One school district is making plans for new projects and another is going back to the drawing board after Tuesday night’s election.

In Clawson, voters affirmed a commitment to a new city charter approved in 2023 that increased the number of city councilmembers.

In Ferndale, a $114 million, 30-year school bond passed 3,665 (70%) yes to 1,563 (29.8%) no. A separate millage restoration passed, but by a narrower margin 2,455 (58%) yes to 1,775 (42%) no.

Voters rejected a Lamphere schools 30-year, $85 million bond proposal 1,066 (42%) yes to 1,449 (57.6%) no.

The Ferndale bond will focus on improvements to the middle and high schools, which are in the same building on Pinecrest Street. The three-story building houses 1,200 students and will see significant improvements. The rate will remain at or below 7-mills. The estimated millage to pay the bonds in the first year is 1.35 mills ($1.35 per $1,000 of taxable value) and the average annual millage to retire each series of the bonds is 3.58 mills annually ($3.58 per $1,000 of taxable value).

“We are incredibly grateful to the Ferndale community for once again showing strong support for our students and schools,” said Superintendent Camille Hibbler. “This bond builds on the success of our 2020 initiative and brings long-overdue investment to our secondary learning environments.”

In March 2020, district voters overwhelmingly passed a $124 million bond to build a new elementary school and make major improvements to classrooms, buildings and other facilities.

“This outcome reflects a shared vision for the future of Ferndale Public Schools,” said Hibbler. “It is also a testament to the dedication of our families, staff, and community partners who engaged in meaningful dialogue and helped spread the word. We thank everyone who took the time to learn about the proposal and cast their vote.”

“This is a proud day for our district. The passage of this bond reaffirms that our community believes in the importance of strong public schools and is willing to invest in the spaces where students learn and grow,” said Sandra Dukhie, board of education president. “On behalf of the board, I want to thank the community for their trust and partnership.”

The list of projects in Lamphere paid by the rejected bond included:

Filling in the pool area at Page Middle School, which closed in 2013, to create a dedicated districtwide robotics space; Constructing an auxiliary gym at Lamphere High School to accommodate more student programs; Building a storage facility at the transportation center; Replacing roofing. Lamphere maintains seven school facilities with 640,000 sq. ft. of roofing. The total square footage of roof replacement included in the May 6 bond proposal is 288,000 sq. ft. There has been no announcement from Lamphere officials about when or if they will put another bond proposalon the ballot this year.

The district operates one high school, one middle school, four elementary schools, an early childhood and administrative center, a countywide center program called Lamphere Center, and a maintenance and transportation center. The buildings are 47 to 69 years old.

Clawson residents rejected Proposal 1, 888 (36%) yes to 1,573 (63.9%) no, that would have kept the city council at four members. In 2023, voters overwhelmingly approved a city charter amendment to increase the city council to six members

Voters also rejected Proposal 2, 907 (36.7%) yes to 1,549 (62,8%) no, which would have set council terms at four years with elections every two years.

Tuesday’s results mean three candidates with the most votes win 4-year terms and the candidate with the fourth-highest vote wins a 2-year term of office.