On Monday, December 7, 2009, the Chippewa Valley Board of Education approved a resolution calling for a bond election to be held on Tuesday, February 23, 2010.  Chippewa Valley School residents will be asked to support an $89 million capital improvement program that will not raise the tax rate. Residents will continue to pay the same 7.65 mills they have been paying since 1979.  This bond proposal will help Chippewa Valley Schools continue its tradition of excellence and provide our children and school community with much needed improvements and upgrades to our schools.

For more than a year CVS has been studying the needs of our school district and best practices in education.   Last fall a comprehensive bond application detailing the proposed bond projects was presented to the Michigan Department of Treasury for their approval.  The application was approved by the State.

The bond proposal offers many improvements and upgrades but focuses only on the essential needs of the district that were identified as part of an overall five year strategic plan.

Four major areas are identified for improvement:

*Educational Technology - Replacement of out-dated equipment and systems /addition of new 21st Century classroom technology designed to improve student learning - Technology is an important learning tool for today’s students.   These new classroom systems will feature interactive white boards, audio enhancement, data projectors, and document cameras providing every teacher with enhanced instructional capabilities.  Similar systems are being used in neighboring school districts including Rochester, Grosse Pointe, and Troy.  Each building will also receive handheld classroom response systems.  District servers and infrastructure upgrades are needed to maintain and support current and new technology and outdated computers will be replaced.

*Safety Improvements - Security cameras, building surveillance systems at all levels, an expanded card access system, and bus replacements will help ensure the safety of our students.

*Facility Upgrades and Energy Conservation - Our school facilities require upgrades and improvements.  Selected roof replacement, parking lots, and exterior site work improvements are needed along with equipment and furniture replacement in some schools.  New electronic building signage where needed.  New energy efficient lighting, motion sensors and auto-shut off systems will be installed to reduce energy utilization and costs.