WHITEHALL — The Whitehall school board approved an operating millage to be placed on the ballot for the November election during its regular Monday meeting, a millage the board says addresses the most urgent needs facing the district.
The vote was 6-0 to approve the operating millage. Trustee Tim Cross was absent, but provided a letter in support of the request.
The board said approval would still leave Whitehall as the Muskegon County district with the lowest millage levy. Superintendent CJ Van Wieren said the millage would provide $30 million in revenue that would enable the district to address the aging HVAC systems in all four buildings, creating a secure office space at the high school, and updating the middle school cafeteria.
The HVAC systems are of particular interest to the board, which shared maintenance and facility supervisor Rick Blankstrom's report that the middle school's boiler has significant issues that must be addressed before this school year begins. The board has said in prior meetings that that system has passed the end of its expected lifespan.
Previous millage requests that intended to address those issues were voted down in May and November of 2023 as voters felt the district was adding requests for things it did not need, like an athletic turf field. Since then, Van Wieren said, the district has looked into how to address the most important issues, and the board feels this proposal does that. Cross' letter and comments by trustee Shannon McGoran, who credited recent community engagement efforts undertaken by Van Wieren and the district, underscored the united front being presented.
Related to the millage request, a presentation by Gwen Pettit, an energy solutions partner at HVAC company Trane, gave the district a look at the company's guaranteed energy savings program, which several districts in the state have utilized. Pettit said if the district signs on with Trane, the company's program would bring the district enough energy savings that it would effectively pay for the equipment upgrades. She said a preliminary estimate the company has done anticipates annual energy savings to the district of up to $100,000 and claimed closer inspection usually results in more savings than originally predicted.
In response to a question from trustee Melissa Moore about whether any prior district had fallen short of the energy savings guaranteed, Pettit said they have not, but there are provisions in contracts Trane signs with districts to provide financial relief if it does not occur.
