Marcia Goodrich speaks at Monday’s Houghton-Portage Township Schools board meeting, one of nearly 40 people who spoke about the district’s recently passed $23 million bond issue. Goodrich voted in favor of the bond, but was concerned about the impact the district’s school of choice enrollment would have on neighboring districts. (Garrett Neese Daily Mining Gazette)

HOUGHTON — The $23 million facilities improvement bond narrowly approved by Houghton-Portage Township Schools voters in November drew more than 80 minutes of public comment at Monday’s monthly school board meeting.

The 30-year bond is being used to fund a variety of upgrades to district facilities, including the construction of a new early childhood center for Young 5s and kindergarten students that could also potentially house classrooms for 4-year-olds. At the middle school, it would create a new robotics lab, renovate the science lab and career and technical education spaces. Secure entry and technology upgrades would also be funded at both buildings.

The current rate of 9.64 mills will be extended to 2031, rather than 2029 as had been the case before the new bond. The rate will then fall gradually until the bond expires in 2055.

Nearly 40 residents spoke during Monday’s meeting, with close to an even split between supporters and critics of the bond measure.

Many of the crowd of nearly 100 had been drawn by a mailing to Houghton and Portage Township residents circulated by a citizens’ group opposed to the bond, encouraging attendance at the meeting.

Before public comment, Board President Amanda Massaway addressed several of the group’s concerns in a prepared statement, which is also being posted to the district’s website.

Some residents had asked the bond issuance to be delayed, or to put the measure up for a new vote, Massaway said.

“Election results cannot be canceled,” she said. “This Board could potentially delay issuing the bonds; however, there is no legal mechanism to nullify the election results or conduct a re-vote. Delaying the issuance just means that any future board, at any time, could decide to start moving forward and issue the bonds.”

The vote to issue the bond was not on Monday’s agenda. Massaway said the district has yet to reach that point in the process.

Those against the bond were concerned about the effect Houghton’s draw for school of choice students would have on the population of neighboring districts. About 47% of the district’s students are from out of the district, the bulk of whom come through the state’s school of choice program.

“For every student you take out of a neighboring district, you take $10,000 of revenue out of that district, and in my mind, that lowers the ability of that other district to provide quality education, when I think you already have a quality education,” said Bruce Rukkila. “That is not collaboration.”

Adding more future debt was also a concern for some, who noted voters could potentially be deciding on millages to fund a new county jail — or down the line, future millage projects at the district. Information provided by the citizens’ group put the total debt, including interest from state loans, at $74.4 million.

The number was more than $50 million above the second-highest number among 12 comparable U.P. districts selected by the group. In a letter to residents, Superintendent Anders Hill said five of the districts had tried to pass millages in the past two years; unlike Houghton, those attempts were unsuccessful. Houghton was also one of two to grow over the past decade, he said.

Other residents spoke in support of the bond, which they said would bring much-needed improvements.

Houghton High School senior Emilyn Fay said she was excited about what the upgrades would mean for future students in the district. As for the school of choice students, she said their presence makes the school experience better for all students.

“They’re a big part of what makes our clubs successful and they are a very big part of what helps our clubs and organizations give back to our community,” she said. “The size of our school from school of choice has also allowed me to take multiple (Advanced Placement) classes and prepared me for my time after graduation at a very high level, and I’m thankful for it. The opportunities I’ve had here at Houghton High School through clubs, organizations and classes that I can take wouldn’t be the same without these students.”

Other residents pointed out the school of choice program allows some Houghton students to leave the district, and also praised the level of outreach to the community the district made in advance of the election.

Former Houghton City Manager Scott MacInnes, who has helped lead opposition to the bond proposal with the citizen group Concerned Citizens of H-PT School District, spoke at the start of public comment. He said he and Houghton Superintendent Anders Hill had agreed to sit down with Copper Country Intermediate School District Superintendent Jim Rautiola to figure out ways to collaborate on the issues the group has raised.

“It’s a very, very complicated issue, so we will keep you informed about what we’re doing,” he said.

“We want to figure out, is there a way that we can all work together? … I will do everything I can to work with the school or the school board here to see if they can make something work for all of us.”