Bright Midland is a community-led effort supporting our schools — starting with the Sinking Fund proposal and the conversation about what comes next. Learn More
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Get Informed
Need-to-know info about the MPS Sinking Fund proposal on the ballot November 3rd.
TIP! There is a lot of confusing information (and misinformation) out there. Take time to learn the facts and/or attend an event where you can get information directly.
Quick facts
1.5
Mills
10
Years
$4.6M
Per Year
$15
Monthly cost for $240K Home
IMPORTANT
No Debt, No Interest
.SINKING FUNDS are available to use when taxes are collected. Unlike a Bond, there are no loans and no interest - no debt is incurred. As money in the fund is used, the available balance "sinks" (just like your own bank account). It is replenished with the next year's taxes (like your bank account is replenished with your next paycheck).
DIFFERENCE: In May 2025, on a Bond that would have been paid over 25 years, with interest, similar to a home mortgage. Just like you need a mortgage to make a large purchase to buy a home, the district can only fund large construction projects, such as new buildings, with Bonds.
Eligible Scope
Sinking Funds are designed for capital expenditures that include repair or replacement of aging infrastructure, instructional technology, and school busess.
By law, Sinking Funds cannot be used for operating expenses such as:
•regular building maintenance
•routine supplies
•staff salaries.
It is also not possible to build new facilities, such as a new Northeast or a new unified high school campus with these Sinking Funds. These would require us to approve a Bond. Bright Midland aims to help facilitate discussions in the community about what we need before a future Bond is proposed. Please help correct misinformation, confusion and rumors you may be hearing.
Priorities
The priority projects included in the Sinking Fund proposal came from consistent Community input. Without exception Safety & Security and addressing aging Infrastructure came to the top our list. The projects proposed in the Sinking Fund align directly with these priorities.
All communities members were invited into the process in Spring 2026 via:
• Open community engagement sessions (10)
• Blueprint for Tomorrow Steering Team process (29 members)
• Community Survey (1800 responses)
• Scientific poll (3rd party phone survey)
NOTE: CTE also came to the top our priority list, although new CTE facilities or CTE space expansions cannot be completed with Sinking Funds and would require Bond funding
Midland Public Schools Information Resources
Presented by Superintendent Dr. Penny Miller-Nelson, as shared in the MPS Information Sessions. If you can't make a session live where Penny takes Q&A - this is the next best option! Excellent and informative.
Learn about the scope and priorities, projects planned, homeowner cost, and FAQs about how Sinking Funds work. You can also learn about the Facilities Assessment and the community input that shaped the proposal.
Summarizes key need-to-know information about the proposal. Great for personal use and for group discussions. Or, print (double-sided) to share at your next event.
View the exact ballot language and what it means. The proposal will be on the back of your ballot at the bottom. It is a straightforward Yes/No vote: Yes = For the proposal.