Frequently Asked Questions Bond 2026

Due to debt payoff and increasing property values, MPS could provide facility improvements while expecting to maintain the current millage rate. The Board of Education and District Administration evaluated our increasing enrollment, our programs and our community and student needs to put together a proposal that would allow the district to continue to expand on the promises to the community with no expected tax rate increase above 2025 levels, within the previous bond timeline. 

The bond is designed so that there will not be a change to the estimated 2026 tax rate compared to the 2025 tax rate. Meaning, the tax rate you paid in 2025, 7.5 mills for the current debt, is expected to remain the same in 2026 if the bond proposal is approved.

If approved, this bond would maintain the prior bond (2020) debt repayment timeline. 
Note: The 2020 ballot was a 30 year bond. This 2026 bond is 25 years. So the same time frame but not the same duration. The 2020 bonds and the 2026 bond (if approved) would be paid off the same year. 

The bond money can only be spent on what the ballot language permits. State law also limits what bond money can be spent on. It cannot be spent on salaries, bonuses, operating expenses or routine maintenance etc. Expenditures of bond money, by law, are limited to projects like school infrastructure, new construction, renovations, school buses and technology needs.State law also requires an independent audit of the dollars spent from a bond program.

The District is continuously keeping track of facility needs as well as tracking where the district is financially. The District maintains a detailed report of ongoing facility needs and we monitor enrollment trends closely. Our elementary enrollment is increasing and our Career Exploration programs are serving a record number of students. To understand the needs, the District also solicited community feedback in the Fall of 2025 through a community wide survey, multiple community open houses, and attending many neighborhood meetings. In addition, District leaders went to Neighborhood Associations to share the opportunity and collect feedback on potential projects. 

Yes, a community-wide survey was conducted in the Fall of 2025. Matt Cortez, MPS Superintendent, also attended neighborhood meetings and hosted a community open house, all in the Fall of 2025, to gather community input.

Yes, businesses and second homes (non-homestead) and primary homes (homestead) are all treated the same regarding bond levies.

Residents who live within the Muskegon Public Schools District who will be 18 years old or older on Election Day and are registered to vote, may vote in this election. Per Michigan Law, you can register to vote on election day at your local clerk’s office. HERE is more information on how to register to vote. 

Yes, under Michigan law, you can vote by absentee ballot for any reason. You can request an absentee ballot from your local clerk’s office or by visiting the Michigan Secretary of State’s website HERE and clicking on “Absentee Voting”. Absentee ballots will be available by March 26, 2025 for the public and you can mail it or drop it off at your clerk’s office. You can even drop it off in person on election day!

These FAQ’s will be updated as more questions accumulate from the community. Please check the district website at muskegonpublicschools.org/bond. If you have a question and you don't see it answered on the website, please fill out THIS FORM to submit your question and someone will get back to you. 

In 2025, voters approved a Sinking Fund that provides approximately $750,000 per year for 10 years for ongoing repair of school infrastructure and sites. Superintendent Matthew Cortez likes to explain “If you flip a building upside down, anything that falls out cannot be bought with sinking funds”. It is a realistic summation of the purpose of the sinking fund.

Sinking Funds can be used for remodeling or repairing facilities, improving sites, structures, athletic facilities, playgrounds, or other facilities and technology infrastructure. School districts are not allowed to use funds from a Sinking Fund for operating expenses such as teacher, administrator or employee salaries, or for many types of loose equipment.

The Sinking Fund ensures that operational funding remains in other critical need areas. (For example, the classroom for teaching and learning, instructional materials, and technology). The sinking fund also provides resources to help districts ensure their buildings are warm, safe, and modern learning environments for all students.