2015 Bond Program

The 2015 bond program contained projects that spanned four key focus areas:

• Enhancing safety and security
• Increasing energy efficiency of MPS buildings
• Addressing aging or underutilized facilities
• Creating 21st-century, modern learning environments

Click the buttons below to view the initial 2015 Application for Qualification of Bonds and a complete work list of all projects that were part of the 2015 bond program. As you read the work list, it will be helpful to refer to the legend below.

2015 Bond Work List Legend

*A note about yellow projects on the work list:

Projects marked in yellow on the work list were included in the original bond application, but were completed with an altered scope from the original description or were removed from the original plans. There are numerous reasons why this could have occurred.

The lifecycle of the 2015 bond spanned over a decade, and priorities and needs during that length of time can shift.  In some cases, certain projects required additional funding beyond the initial budget based on increased scope or higher costs. In addition, unanticipated needs sometimes occur during a project's lifespan that require immediate attention for the safety of our students and staff or the integrity of our facilities.

Some examples of these projects include:  

• Design elements at Central Park Elementary to STEM-ify the school required additional square footage beyond the original scope of the project.
• Funding calculations for new furniture at our secondary schools allocated $1.75 per square foot. We found that these funds were not sufficient to adequately equip all classroom spaces with new furniture. After more study, we determined that the current secondary school furniture was sufficient to last until another capital campaign could be implemented. During the 2015 bond, furniture was purchased for renovated media centers and office spaces; however, the original description listed classroom furniture in the scope. For transparency purposes, the items were marked as yellow, even though some furniture was purchased.
• Original plans called for the demolition of the chimney at Northeast Middle School. After further analysis, we found that the structure was safe and plans should hold until the future of Northeast was determined. As a result, the chimney was not demolished.
• Complete replacement of the boiler system at Dow High School was not in the original project plans. System failures at the school required us to address the boiler system immediately.

As real costs became known and additional needs emerged throughout the 2015 bond, the construction management team, MPS facilities planning team, and applicable Board of Education committees assisted in determining how to allocate funds and set priorities. It's important to remember that the district is bound by law to comply with the original ballot language that was approved by voters, which is verified by independent auditors throughout the lifecycle of the bond.  The District received clean audits on every bond-related audit that has been completed. You can read the audits for Series 1 and Series 2 via the buttons below.

(Updated September 24, 2025)

At this time, the following 2015 bond projects are still in progress or outstanding as part of Series 3:

• Purchase of approximately 6,000 Chromebooks for grades K-8 (technology equipment)
• Purchase of staff working devices (technology equipment)
• Replacement of remaining buses in the transportation fleet