Dearest reader,
Well. Apparently the St. Johns ledger wasn't quite finished with me yet.
A reader dropped a rather interesting breadcrumb underneath my last post involving the Early Learning Center.
Naturally, I picked it up.
And wouldn't you know it?
There are receipts.
St. Johns voters have already seen the Early Learning Center before. It appeared in previous bond proposals that voters rejected.
In the 2025 $99.75 million bond proposal, approximately $20 million was earmarked for the Early Learning Center.
The voters said no.
The Early Learning Center, however, still arrived.
Now fast-forward to the district's 2026-27 General Fund budget, and tucked into the ledger is a brand-new line:
2026 ELC Debt Retirement - $391,250
Well, hello there.
That line wasn't sitting in the district's final amended 2025-26 General Fund budget. That budget included transfers for Energy Bond Debt Retirement and capital improvements, but no 2026 ELC Debt Retirement.
Which brings us to another little wrinkle.
There seems to be some discussion suggesting that capital improvements cannot be paid from the General Fund.
That's not quite how this works.
After the district's 2024 bond proposal failed, Superintendent Anthony Berthiaume himself discussed approximately $1 million in boiler and parking-lot work that would instead have to come from the General Fund.
So yes, capital needs absolutely can put pressure on the operating ledger.
And that makes our newly discovered $391,250 ELC debt payment considerably more interesting.
Because the breadcrumb that brought me here included another claim:
That St. Johns borrowed approximately $3 million for the Early Learning Center, with payments of roughly $400,000 per year for approximately 10 years, resulting in roughly $1 million in interest.
Now, dearest reader, you know my rule.
A breadcrumb is not a receipt.
And I have not located the financing documents necessary to independently verify those numbers.
So I'm not putting them in the ledger as fact.
I'm putting on the spectacles and asking the obvious questions.
What exactly is the "2026 ELC Debt Retirement" obligation?
Was approximately $3 million borrowed?
What is the interest rate?
How many years will the General Fund make these payments?
And most importantly:
What will taxpayers ultimately pay, principal and interest for the Early Learning Center financing?
Because here's where the abacus starts tapping rather loudly.
The district is currently asking voters to approve another $40 million bond while explaining that the proposal would help:
"Temporarily alleviate the general fund to right-size the budget and allow for proper future planning."
Meanwhile, the General Fund now contains a $391,250 ELC debt-retirement payment connected to a facility that previously appeared in bond proposals voters rejected.
That doesn't automatically mean something improper happened.
But it certainly earns a question.
Actually, several.
If someone has the financing resolution, closing documents, repayment schedule, or other district receipts showing exactly how the ELC was financed, send them my way.
Until then, I'll leave the $3 million claim in pencil.
The $391,250, however?
That one's already in ink.
With receipts and respect.
#LadyBudgetdown #StJohnsPublicSchools #FollowTheMoney #SchoolFinance #MichiganSchools #Transparency #WithReceiptsAndRespect