New Haven school boss outlines bond program

A bond proposal is upcoming on the May 7 ballot for New Haven Community Schools, and Superintendent Cheryl Puzdrakiewicz discussed the measure during a recent Macomb Township Board of Trustees meeting.

Clerk Kristi Pozzi said that the township is currently preparing for a special election on May 7, for New Haven Community Schools and L’Anse Creuse Public Schools only. Per state law, the township offers early voting, which will start for the special election on April 27. During the public comments section of the regular meeting on March 13, Puzdrakiewicz outlined projects the bond proposal would cover for the New Haven Community Schools district.

“We have residents that reside in Macomb that attend our school system as well,” Puzdrakiewicz said. “Over the last, I have been there four years now, and over those four years we continue to increase our student population on a regular basis. Which is a great thing for the school district. It is a small school district. I have been told that we are the second smallest right now in population, pretty close to Richmond, ahead of Mount Clemens. But we have a very large amount of land that makes up the New

Haven Community Schools district. Recently, because we continue to have subdivisions going in and it is an attractive place for young couples to go and our housing costs are pretty decent, we continue to grow at our elementary level especially.”

Puzdrakiewicz said that this school year, she moved the fifth grade over to Endeavor Middle School, as New Haven Elementary School ran out of classrooms. Last year music classes were held on the stage, and STEM classes in the media center or on a cart, she said. However, Puzdrakiewicz described these measures as temporary, as such large areas are difficult to make secure. Information from New Haven Community Schools that provides background on the bond proposal indicates that moving the fifth graders to Endeavor addressed immediate classroom space needs for elementary students, the middle school is now full with no additional classroom space.

“Endeavor is actually a K-8 building. Back when Endeavor was built it was decided to do a wing that also consisted of elementary students to serve the west part of New Haven, because it is quite a big difference between you know, miles-wise, where the west part of New Haven boundaries lie, to the east part of the New Haven school district boundaries. And so that decision was made. So our endeavor actually has K-8 and again we continue to grow at our elementary level,” Puzdrakiewicz said.

The

district owns

the

Siefert Elementary School building, located east of North Avenue on 26 Mile Road but it has not been used for classes in many years. Puzdrakiewicz said that the district intends to reopen this building. Siefert will need to be updated to meet current building codes and Americans with Disabilities Act requirements. Reopening the school will allow the district to have two elementaries to serve developmental kindergarten to fourth graders, allowing Endeavor Middle School to serve grades 5-8, district information indicates.

“We are going for a $43.6 million bond that residents that reside in the New Haven school district will be voting on May 7. It is a zero tax rate increase. So again, it is a zero tax rate increase. And the majority of what we are doing is going to be renovating and reopening Siefert to bring, make it an elementary school, to help address the overcrowding issues that we have,” Puzdrakiewicz said.

Materials produced by the district say it will extend the current tax rate for the entirety of the bond. The bond proposal length is 25 years. Ballot wording for the bond proposal indicates the estimated simple average annual millage anticipated to be required to retire the bond debt is 1.09 mills, or $1.09 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation. Ballot wording also indicates the district expects to borrow from the State School Bond Qualification and Loan Program to pay debt service on the bonds. The estimated total principal amount of the borrowing is $5.38 million and the estimated total interest to be paid is $2.98 million.

The estimated duration of the millage levy associated with the borrowing is eight years, and the estimated computed millage rate for such levy is 8.26 mills, according to the ballot language. Ballot language further lists that the total amount of qualified bonds currently outstanding is just over $54 million and the total amount of qualified loans currently outstanding is approximately $16 million.

The bond proposal has been in the works for some time, as the district’s administrators completed an internal facilities assessment as part of a strategic plan. In 2023, school officials worked with architectural and construction management specialists to determine short and long term facility needs, and to identify bond proposal projects. The project list was then finalized, project costs were identified, and an application was sent to the Michigan Department of Treasury. The school board set the election after receiving approval of the bond from the department of treasury.

Puzdrakiewicz also said that in a recent meeting with Supervisor Frank Viviano, discussions focused on the fact that about 80 percent of the building that is going on in Macomb Township lies in the New Haven school district.

“It is a large amount of homes. It’s just under 3,000 homes. But like I told the board, if half of those homes have one child that goes to New Haven it doubles our population. And that is a lot. So we want to be you know, proactive and do what we need to do,” Puzdrakiewicz said.

The bond proposal includes projects that support athletic and band programs in the district, updates and expansions to preschool classrooms, and technology updates as well as the construction of a bus garage. Information provided by the district indicates that many security updates have already been completed in the district via state grants and a competitive safety grant, but additional security measures approval of the bond would make possible include expanding security camera systems, updating security access cards, and updating phone systems. Siefert Elementary would require security measures also. District buildings will also receive mechanical, electrical, plumbing and exterior improvements, should the bond be passed by voters.

Puzdrakiewicz also said that on March 21, a town hall meeting will be held regarding the bond and Siefert, at the Siefert building. Renderings of the district’s plans for the building will be on display at the town hall meeting, Puzdrakiewicz said. District information regarding the bond proposal indicates that Siefert Elementary School could reopen in 2027.

For more information regarding the town hall meeting at Siefert and information on the bond, including the complete list of projects, visit newhaven.misd. net. Information on voting in Macomb Township can be found at mtvoter.org.