By Greg Chandler
Zeeland Record
The Zeeland Public Schools have gotten the green light to move ahead with its most ambitious bond issue in the district’s history.
Voters on Nov. 4 narrowly approved a $186.4 million bond proposal that was more than twice the amount of the last bond issue voters passed in 2021, a $75 million proposal. The bond issue will not raise the district’s debt service millage, which currently stands at 7.45 mills, or $7.45 per $1,000 of taxable value.
The final vote count was 3,537 yes votes to 3,316 no votes, factoring in both totals from Ottawa County as well as a small portion of Allegan County that is also part of the ZPS district.
“The approval of this bond is a powerful reminder of what Zeeland values most,” ZPS Superintendent Rod Hetherton said. “We’re a place where people come together, invest in relationships, and always look out for the next generation. We’re so thankful to walk alongside a community that shows up for its students. It reflects a shared belief in our schools, our staff, and the potential of every student. We move forward with thankful hearts and a strong commitment to serving our families well.”
The new bond issue will expand and renovate Creekside Middle School, most notably adding four new classrooms to the north of the sixth-grade wing. Other spaces would be repurposed, with a total net gain of six new classrooms once construction is completed. The expansion would eliminate the need for portable classrooms that are currently on the north side of the Creekside campus, Hetherton said.
Design work on Creekside is scheduled to take place next year with construction to begin in 2027, according to a bond issue timeline that is on ZPS’ website.
ZPS’ elementary buildings will all get upgrades under the bond issue, with particular attention placed on the district’s older buildings – Lincoln, Roosevelt and New Groningen. All of the district’s elementary playgrounds will be updated, and infrastructure improvements such as updated heating and cooling systems, electrical and mechanical systems and roofing will also be included.
Improvements to Lincoln and Roosevelt are scheduled to take place in 2027-28, while upgrades at New Groningen are scheduled for 2030-21, according to the bond issue timeline.
In addition, the district’s transportation and maintenance facilities would be upgraded. Both are more than 30 years old and have some of the same infrastructure issues as the elementary buildings, such as heating and cooling, roofing, windows and doors.
Other projects that will be funded by the bond issue include:
• Improvements to DeWitt Auditorium at Zeeland East High School that include seating, flooring, lighting and sound.
• Updating all aspects of Lokers Auditorium of Cityside Middle School, including seating, flooring, lighting and sound. A new choir room would be built on the southeast side of the building and the existing choir room would become backstage space.
• Upgrades at Zeeland Stadium, including new bleachers, no longer built into the side of a hill, that include more seating and better sightlines for handicapped seating, a larger entry area that will allow for better flow of patrons in and out of the stadium, remodeled locker rooms and bathrooms and press box improvements.
• Creating a large multi-use building where the current Zeeland West soccer field now sits that would include turf and an indoor track, as well as a portable floor that could be used for dance or other large-group activities.
• Create shared space at Zeeland West for the school’s robotics program and the new public safety course.
District administrators began work on the new bond proposal in 2022 with a facilities assessment. They conducted staff surveys and met with building principals and directors last year to get further input on district needs, ZPS Assistant Superintendent of Administrative Services Jon Voss said earlier this year.
Voter support for the bond issue was strongest in the city of Zeeland and Holland Township. About 63 percent of the voters that cast ballots in the city voted yes – 898 yes votes to 517 no. In precincts 5, 9 and 12 of Holland Township, the bond issue received 60 percent support – 1,176 yes votes to 771 no.
The margin of support was narrower in Zeeland Township, where the bond issue passed 1,059 to 993.
Opposition was strongest in Blendon and Olive townships as well as the Allegan County portion of the district. The bond issue was opposed in Blendon 406-141, in Precinct 2 of Olive 343-147, and in the Allegan County portion 184-72.
For further information on the bond issue, visit zps.org/bond-2025.
Zeeland Record
The Zeeland Public Schools have gotten the green light to move ahead with its most ambitious bond issue in the district’s history.
Voters on Nov. 4 narrowly approved a $186.4 million bond proposal that was more than twice the amount of the last bond issue voters passed in 2021, a $75 million proposal. The bond issue will not raise the district’s debt service millage, which currently stands at 7.45 mills, or $7.45 per $1,000 of taxable value.
The final vote count was 3,537 yes votes to 3,316 no votes, factoring in both totals from Ottawa County as well as a small portion of Allegan County that is also part of the ZPS district.
“The approval of this bond is a powerful reminder of what Zeeland values most,” ZPS Superintendent Rod Hetherton said. “We’re a place where people come together, invest in relationships, and always look out for the next generation. We’re so thankful to walk alongside a community that shows up for its students. It reflects a shared belief in our schools, our staff, and the potential of every student. We move forward with thankful hearts and a strong commitment to serving our families well.”
The new bond issue will expand and renovate Creekside Middle School, most notably adding four new classrooms to the north of the sixth-grade wing. Other spaces would be repurposed, with a total net gain of six new classrooms once construction is completed. The expansion would eliminate the need for portable classrooms that are currently on the north side of the Creekside campus, Hetherton said.
Design work on Creekside is scheduled to take place next year with construction to begin in 2027, according to a bond issue timeline that is on ZPS’ website.
ZPS’ elementary buildings will all get upgrades under the bond issue, with particular attention placed on the district’s older buildings – Lincoln, Roosevelt and New Groningen. All of the district’s elementary playgrounds will be updated, and infrastructure improvements such as updated heating and cooling systems, electrical and mechanical systems and roofing will also be included.
Improvements to Lincoln and Roosevelt are scheduled to take place in 2027-28, while upgrades at New Groningen are scheduled for 2030-21, according to the bond issue timeline.
In addition, the district’s transportation and maintenance facilities would be upgraded. Both are more than 30 years old and have some of the same infrastructure issues as the elementary buildings, such as heating and cooling, roofing, windows and doors.
Other projects that will be funded by the bond issue include:
• Improvements to DeWitt Auditorium at Zeeland East High School that include seating, flooring, lighting and sound.
• Updating all aspects of Lokers Auditorium of Cityside Middle School, including seating, flooring, lighting and sound. A new choir room would be built on the southeast side of the building and the existing choir room would become backstage space.
• Upgrades at Zeeland Stadium, including new bleachers, no longer built into the side of a hill, that include more seating and better sightlines for handicapped seating, a larger entry area that will allow for better flow of patrons in and out of the stadium, remodeled locker rooms and bathrooms and press box improvements.
• Creating a large multi-use building where the current Zeeland West soccer field now sits that would include turf and an indoor track, as well as a portable floor that could be used for dance or other large-group activities.
• Create shared space at Zeeland West for the school’s robotics program and the new public safety course.
District administrators began work on the new bond proposal in 2022 with a facilities assessment. They conducted staff surveys and met with building principals and directors last year to get further input on district needs, ZPS Assistant Superintendent of Administrative Services Jon Voss said earlier this year.
Voter support for the bond issue was strongest in the city of Zeeland and Holland Township. About 63 percent of the voters that cast ballots in the city voted yes – 898 yes votes to 517 no. In precincts 5, 9 and 12 of Holland Township, the bond issue received 60 percent support – 1,176 yes votes to 771 no.
The margin of support was narrower in Zeeland Township, where the bond issue passed 1,059 to 993.
Opposition was strongest in Blendon and Olive townships as well as the Allegan County portion of the district. The bond issue was opposed in Blendon 406-141, in Precinct 2 of Olive 343-147, and in the Allegan County portion 184-72.
For further information on the bond issue, visit zps.org/bond-2025.
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