LAKE ORION COMMUNITY SCHOOLS: $135 MILLION IN EXISTING BOND DEBT — AND ANOTHER $116 MILLION ON THE BALLOT

On November 3, voters in Lake Orion Community Schools will decide whether to authorize $115,985,000 in new school bonds.

But what does the district already owe?

📊 According to Michigan school debt records dated December 31, 2025:

💰 Outstanding bond debt: Approximately $134.97 million

💰 Outstanding state school bond loan debt: $0

That's an important distinction.

Lake Orion previously borrowed from Michigan's School Bond Loan Program to help make payments on its existing bonds. According to the Michigan Department of Treasury, the district paid off its remaining state loan balance in September 2025.

That doesn't mean the district is debt-free. It means the district no longer owes money through that particular state loan program.

🏫 WHAT'S ON THE BALLOT?

The proposed $115.985 million bond authorization would fund projects including school safety improvements, building renovations, instructional technology, buses, and facilities for special education and career-focused programs.

The ballot estimates an initial millage of 1.74 mills, with bonds issued over a period of up to 30 years.

And here's something else worth understanding: The $134.97 million represents outstanding bond debt as of December 2025. The proposed $115.985 million is NEW borrowing authorization, not money the district has already borrowed.

❓ With substantial existing bond obligations, how would this additional borrowing affect Lake Orion's future debt payments and property taxes?

That's a question worth asking before November 3.

📚 Sources:
• Michigan Department of Treasury — School Bond Qualification and Loan Program, October 16, 2026
• Michigan school district debt analysis, December 31, 2025
• Lake Orion Community Schools — November 3, 2026 bond proposal

https://ladybudgetdown.com/district-debt

#LadyBudgetdown #LakeOrionCommunitySchools #LakeOrion #MichiganSchools #SchoolBonds #SchoolFinance #TaxpayerTransparency

CHIPPEWA VALLEY SCHOOLS: A HISTORY OF BORROWING FROM THE STATE

Did you know Chippewa Valley Schools has borrowed millions through Michigan's School Bond Loan Program to help meet its existing bond payments?

📊 I reviewed the district's state loan history, and the numbers tell an interesting story.

💰 By 2014, the outstanding loan balance had grown to approximately $134.8 million.

✅ A major repayment followed in 2015.

📈 By 2019, another borrowing cycle had pushed the balance to approximately $96.8 million.

✅ Another major repayment occurred in 2020.

And then borrowing resumed.

Between 2022 and 2025, the outstanding balance grew again, reaching approximately $37.7 million.

💵 As of October 16, 2026, the district's outstanding state loan balance was approximately $33.2 million.

📅 The state's mandatory final repayment date is May 1, 2040.

Here's the important distinction: This program allows school districts to borrow from the state to help make payments on bonds they've already issued. Using it does not, by itself, mean a district has defaulted.

❓ With another $288 million bond proposal before voters, what should taxpayers understand about the district's existing borrowing and future repayment obligations?

The history is worth examining, and the numbers are public.

https://ladybudgetdown.com/district-debt

📚 Source: Michigan Department of Treasury — School Bond Qualification and Loan Program, Chippewa Valley Schools loan history.

#LadyBudgetdown #ChippewaValleySchools #MichiganSchools #SchoolBonds #SchoolFinance #TaxpayerTransparency

HARRISON COMMUNITY SCHOOLS: DO THE MILLAGE NUMBERS ADD UP?

A group called "YES for Harrison Kids" is campaigning in support of Harrison Community Schools' November 3 operating millage proposal.

The campaign claims approximately $5.7 million in annual revenue is at stake.

So I checked the numbers. 🔎

📊 According to the Michigan Department of Education's 2025 Taxable Value System report for Harrison Community Schools (District 18060), the taxable values used in my calculation are:

🏠 Non-PRE real property: $305,196,266

🏢 Commercial personal property: $4,072,900

🏭 Industrial personal property: $4,019,300

TOTAL TAXABLE VALUE: $313,288,466

At an assumed 18-mill operating tax rate, that produces an estimated annual levy of:

💰 $5,639,192

The campaign's estimate of approximately $5.7 million is consistent with this calculation.

That figure represents an estimated tax levy, not necessarily the amount actually collected. Exemptions and other adjustments may affect the final revenue.

📌 NOW, ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN ITSELF...

"YES for Harrison Kids" is promoting the millage and warning of potential impacts on teachers, transportation, athletics, robotics, and other student activities.

The campaign acknowledges that these are potential impacts, NOT confirmed cuts.

I also attempted to locate publicly accessible campaign finance reports for "YES for Harrison Kids" through Clare County's online resources.

