Harper Creek board approves $28 million bond program recommendation, authorizes Treasury application
Summary
After a presentation by King Scott and Clark Construction, the Harper Creek Board authorized consultants to prepare a Michigan Treasury preliminary-qualification application for a roughly $28 million bond program (0 mill net tax increase). The board unanimously approved the authorization 7–0.
Rob Atkins of King Scott told the Harper Creek Board the district’s facility assessment identified roughly $96 million in needs and that a focused program of critical priorities would fit within a roughly $28 million bond proposal. “You have a chance, for August to put to the voters a 0 mill bond proposal,” Atkins said as he described the work done with a bond-steering committee and community meetings.
Jamie Carton of Clark Construction outlined the district-level priorities included in the recommendation: elementary classroom additions and related site work, middle-school reconfigurations (including filling the pool to create classrooms), high-school roofing and mechanical work, targeted technology upgrades at the administration building and transportation-yard improvements. Carton noted the administration building amount includes replacement-cost planning for a new building and that athletic facilities were not prioritized in this proposal.
Superintendent Ridgeway told the board the recommendation grew from an assessment and steering-committee process that included parents, staff and community members. Ridgeway said consultants will prepare the Treasury application and the district plans a separate public-engagement campaign if the board proceeds.
The administration described a timeline tied to the Treasurer’s process: prepare the application and have it into counsel by March 12 for a March 18 review, bring the bond application for board approval March 23, present a final facility master plan in March, and—if approved by the board—call the election on May 11 with campaign outreach beginning May 12. The administration said absentee ballots would be mailed in late June and the in-person election day is Aug. 4, 2026.
Consultants and board members discussed outreach strategies to reach a ‘silent majority’ of voters and suggested community-topic meetings (for example, pairing a bond discussion with a forum on school choice) to increase attendance and clarify technical points. Administration also flagged a proposed K12 Media content package (presented as “just below $30,000” in the meeting) to support messaging and video content for a campaign; no board action on marketing was taken at this meeting.
After discussion, the board moved to authorize the King Scott/Clark team to prepare the preliminary-qualification application to the Michigan Treasury under the presented scope. On a roll-call vote the motion carried unanimously, 7–0.
Next steps: administration and the consultants plan to advance the Treasury application, present the final facility master plan in March, and return to the board in March and May with application materials and (if requested) a ballot-resolution schedule.
