Copyright M Live Michigan
BIRCH RUN, MI — Birch Run Area Schools officials fell short again in convincing voters to approve a multimillion-dollar bond proposal. During the Tuesday, Nov. 4, election, voters rejected a $17.8 million bond proposal for the school district, 1,253 to 1,089 votes. Election officials consider the initial election results as an unofficial tally. Official results will follow the certification process from state and county election officials. The request marked the third ballot item the school district presented to voters in an eight-month span. In May, residents approved one of two proposals for the 1,800-student district, which spans Birch Run and Taymouth Township as well as a slice of northern Genesee County. The proposal defeated Tuesday involved a 20-year, 2.25-mill tax that essentially would have served as an extension to a 2012 tax measure voters narrowly approved for Birch Run Area Schools. If voters had approved the new proposal, taxpayers during the first year — 2026 — would have experienced no increase in taxes levied by the district compared to 2025, the ballot language stated. If approved, the bond would have funded improvements to school safety systems, replacement of aging roofs and boilers, updates to plumbing and electrical systems, additional classroom space at North Elementary School, new skilled trades instructional areas at the high school, new furniture, updated instructional technology, and track resurfacing, district leaders said. Birch Run and Taymouth Township residents voted against the measure, 1,227 to 1,080, Saginaw County clerk records stated. Genesee County’s Vienna Township voters rejected the proposal, 26 to 9, Genesee County clerk records stated. Voters in May defeated a proposal that would have funded $41 million in school facilities updates. The measure was rejected, 1,706 to 1,007 votes. Voters in May approved the district’s 18-mill operating millage renewal, 1,487 to 1,221 votes. Operating millages — unlike the bond proposal — fund day-to-day operations costs such as salaries, utilities, and classroom materials.
