ROCKFORD, Mich. — Rockford residents voted down a $230 million school bond proposal Tuesday, with 7,533 no votes defeating 5,298 yes votes out of 12,831 total ballots cast.
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The defeat leaves all proposed bond projects on hold, according to Rockford Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Steve Matthews.
"Disappointed. We had spent over two years working on the proposal," Matthews said. "[Voters] clearly have identified that they're not willing to support the proposal as it is right now, and so we'll take all that information in and try to figure it out and see where we go from here."
Robbie Augustine, vice chair of Transparency for RPS Taxpayers, expressed relief at the outcome.
"Honestly, it was relief. So many people voted," Augustine said. "There is power in the people."
Augustine's group opposed the bond, focusing on financial concerns and tax implications for residents.
"There's the financial side; there's the tax side, and I think that it's fair to talk about it all, and then we can make our decision. So, I think that our group, we simply put the school's finances out there," Augustine said.
Matthews acknowledged the clear message from voters and said the district will need time to determine how to move forward.
"It's going to take a lot of really good thinking to try to figure this out and try to identify how we can move some of these projects forward, if we can move any of the projects forward," Matthews said.
Both sides indicated they want community involvement in future discussions about the district's direction.
Matthews said he plans to gather feedback from residents through various means.
"Could be a survey that we send out. It could be coffee that I invite people to give me some feedback. But clearly, you know, the result of the vote was a clear message that this was not a proposal that people were in favor of," Matthews said.
Augustine hopes the community will be part of ongoing conversations about the district's needs.
"I hope that the community is involved in that conversation. I hope that you know, they ask us why we said no," Augustine said.
Despite the bond defeat, Matthews emphasized the district's continued quality.
"We're a great school district yesterday, we're a great school district today, and we'll be a great school district tomorrow," Matthews said.
The bond defeat does not mean immediate property tax reductions for residents. The district still has previous bonds being paid off, meaning any millage rate reduction will be incremental and take several years.
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