KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – It was a big-money night at the Kalamazoo Public Schools board meeting as they approved spending nearly a quarter of a billion dollars.
The big-ticket item was the $218 million budget for the coming school year, most of it going to salaries and benefits to keep teachers teaching, bus drivers on the road, food service workers in the kitchen and administrators holding it all together.
Trustee Carol McGlinn says that’s assuming the state comes through with the 2% increase in the foundation grant legislators have been talking about.
The board also approved spending just over $36 million to start construction on the new El Sol Elementary in Kalamazoo Township.
Director of Facilities Karen Jackson says it’s been years in the making.
They hope to welcome the first students to the new school in fall of 2028.
Trustees also funded a $4-million makeover at one of their oldest schools, Woodward Elementary, that Jackson says will include a two-story connector to link their two buildings together.
They also plan to add an elevator at the 96-year-old school in the Stuart neighborhood, replace hallway and gym flooring, rebuild their front staircase, and replace the clock mechanism in the historic tower.
Woodward students will be shuttled to Oakwood Elementary for the year while construction is underway.
The construction costs on El Sol came in $4 million under budget, which will cover the costs of the improvements at Woodward.
The funding comes from bonds approved by voters years ago.
A groundbreaking ceremony at the El Sol site is scheduled for July 7th at 2 p.m.
They also approved the purchase of new school buses and a food services contract which brings the one-night total to nearly $250 million.
Superintendent Darrin Slade says the school district is fortunate to be in this position.
Slade says this year’s budget is very similar to last year’s spending plan, with stable enrollment numbers projected.
They will have to make some cost reductions because their increase in state funding will once again likely fail to keep up with inflation.
Comments