on May 6, 2025. The motion passed. "I move that the board adopt the option 2 resolution calling for a special election on May 6, 2025," a board member told the meeting; the board then called the roll and the motion passed.

Votes at a glance: The board took several formal actions during the meeting. - Officer elections: Trustees elected Tim Morris president; John Brando vice president; Casey (first name used in roll call) secretary; and Barber Garcia treasurer. Each officer election was carried by roll-call vote. - Consent agenda: The board approved the consent agenda (December 16 regular and closed-session minutes; December 24 payables; January personnel report; anticipated overnight trips; and the legal-firms list including Clark Hill PLC and Miller Johnson). - Financial institutions: The board authorized United Bank, Fifth Third Bank and Michigan Liquid Asset Fund Plus as district depositories. One board member recused from that vote, citing an appointment with a bank; the motion passed. - 2025 meeting schedule: The board adopted a proposed regular meeting schedule for 2025. All of the above votes were carried by roll call at the meeting; the millage resolution was also carried by roll call.

Construction, pools and rebates: Superintendent Dirk reported construction progress across district projects. He said work at the district pool is nearly complete: "We have water in the pool, all of our pumps are running," he said, and that staff planned to meet the next day to determine an opening date and to plan a ribbon-cutting and public open house before the Y-operated facility enters regular service. Mr. Hess added, "We received our Eagle pool licensure late this afternoon. So Eagle of the state of Michigan has put their stamp of approval on the pool." Dirk also reported progress at New Dutton, the stadium and utility work with the township.

Dirk reported a Consumers Energy rebate of $41,967 that will be returned to the district treasury for energy-efficiency work: "Consumers Energy has given us an energy rebate check, for this past year of nearly $42,000, $41,967," he said.

Transportation and bus purchases (first reading): Transportation staff presented a first reading on proposed purchases of transportation vehicles. The recommendation was to buy four buses (three 77-passenger buses and one 47-passenger special-needs bus with a lift) and two 8- to 10-passenger vans. Staff described fleet age and disposition plans and said used buses typically fetch $3,000–$4,000 at auction. Delivery timing: some vans are available in current inventories (short lead times) and the buses are anticipated for delivery in the 2025-26 school year. The presentation included discussion of spare-bus planning (state guidance around a 1-for-10 spare ratio), warranty coverage and planned installation of camera and GPS systems on new buses. Board members asked about longevity (staff said 10-15 years is a typical service life) and about spreading replacement needs to avoid a "bubble" of simultaneous retirements.

Bond-funded projects and technology work (first reads): The board heard first-read presentations on 2023 bond projects including playground work at Paris Ridge Elementary and technology projects tied to the 2020 and 2023 bonds. Paris Ridge's existing equipment will largely remain but the district proposes replacing playground safety surfacing (moving away from wood chips toward poured-in-place surfacing to improve accessibility). The Technology Department reported it issued an RFP and held a Jan. 17 bid opening for four categories: copier replacement, high-school North Campus paging system, classroom instructional-technology replacements (first of three phases) and low-voltage structured cabling to support those upgrades. The board will consider contract awards and final numbers next month after post-bid interviews are complete.

Board governance: Trustees discussed continuing the "committee of the whole" structure for board committee meetings, with several trustees and administrators expressing a preference to hold the committee meeting the week before the regular board meeting to give staff time to respond to questions.

What the board decided to do next: The board adopted a motion to place the option 2 nonhomestead millage renewal before voters on May 6, 2025; it also approved routine business motions, set the 2025 meeting schedule and directed staff to return with contract numbers for bond- and technology-related purchases at subsequent meetings. Staff will present final contract recommendations for the technology and bond projects at the next committee and board meetings.

Ending: The meeting concluded with brief board comments, including new trustees thanking voters for their support, and the board adjourned.