I could not locate those reports online.

That does NOT mean the committee failed to register or file its required reports.

But it leaves an important question unanswered:

❓ Who is organizing and financially supporting the campaign?

Campaign finance reports are public records. Voters should be able to easily review who contributes to campaigns seeking their votes.

The financial records support the campaign's approximate $5.7 million revenue estimate.

The campaign finance information, however, remains something I have not been able to independently review.

https://ladybudgetdown.com/district-debt

📚 Sources:
Michigan Department of Education — 2025 Taxable Value System, Harrison Community Schools (18060)
Harrison Community Schools — published financial statements and budgets
"YES for Harrison Kids" — campaign materials

#LadyBudgetdown #HarrisonCommunitySchools #ClareCounty #MichiganSchools #SchoolMillage #CampaignFinance #PublicTransparency

 CHIPPEWA VALLEY SCHOOLS: BORROWING MONEY TO PAY BACK BORROWED MONEY?

Imagine having hundreds of millions of dollars in outstanding debt, borrowing additional money to help make payments on that debt, and then asking to borrow another $288 MILLION.

That is the financial picture I want taxpayers in Chippewa Valley Schools to understand.

📊 HERE ARE THE NUMBERS:

💰 $353.3 MILLION — Outstanding bonded debt, according to the district's debt records.

💰 $33.2 MILLION — Outstanding balance in Michigan's School Bond Loan Program as of October 15, 2026.

💰 $288 MILLION — Additional bond authorization being requested from voters in November 2026.

💰 $31.1 MILLION — Additional borrowing from the state projected in the November bond proposal, with approximately $20.6 million in projected interest on those state loans.

Let me explain something about Michigan's School Bond Loan Program.

When the property taxes collected for a district's bond payments aren't enough to cover the scheduled principal and interest, the district can borrow from the state to help make those payments.

In plain English:

The district is borrowing money to help make payments on money it already borrowed.

And now it is asking voters to authorize another $288 MILLION.

📌 To be clear, the $33.2 million state loan balance should not automatically be added to the outstanding bonded debt. These financial obligations may overlap. The state program is also an established financing mechanism, not proof that the district has missed payments.

But that doesn't make the questions any less important.

Every day, taxpayers make financial decisions based on what they earn, what they owe, and what they can afford to repay.

A mortgage payment doesn't disappear because someone takes out another loan. The obligation is still there.

So I have some questions.

❓ How does Chippewa Valley plan to repay its existing obligations while taking on additional debt?

❓ Why does the November bond proposal anticipate borrowing another $31.1 million from the state?

❓ What will the district's total repayment obligations look like over the coming decades?

❓ And how clearly has this financial picture been explained to the taxpayers being asked to authorize another $288 million?

The district describes the proposal as having no millage-rate increase. But no increase in the millage rate does not mean no additional debt.

I am not telling anyone how to vote.

I am asking whether voters have been given a complete, understandable picture of the district's existing debt and its plans for additional borrowing.

Because $288 MILLION is not a small request.

And the hundreds of millions already owed do not disappear when a new bond is approved.

Chippewa Valley Schools

https://ladybudgetdown.com/district-debt

📚 Sources: Michigan Department of Treasury School Bond Qualification and Loan Program statement (October 15, 2026), district bond debt records, and November 2026 bond proposition.

#LadyBudgetdown #ChippewaValleySchools #SchoolBonds #MichiganSchools #TaxpayerTransparency #SchoolFinance #FollowTheNumbers

Michigan has 56 Intermediate School Districts (ISDs). But how much are their superintendents being paid?

And who is at the top of the list? 👀

According to 2025 payroll records obtained through OpenTheBooks, Saginaw ISD Superintendent Jeffrey Collier reported $340,999.90 in wages, making him the highest-paid superintendent among the 44 ISDs for which I was able to verify payroll figures.

That's more than $30,000 above the next-highest superintendent in the dataset.

But Lady B didn't want to stop at one superintendent's paycheck.

📊 I wanted readers to have the FULL picture.

So I took the payroll research a step further and created a new searchable statewide database covering all 56 Michigan ISDs!

Readers can now explore:

💰 Reported 2025 superintendent wages

🏫 Fall 2024 regional student enrollment

📊 Statewide payroll comparisons

🔎 Source information and records where available

And here's an important distinction: Regional enrollment represents students across an ISD's service area, not necessarily students directly taught by the ISD. Those numbers should not be confused.

The database also identifies the 12 ISDs where I could not establish a verified payroll match. Missing information is not treated as zero.

Why do this?

