HUDSONVILLE, Mich. (WOOD) — Hudsonville Public Schools is working to manage a boom in the number of students, asking for a bond to expand and improve buildings.
The district says the student population has doubled in the last 20 years.
“The projection is that our enrollment will increase by about 500 kids in the next five years,” Superintendent Doug VanderJagt told News 8 over the phone Wednesday. “We’ve averaged about 125 kids additional every year for the past eight (years).”
Staff in the school buildings says they can see the growth in their classrooms.
“Class sizes have definitely increased,” Hudsonville High School teacher Marc Beemer. “If we have well over 30 to 40 students in the classroom, it’s going to be more difficult for our students to learn.”
To manage the growth, the district is asking for a $140 million bond to build new and improve current facilities. The district says the improvements won’t require a tax rate increase. Rather, the bond will extend the current rate further into the future.
“Because of how many new developments have moved into the Hudsonville community and the turnover of houses, we’ve been able to pay off our bonds faster than projected,” explained VanderJagt. “We can pay it off in eight to 14 years.”
Read more at 24 hour news 8.