In 2016, voters approved a bond proposition to increase the millage that would allow for the district to complete significant improvements to Fruitport High School. The vision of the Board would be to continue to address the construction of new school buildings with zero (0) net mill increase bond proposals every ten (10) years or so. At this time, the plan called for Edgewood Elementary School to be replaced next, followed by improvements to the other schools following the schedule in the Master Facilities Plan.

Edgewood Elementary School was constructed in 1950. With the age of this building, there have been significant issues with the upkeep and maintenance of the building, although our team continues to do a remarkable job in maintaining our facilities. In addition, due to its location, there are multiple traffic issues which would need to be addressed with the future replacement of this building. As part of the scope of the bond project, the Board of Education approved for the completion of a traffic study along Pontaluna Rd., with various locations along the road being studied, as outlined below. This study, coupled with the civil engineering feasibility study that was conducted by Spalding DeDecker, has been used to further define the site plan that is shared on this website, while also optimizing traffic flow for the proposed layout.

Traffic Study:

Spalding DeDecker worked directly with traffic data collection vendor, Quality Counts, LLC, to study traffic counts and moving patterns during morning and afternoon weekday peak school hours. Turning movements and counts were collected and studied at the following locations:

• Pontaluna Road and Walker Road
• Pontaluna Road and the west Middle School driveway
• Pontaluna Road and the center Middle School driveway
• Pontaluna Road and the east Middle School driveway
• Pontaluna Road and the baseball field driveway
• Pontaluna Road and the west Elementary School driveway
• Pontaluna Road and the center Elementary School driveway
• Pontaluna Road and the east Elementary School driveway
• Pontaluna Road and 6th Avenue
• Pontaluna Road and 3rd Avenue
• 6th Avenue and the Adult Education School driveway
• 6th Avenue and the north High School driveway
• 6th Avenue and Oak Street/ school driveway
• 6th Avenue and Beech Street

Next, due to significant drainage concerns with the soccer field, which have created safety concerns at times throughout the fall and spring soccer seasons for student-athletes, geotechnical investigations and soils information were prepared as a part of the civil engineering study to inform the site plan design process.

A link to the original FCS Master Facilities Plan webpage that was created several years ago, and that outlines the long term vision of the District and the Board of Education is linked below:

• Original FCS Master Facilities Plan

In planning for the development of the long term Master Facilities Plan that has been communicated with the community since at least 2016, the District used this assessment as a starting point to look back on the updates and renovations that have been made over the last several years. The budget report for the original Master Facilities Assessment that was conducted in February 2015 is linked below:

• Original Master Facilities Plan Budget Report - February 4, 2015

Using this as a starting point, members of the District's bond team from Owen-Ames-Kimball, Co., the District's construction management company, updated the Master Facilities Plan of the District in September and October 2024, by updating the budget report to include project priorities for a possible May 2025 ballot proposition. These findings and updated budget report were presented to the Board of Education on October 8, 2024.

• Updated Master Facilities Plan Budget Report - October 8, 2024

The facility needs outlined in the budget report to the Board of Education on October 8, 2024 were used to guide discussions with the Board around key project priorities of the District.

After the Board of Education held a special meeting on October 8, 2024 to discuss and outline priorities from the District's Master Facilities Plan and Needs Assessment, a survey was released to the community during the months of November and December 2024 to collect input from the community. Three hundred and eleven (311) respondents provided their feedback, with two hundred and eleven (211) respondents also providing written feedback for the Board to consider.

• Open Ended Community Survey Responses

A summary of the open ended responses has been linked below. Priorities of the community, as outlined in the community survey, include:

1. Facilities and Building Maintenance
2. Expansion of Early Childhood Programs
3. Accounting for Community and District Growth; Building a new Edgewood Elementary with the capacity to account for increased enrollment.
4. Athletics and Extracurricular Activities
5. Transportation and Student Safety

• Summary of Open Ended Community Survey Responses

Community members were asked to respond to a number of questions pertaining to a possible bond proposition. This information was used by the Board of Education to identify key priorities that it would focus on as a part of a possible bond proposition.

• Graphical Review of Responses from the Community Survey 

This feedback was shared with the Board of Education and released to the community at the community forum held on December 9, 2024 in the high school media center. The survey data was also shared with the Board of Education at their meeting on this same date.

The Board of Education held two community forums, with one on November 18, 2024, and a second on December 9, 2024. The presentations that were shared with the community on each of these dates, along with the completed feedback forms from those in attendance at the forums are linked below:

November 18, 2024

• Community Forum Presentation
• Completed Community Forum Feedback Form

December 9, 2024

• Community Forum Presentation
• Completed Community Forum Feedback Form

Additional community meetings to collect feedback and to refine the scope of the bond proposition will be communicated with the community, and will take place during the months of February and March 2025.

The community is cordially invited to community meetings on the following dates and times to learn more about the District's bond proposition. Each meeting will begin with a presentation that outlines the process that has been followed by the District and the Board of Education, and time will be provided for community input and feedback. Each meeting will take place at Edgewood Elementary School, and guests should enter through the main doors of the elementary school. Dates and times of the upcoming meetings to learn more about the bond project are listed below:

• February 26, 2025 from 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
• March 12, 2025 from 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

At the conclusion of each meeting, presentation notes and input provided by the community at each meeting with be posted here for review of the community.

The election polls will open at 7:00 a.m. and close at 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 6, 2025. Absent voter ballots must be available for issuance to voters by Thursday, March 27, 2025. The optional early voting period will begin on Monday, April 7, 2025.

Voter Registration Information:

To learn more about voter registration, such as eligibility requirements, how to register to vote in Michigan, and updating or canceling your voter registration, please click on the link below:

• https://www.michigan.gov/sos/elections/voting/register-to-vote.

Methods and requirements for voter registration depend on the following deadlines:

• If there are 15 days or more before the election, voters can register online, by mail, or in person.
• Voters may register in person through Tuesday, May 6, 2025 (Election Day) by visiting their local clerk’s office to register in person with proof of residency documentation.

Absentee Voting:

All registered voters in Michigan have the right to vote by mail using an absentee ballot delivered to their home. Voters can also request an absentee ballot directly from their local clerk’s office. Absentee ballots are available beginning 40 days prior to every election.

Michigan voters can decide to be placed on a permanent absentee ballot list. The local clerk will then mail them an absentee ballot for all local, state, and federal elections. For more information about absentee voting, visit the website below:

• https://www.michigan.gov/sos/elections/voting/absentee-voting.