See How Farmington School Officials Will Ask for $222 Million

On Aug. 6, Farmington school district voters will decide whether to approve a $222 million bond for improvements and repairs touching every building in the district. Farmington-Farmington Hills Patch looks at how we got here, what's on the ballot, what's happening in neighboring districts and what officials plan to do with all that money.

Here's what you'll see on the ballot and what you need to know about voting:

It takes a half dozen paragraphs on the Aug. 6 ballot to describe the $222 million bond Farmington Public Schools (FPS) officials are asking voters to approve 
Voters will decide whether the district can issue bonds "for the purpose of defraying the cost of making the following improvements:

• remodeling, equipping, furnishing, reequipping and refurnishing School District buildings, including classroom, safety and security, technology infrastructure and operational efficiency improvements
• acquiring and installing technology equipment in the School District
• constructing, furnishing and equipping additions to School District buildings
• improving sites, including playgrounds and refurbishment of athletic fields and courts in the School District"

Voters can preview the ballot on the district's website. Absent voter applications are now available on the City of Farmington, City of Farmington Hills and West Bloomfield Township websites, or through the clerk's offices in each jurisdiction:

City of Farmington City Clerk
248-474-5500, ext. 2218
ci.farmington.mi.us

City of Farmington Hills City Clerk
248-871-2416
ci.farmington-hills.mi.us

West Bloomfield Township Clerk
248-451-4848
wbtwp.com

Voters must be registered by July 8, and registration forms are available on the state's website, local clerk and Secretary of State offices. The last day to vote by absentee ballot is Monday, Aug. 5.

Technology, turf and taxes

If voters approve the ballot question, bonds will be issued in three groups or "series" and paid back within 25 years for each series, according to the ballot language. Supt. Sue Zurvalec explained that the life of the bonds cannot exceed the useful life of purchases. For technology, that's about four to five years, so a technology "refresh" in six to nine years is built in to the referendum.

"We can't afford to buy these from our operating budget," Zurvalec said. "The only way to do it is to bond." 

This bond would also cover the costs of replacing artificial turf at all three high schools, which was originally installed with the proceeds from an athletic facilities bond passed in 2004. 

If the current 1.44 mill request passes, the district's total debt levy would be 4.0 mills; that bond is paid off in 2019, making the average millage rate over the life of the bond 2.62 mills. 

School officials say the new millage would raise property taxes $85.39 a year on a home with a market value of $118,600, the average in Farmington. The annual cost for a homeowner with an average-priced Farmington Hills home, $152,600, would be $109.87, Riebe said.

According to materials provided by FPS, some neighboring school districts, including West Bloomfield (8.1) and Novi (7.6278), have much higher rates, while Bloomfield Hills (2.442) and Ann Arbor (3.45), have lower debt millages. Currently, Farmington falls on the low end. 

But those rankings could change, Riebe pointed out, because some neighboring districts have also proposed bond referendums. 

Coming Friday: What are neighboring school districts doing to meet capital needs? 

Read more: Committees Pave the Way for Farmington Schools Bond Referendum

Correction: The effect of the 2004 athletic facility bond's expiration was incorrectly reported in the original version of this story. It makes the average millage rate over the life of the bond 2.62 mills. In addition, the amount of the bond was incorrectly reported.