Hudsonville board reviews pre‑bond survey listing $330M in requests; presenters say district likely can raise about $220M without a tax increase

District staff presented a pre‑bond survey at the Hudsonville Public School District board meeting that catalogs a wide set of potential projects — from early‑childhood centers and a new 5–6 building to safety upgrades, HVAC, athletic facilities and playgrounds. The presenter said the survey aggregates roughly $330–$350 million in requests but that, "based on the current financial and tax rate, we can probably generate about $220,000,000 without raising the tax rate," meaning the district cannot fund every item listed in a single bond.

Staff described the survey development process (focus groups, administrative review and consultant work with firms identified as OAK and GMB). They discussed timing options: staff recommended a November 2026 election to capture higher turnout, explained Department of Treasury notification timelines and noted the possibility of issuing the bond in multiple series to phase projects. The presenter also said a quick updated total of project estimates was "closer to $767,000,000," and acknowledged that the packet figures had not been updated to that level.

Board members pressed staff on priorities and potential tradeoffs. Topics discussed included converting existing early‑childhood facilities into a career‑tech center, building a dedicated indoor band/athletic facility, a 5–6 grade configuration and the need to right‑size projects for areas of enrollment growth. Staff noted some items (air conditioning, playground upgrades, furniture replacement, roofing and athletic turf) were consistent top priorities from focus groups and that value engineering had reduced some preliminary HVAC estimates from about $71 million down nearer to $43 million in the packet.

Staff outlined survey distribution plans (email lists for families, business partners and community members; a public website option) and recommended demographic questions so the board could interpret responses. The board agreed to table the item until the survey results are collected and a public summary report is generated.

Separately, facilities staff presented a recommended contract for an early childhood center playground funded primarily by GSRP grant funds (about $162,000 allocated). Because GSRP funding requires prevailing wage, staff said they performed value engineering to bring the recommended contract into budget and proposed covering remaining costs from community education fund balances.

Board members did not vote to place a bond on the ballot at this meeting; the item was tabled pending further community feedback and refined cost estimates.