A number of Mount Clemens residents and business owners spoke out against the amount of money being proposed to be borrowed in a bond issue to finance massive improvements in the school district.

At a town hall meeting this past Thursday in the high school’s little-used auditorium, about 100 people gathered to voice their views about a $91.8 million bond proposal that’s on the May 6 election for Mount Clemens Community Schools.

Several participants criticized the bond amount as being too high and suggested the district look into merging with neighboring school systems given the falling number of students attending classes in Mount Clemens.

Vito Strolis, a Mount Clemens graduate and longtime area business owner, said the bond program should have been pared down before being finalized to give taxpayer “more bang for their buck.”

“Or we need to get realistic and close the district,” Strolis said.

The district’s total enrollment is about 800 students. It has incrementally gone up for each of the past two years, officials said.

Others voiced similar sentiments. Some pointed out the secondary complex housing the middle and high schools on Cass Avenue has two swimming pools that haven’t been in use for at least a decade. If the bond is approved, the pools will likely be filled in and used for learning space.

“For $91 million, we could put all of the students in a limousine and drive them to L’Anse Creuse,” said one bond opponent.

Erik Rick, a member of the Mount Clemens City Commission, said the finance equation is getting out of reach for some residents.

According to Rick, the city’s median income is $25,000 less than the rest of Macomb County while the population has steadily declined. The number of school-age kids is also “going down fast,” he said.

“We have more retirees who cannot afford more taxes — and there’s always more takes coming,” Commissioner Rick told the crowd. “I worry that stretching it out would make the place unaffordable for our retirees who are already here.”

If approved, the money would be used to create separate entrances and learning environments for the middle and high schools. This will result in partial demolition of the east end of the building and construction of a new classroom space.

Other highlights include construction of new security vestibules at the entrances; district-wide building repairs and upgrades; a new gymnasium; and more.

School safety is a priority, according to Superintendent Julian Roper.

“We want to make sure there is a safe separation between the two grade levels, 6-8 and K-12, with very minimal common spaces but still collaborative,” Roper said. “It’s about keeping our kids safe, the staff safe, and our community safe.”

According to the administration, things are looking better. The district’s graduation rate is now nearly 100%, compared to 63% in 2022. Enrollment increased in each of last two years for the first time in 40 years, school officials said.

Plans for Seminole Academy — Mount Clemens’ only other school building — were also outlined for the first time.

The K-5 school on Mulberry Street would receive a new canopy, along with new outdoor classrooms, exterior wall improvements, roofing and flooring replacements, new boilers, filtered drinking fountains, technology equipment, a cafeteria reconfiguration, and replaced corridor, classroom, and parking lot improvements.

In addition, the tennis courts will be removed and replaced with green space. The playground will receive drainage improvements.

Officials said proceeds from the bond will be used to preserve the district’s rich history by revitalizing its historic building while addressing critical infrastructure needs, and position the district in a position to attract more students.

The most visible change for the combined high school and middle school programs will be creation of separate entrances. This will result in partial demolition of the east end of the building and construction of a new classroom space, according to school leaders.

School officials say the bond program also has the potential to lower the community’s property taxes.

Because roughly 50% of Mount Clemens property is occupied by government, churches, or other non-taxpaying entities, the tax burden is heavily dependent on revenue generated by homeowners, renters, and business operators.

With or without voter approval for the proposed bonds, the debt levy would be reduced by 1.0 mill, from 11.8 to 10.8 mills in 2025 anyway.

Included in that amount is a 7.93-mill levy that will be implemented to pay for the bond issue over 20 years. The overall debt millage will be decreased at a slower pace as a result of the proposed bond program.

For a homeowner whose property has a taxable value of $100,000, the annual savings would be about $100.

Administrators said additional meetings will be held on the program over the next few months.

More information can be found at mtcps.org/ district/2025-bond-mount-clemens