Design team survey shows lukewarm support for bond; board urged to delay, prioritize immediate maintenance

A consultant hired to test public support for a potential Lansing USD 469 bond reported mixed results and recommended the board pause and refine plans before seeking voter approval.

Rick Nobles of Excellence K-12 presented results from a random-digit-dial survey of roughly 300 residents, which yielded a margin of error the presenter stated as 5.6 percentage points. Respondents gave above-average grades to the district on core measures but showed weak support for many specific project ideas when asked whether they would back each item on a ballot if it raised property taxes. The district scored highest on support for renovating space at the high school to add career and technical education capacity (about 72% yes) but lower on other items (greenhouse, demolition, converting buildings), and overall tax tolerance fell below a majority at a $100-per-year cost level.

Nobles recommended either an education campaign explaining costs and benefits for favored projects or returning to planning with broader citizen advisory outreach. Board members raised concerns that survey materials lacked specific dollar figures and that residents are feeling the effects of recent property-tax increases; several said taxpayers are “taxed out,” which likely depressed support.

Superintendent and operations staff described immediate facility needs that the district plans to address regardless of bond timing: hail-damaged roofing on a CTE building with an estimated replacement cost near $77,000 (after a $75,000 deductible) and end-of-life boilers at Lansing Elementary School with an estimated replacement cost around $240,000. Staff said they expect to bring a recommendation to use available capital outlay funds to cover the roof replacement and continue budgeting for prioritized repairs while the board refines bond timing.

Consultants and board members also noted a state bonding capacity issue: if larger districts exhaust the state's bond aid capacity in a given cycle, the district could forfeit state aid if it seeks a bond in an affected cycle. The consultant advised the board that waiting and pursuing a targeted communications and outreach strategy could improve support and tax-tolerance metrics before placing a measure on the ballot.

Board members asked the design team to return with new options and to convene focus groups or a larger citizen advisory group. Trustees discussed an educational campaign window of six months to a year and resurveying to gauge whether outreach moved public opinion.

No formal vote to place a bond on a ballot occurred at the meeting. The board directed staff to consult with the design team, return with revised project options and cost estimates, and post prioritized urgent repairs for immediate action.