Southgate board approves officer slate, school-of-choice plan, HVAC prepurchase and bond sale; tentatively accepts teacher agreement

The Southgate Community School District board elected a new set of officers and approved a range of routine and substantive items at its Jan. 13 meeting.

The board accepted a slate of officers by voice vote after nominations: Jason Craig for president, Andy Green for vice president, Darling Pomponio for secretary and Jason Koops for treasurer. The board also approved the meeting agenda and the consent agenda, which included minutes from the Dec. 9, 2025 meeting, an HR update and December 2025 disbursements.

Committee appointments: The board approved members for the policy committee (Dr. Darling Pomponio, Andrew/Andy Green and Angela/Angel) and the finance committee (Jason Koops, Neil Freitas and Sean Sage) by voice votes.

School of choice: Staff presented the annual 2026–27 school-of-choice program, noting expanded kindergarten capacity (districtwide cap increased from 50 to 65 seats, with special allocations for several schools and Northpointe) and added eighth-grade seats at Davidson Middle Academy. Board members asked about sibling priority and expected kindergarten enrollment; staff said kindergarten enrollment typically ranges roughly 250–300 students districtwide and that school-choice demand concentrates in kindergarten. The board approved two related action items to adopt the IB/ATLAS option and the K–11 school-of-choice program. One board member registered opposition to school-of-choice in general, but the K–11 motion passed.

Student trip: The board approved a request from Anderson High School for student council members to attend a state leadership conference in Grand Rapids (approximately Feb. 21–23). The trip will be funded through student fundraising.

Technical and facilities procurement: Contractors and district representatives recommended pre-purchasing long-lead mechanical units for Anderson High School’s planned summer renovations. The district presented a recommendation to pre-purchase the units through a consortium at a total not-to-exceed amount of $349,420 to avoid 18–20 week lead times that could delay the project. Warranties described in the proposal include two years parts and labor, a five-year compressor warranty and a 25-year stainless heat-exchanger warranty. Board members asked about whether the units provide heating and cooling, what portions of the building would be served, energy efficiency and potential rebate opportunities, and plans to secure units if they arrive before installation. The board approved the pre-purchase motion by voice vote.

Bonds: District staff presented a resolution to sell a second series of bonds following the May election and to refund certain callable 2016 bonds. Staff said the district previously sold roughly $7.5 million in the first series; the current sale amount being presented is $14,000,000 and will be grouped with refunded 2016 debt to pursue potential taxpayer savings. Staff also said the district intends to split principal payments into November and May to accelerate repayment. The board approved the sale and refund resolution by voice vote.

Labor: The board approved a tentative agreement with the UTS teacher unit that staff said had been ratified by the UTS unit. Staff described the agreement as designed to keep teacher salaries competitive in the Downriver area while maintaining operational solvency.

What happens next: Multiple items will return for further action or implementation steps. The Narcan/opioid antagonist policy presented as a first read will be brought back for approval or modification at a subsequent meeting; the Anderson HVAC procurement will be folded into forthcoming contract documents and a guaranteed maximum price package expected late February; and the board will proceed with the bond sale process and the teacher contract implementation as required.

(Reporting based on board meeting audio/transcript.)