Because one salary figure doesn't tell the whole story. I believe readers deserve the opportunity to examine the broader statewide picture, compare the available records, and draw their own conclusions.

📚 The new ISD Superintendent Payroll Database is now LIVE on Lady Budgetdown's website!

Visit the Lady Budgetdown page and look under Databases → ISD Superintendent Payroll. https://ladybudgetdown.com/isd-payroll

As always, with receipts and respect. 👑

#LadyBudgetdown #FollowTheMoney #MichiganSchools #SaginawISD #SchoolTransparency #PublicEducation #YourTaxDollars #OurStory

Dearest reader,

Over the past decade, Michigan school districts have faced additional state and federal requirements.

More reporting. More compliance. More responsibilities.

But here's a question worth asking.

How many of those requirements actually mandated hiring additional central-office administrators?

I took a look at Michigan Department of Education guidance and state statutes covering roughly 2016 through 2026.

Here's what I found. 🔎

📌 SCHOOL SAFETY LIAISON (2019)

Districts must designate someone to coordinate school safety matters with state authorities.

Did the law require hiring another administrator?

No. An existing employee or qualifying contracted worker can fulfill the requirement.

📌 STUDENT DATA PRIVACY (2016)

Additional requirements governing student information and disclosure.

Did the law require another central-office administrator?

No dedicated position was identified in the provision reviewed.

📌 SCHOOL SAFETY REPORTING (2025)

Updated requirements for reporting school incidents and crime.

Did the law require another administrator?

No dedicated central-office position was specified.

📌 EDUCATOR EVALUATIONS (2024)

Changes to evaluation procedures, training, mentoring, and observations.

Did the law require another administrator?

No. These changes placed responsibilities on existing evaluators and administrators.

And interestingly, certain administrators who receive three consecutive effective evaluations may now be evaluated every TWO years instead of annually.

📌 LITERACY AND DYSLEXIA (2024–2028)

New requirements involving student screening, intervention, professional development, and literacy coaching.

Did the law require another central-office administrator?

No general requirement to add one was identified. Specific instructional support obligations do apply.

📌 SPECIAL EDUCATION COMPLIANCE

Federal IDEA requirements involve reporting, monitoring, and providing student services.

Did those requirements mandate additional central-office administrators?

No general requirement to add one was identified in the sources reviewed.

Lady B isn't suggesting that every administrative position is unnecessary. Nor am I suggesting that administrative workloads haven't increased.

But when a district expands its central office, I think taxpayers deserve to understand why.

Was the position required by law?

Was it created because existing staff couldn't reasonably handle the workload?

Or was it a local decision about how to organize district operations?

Those are fair questions.

Because additional requirements do not automatically equal additional administrators.

And as always, Lady B believes those decisions should come with receipts.

With receipts and respect,
Lady B 🕯�

#LadyBudgetdown #MichiganSchools #SchoolTransparency #EducationFunding #SchoolAdministration #TaxpayerAccountability #EveryDollarMatters

Dearest Readers,

A little breadcrumb from Hemlock Public Schools landed in Lady B's inbox today. And it raises an interesting question about the district's Early Childhood Center.

A reader familiar with the program reports that classroom staff have requested supplies and materials but have not received everything they've asked for.

Now, Lady B cannot independently verify that claim. But it did prompt me to look into something.

📚 Here's what I found:

Michigan's Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) provides funding for eligible preschool expenses, including classroom supplies, instructional materials, equipment, and staffing.

According to Saginaw ISD's 2025 audited financial statements, Hemlock Public Schools received $103,674 in GSRP funding during the 2024–25 fiscal year.

That does NOT mean all $103,674 was available for classroom supplies. These funds support multiple program expenses.

And here's what I don't know.

How much of Hemlock's GSRP funding was budgeted for classroom supplies?

How much was actually spent?

And are classroom staff receiving the materials they need?

Remember, Hemlock is also proposing an expansion of its Early Childhood Center as part of its November bond proposal.

Which brings me to a simple question.

🔎 Before expanding the program, are the classrooms already operating being adequately supported?

Lady B would love to hear from anyone familiar with Hemlock's early childhood programming, GSRP budgeting, or classroom supply procedures.

You can send information privately to Lady B. Please do not include student names or identifying information.

As always, a breadcrumb is not a conclusion. It's simply where the questions begin.

With receipts and respect,
Lady B 🕯�

#LadyBudgetdown #HemlockPublicSchools #EarlyChildhoodEducation #GSRP #SchoolTransparency #FollowTheMoney #MichiganSchools

Dearest reader,

Sometimes the best breadcrumbs come from readers who decide to do a little digging themselves. ❤️

And this one is a BIG one!

