• 2023 Bond Progress Update
    Work is already underway in preparation for bond construction projects to begin in 2024.

    December 15, 2023  

    It has been just over a month since voters approved Proposition A and B in the November 2023 EMS ÀÏ˾»ú¸£ÀûÉç Bond Election, and a lot of work is already underway. 

    The Long-Range Facilities Planning Committee, comprised of 55 active members representing varying interests and perspectives across the district and community, met in early December to review the election results and look at proposed bond project timelines and schedules. Through its eight-month process to research and analyze district facility needs, the Committee prepared the recommendation that resulted in the 2023 Bond proposal that voters decided on November 7, 2023. 

    This group will continue to meet quarterly in an oversight capacity as EMS ÀÏ˾»ú¸£ÀûÉç completes this bond work over the next seven years. The first projects to get underway from the propositions approved by voters in the 2023 bond program include Wayside Middle School replacement, safety and security items, elementary campus updates, and design for upcoming capital improvements. 

    Replacement of Wayside Middle School 
    The first project to get underway is the construction of a new Wayside Middle School, located on Old Decatur Road near Bailey-Boswell Road next to the current school building. On Monday, December 11, the EMS ÀÏ˾»ú¸£ÀûÉç Board of Trustees approved the construction management method for the project, which is one of the first steps in preparing for construction of a specific bond project. This approval of a Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) model means that EMS ÀÏ˾»ú¸£ÀûÉç will hire a construction company to oversee the entire building project from start to finish. The district will begin the process of hiring that construction company in January 2024.  

    Soon after the bond election in November, representatives of EMS ÀÏ˾»ú¸£ÀûÉç, project architect VLK and project engineer TNP met with the City of Saginaw regarding the Wayside project. During the meeting, the group discussed the site location and project timelines. The city is requiring EMS ÀÏ˾»ú¸£ÀûÉç to provide a traffic impact analysis and a drainage study on the site before they issue construction permits. The district plans to begin conducting these studies in January with the goal of construction hopefully beginning in the spring. The first phase of construction is the demolition of the former EMS ÀÏ˾»ú¸£ÀûÉç Administration Building complex located next door to the current Wayside. Once those buildings are demolished and removed, the site can be graded in preparation for the construction of the new middle school. 

    Wayside Middle School will follow the same general design as Marine Creek Middle School, but will include a color scheme and graphical features that make the school distinctly Wayside, honoring the history and traditions of the campus that date back to the 1960s. 

    Safety and Security Projects 
    Several safety and security projects included in the 2023 Bond are scheduled to be completed in the summer of 2024. The vestibule buzz-in systems will be installed on all EMS ÀÏ˾»ú¸£ÀûÉç middle and high school campuses. Once installed, visitors will enter the vestibule, and will then be buzzed in before gaining access to the front office. Other safety and security purchases include additional communications equipment for the EMS ÀÏ˾»ú¸£ÀûÉç Police Department and additional security cameras for campuses across the district. 

    Elementary Campus Updates 
    Another safety feature at EMS ÀÏ˾»ú¸£ÀûÉç elementary schools will be the installation of a soft, smooth, ADA accessible turf-style ground covering at the elementary playgrounds, replacing the current wood chips. This multi-year project will take place over the course of the summer of 2024 and the summer of 2025. The district is still completing the work schedule and timelines for elementary campuses. 

    Elementary school gym floors will also be resurfaced during the 2024 summer break. This work will take place at Chisholm Ridge, Comanche Springs, Lake Pointe, Northbrook, Parkview and Remington Point elementary schools, where the composite floors have reached their lifespan of 20 years with typical use. 

    Design Work Begins 
    Design work on a range of capital improvement and maintenance projects approved in the 2023 Bond will take place over the course of 2024. In mid-2024, the design work on the expanded scene shop at Saginaw High School will get started, with construction beginning in 2025. 

    Design work on middle school #7, which will feature a new architectural design, and the new agricultural sciences building, which will also be a new, modern design to meet the current needs of EMS ÀÏ˾»ú¸£ÀûÉç students involved in agriculture courses and FFA, will begin later in 2024 with architect VLK. The district is still determining the specific locations for these buildings, although middle school #7 will be in the northern part of the district that is experiencing the largest growth. 

    All these projects are included as part of the two propositions, totaling $561.1 million, approved by voters in the election on November 7, 2023. EMS ÀÏ˾»ú¸£ÀûÉç will continue to provide regular project updates to voters and our community as this work is completed over the next seven years. With record growth projected for the EMS ÀÏ˾»ú¸£ÀûÉç area, the district appreciates the voters supporting high-quality public education for the current students and those who will join the EMS ÀÏ˾»ú¸£ÀûÉç community over the next several years. 
Expand All