Lady B has just added a NEW statewide database: MICHIGAN SCHOOL DISTRICT DEBT!

Thanks to one incredible reader who took the initiative to submit a FOIA request to the State of Michigan, I now have debt information for 535 Michigan school districts, all in one searchable database!

And let me tell you, this information is GOLD. 👀

You can now search your school district and see:

📌 Outstanding school bond debt

📌 State school loan balances

📌 Total reported debt

📌 A breakdown of the different debt categories

These figures are reported as of December 31, 2025.

Why does this matter?

Because when districts ask taxpayers to approve another bond, shouldn't taxpayers know how much debt is already on the books?

Now you have another piece of the financial puzzle, without having to file your own FOIA or dig through piles of documents.

And to the reader who went out of their way to obtain this information for Lady B, THANK YOU. Truly. This is exactly what happens when everyday people work together to make public information more accessible.

You'll find the new database under the "Databases" menu on the Lady Budgetdown site. Select "School District Debt."

Another database. Another set of receipts. And another reason I love what this little community is building.

With receipts and respect,
Lady B

#LadyBudgetdown #MichiganSchools #SchoolDistrictDebt #SchoolBonds #TaxpayerTransparency #PublicRecords #FollowTheMoney #WithReceiptsAndRespect

Dearest reader,

A Hemlock resident recently reached out with some very reasonable questions about the district's Early Childhood Center and the proposed $17.75 million bond.

Does the center charge tuition? Does it generate revenue? And why are taxpayers being asked to finance improvements to it?

Well, here's where things get interesting. 🧐

According to Hemlock's construction planning documents, approximately $2 million to $3 million in proposed bond funding was identified for the Hemlock Elementary/Early Childhood Center expansion. The district has also identified approximately $1 million in federal funding for the project.

Now, here's something I previously uncovered while reviewing Hemlock's financial records.

The Early Childhood Center generates an operating surplus.

And there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. A publicly operated program bringing in more revenue than it spends can be a good thing.

But it raises a much bigger question.

WHERE DOES THAT SURPLUS GO?

Is the money retained by the Early Childhood Center? Is it transferred into other district operations? Is it being set aside for future improvements?

And perhaps most importantly, how much of that surplus is being reinvested into the center before asking taxpayers to finance additional construction through a bond?

But that makes understanding where the money goes even more important.

I'm not suggesting anything improper. I'm asking a simple question about public money.

If a taxpayer-supported program generates more revenue than it spends, shouldn't residents be able to see where that money goes and how it factors into future spending decisions?

With receipts and respect,
Lady B 🕯�

#LadyBudgetdown #HemlockPublicSchools #EarlyChildhoodEducation #SchoolBonds #TaxpayerTransparency #FollowTheMoney

Dearest Reader,

Here's something many Saginaw County taxpayers may not realize.

The Saginaw Intermediate School District (SISD) Board of Education is NOT directly elected by the public.

Instead, its members are selected through representatives of local school boards.

Yet this board oversees millions in taxpayer dollars, approves district expenditures, and is responsible for the superintendent's contract and compensation.

Now, here's where things get interesting. 📖

Dr. Katherine "Katie" Ellison serves as BOTH:

📌 President of the Saginaw ISD Board of Education.

📌 Vice President of the Hemlock Public Schools Board of Education.

Two separate school districts. Two separate budgets. Two positions carrying significant responsibility for public oversight.

Yesterday, ABC12 reporter Terry Camp reported that he had been seeking answers from Saginaw ISD regarding Superintendent Jeffrey Collier's compensation for approximately two weeks.

When a response finally came from Board President Ellison, it simply confirmed that the board had approved Collier's contract at its June 22 meeting.

No explanation of the compensation increase. No discussion of the financial justification.

Just confirmation that the board approved it.

And that raises a question worth asking.

If school board members approve superintendent contracts, compensation packages, and district expenditures, shouldn't taxpayers expect more than confirmation that a vote took place?

Remember, SISD's board members are not directly elected by the public. But the local school boards involved in selecting them ARE elected by their communities.

With November school board elections approaching, understanding that distinction matters.

This isn't about any one board member. It's about the responsibility that comes with overseeing public money.

Whether a board member is directly elected or indirectly selected, the obligation to provide transparency and accountability should remain the same.

After all, taxpayers are funding these institutions.

They deserve more than a rubber stamp and a meeting date.

With receipts and respect,
Lady B 🕯�

#LadyBudgetdown #SaginawISD #HemlockPublicSchools #SaginawCounty #SchoolBoardAccountability #TaxpayerTransparency #MichiganSchools #PublicEducation #WithReceiptsAndRespect