Is Your Company Interested in Bidding on Building the Future of Learning? Contractor Orientation Meeting Set for Nov. 28.

Community Update Presentation

On October 18, 2016, community members joined PPS Adminstrators, Architects, Construction Managers and others for an update on the Building the Future of Learning projects.  Here is the presentation featuring the updated campus layout, middle school interior layout and exterior development, Central High School natatorium design and the Northern High School stadium design.
Click here to see the full presentation

Community Meeting Scheduled for October 18th

North Middle School
Little Theatre
5808 Oregon St.
6:30 pm

The community is invited to join us for the latest information on plans for the start of construction next spring on the new North Middle School, Portage Northern High School Athletic Facilities and the new pool at Portage Central High School The facilities will be the first to be completed under the $144 bond projects approved by voters in November 2015.

District Administrators and Project Architects will be on hand to present plans for Phase 1. Exterior plans and interior layouts for the new North and Central Middle Schools, Northern High School athletic facilities and Central High School’s pools will also be shared.  We will walk attendees through the construction documents and have updated information on construction timelines.  Time will  be set aside for questions from the audience.

The approved bond issue is funding several major components to improve Portage Public Schools with the goal of creating a 21^st century learning environment:

• Rebuilding Portage North and Portage Central Middle Schools
• Updating Portage West Middle School
• Building athletic facilities and pools at Portage Northern and Portage Central High Schools
• Updating technology to include 1:1 computing in all PPS schools
• Replacing aging school buses

If you have questions prior to the meeting contact the Community Relations Office at PPS at 269-323-5162.

Middle School Exterior Looks Approved

NOn Monday September 12th the School Board approved plans for the exterior looks and finishes for the new North Middle and Central Middle Schools.  While the buildings use a prototype floor plan and design, it is important to District that the new buildings fit in with their respective campuses. The exteriors of the buildings will differ in the color of brick and metal to complement the existing high schools, while still giving each building its own identity.

The School Board and Community also got a look at how designs are evolving for the Central High School pool,an addition to the high school building, and the new Northern High School stadium/athletic facility.

    Click here to see the full presentation 

With the approval, plans will move forward with construction documents. Bidding is expected to open in December.  Groundbreaking for the North Middle School and the Northern Stadium and fields, and the Central High School Pool  is slated for spring of 2017. 

Project Update - Design/Development Plans Continue to Take Shape

At at special meeting, on  July 27th, members of the design/construction team presented the latest information to the School Board and the Community as plans progress in the Design/Development phase of the Building the Future of Learning plans.  The group focused specifically on the site plans, middle schools and pools, as well as the first look at the athletic event facilities (stadiums).

The presentation included a review of the site master plans for both the Portage Central and Portage Northern Campuses, including how the designs evolved over time as more information from user groups, and studies of the site, terrain, utilities, traffic studies and construction timelines became available.

Planning for the Northern site has been particularly challenging for the design team because of a smaller site and logistics of building  a new stadium where none exists. As the team evaluated the options they had to measure the future needs, and the previous investment in infrastructure. Safety during the construction process was also a large consideration in the decision making process. Much time has been spent on coordinating space availability to continue programs (particularly athletics) while impacting the least number of students during the construction timeline. Athletic Directors, Coaches, Boosters and Administration have been working together to coordinate the use and sharing of available facilities and fields during the transition.

In the presentation posted here you see the most detailed plans to date, and the rational for the decision making based on wants, needs, budget, space available and the unique qualities of each campus. Plans will continue to be refined as more detailed information becomes available.

Click Here to see the Presentation 

Some people have been asking about how the Northern and Central campuses will compare once the construction is completed. The goal of the district and the design team has been, from the beginning, to have equitable facilities on both campuses.  The uniqueness and limitations of each site dictate that there will be some differences, particularly with the outdoor athletic facilities. To make it easy to compare we have come up with with a facility by facility comparison to see the similarities and the necessary differences.

A first look at schematic designs for new middle schools

The Board of Education and the community has had their first peek at the schematic designs for the new North and Central Middle Schools.  A schematic design defines the general scope and concept of the project including scale and relationships to other building components. The two middle schools are being planned using prototype designs.  This means the basic buildings will be the same with minor changes to accommodate the unique aspects of each campus.  The exterior materials, interior colors and other materials will vary to give each school its own identity and complement existing structures on each campus.   Click here to see the PowerPoint presentation to the Board of Education at the May 17, 2016 meeting.

Planning will now move into the design development stage in which more specific plans and details will be worked out. Advisory groups will continue to meet in the phase to provide input and insight. 

Portage Public School's Bonds Well Received by Bond Market.

The Board of Education of the Portage Public Schools is proud to announce the successful sale of its 2016 School Building and Site and Refunding Bonds in the amount of $144,805,000.  A portion of the bond issue, in the amount of $72,310,000, will be used to finance the first projects approved by the voters on November 3, 2015.  The remainder of the bond issue, in the amount of $72,495,000, will be used for the purpose of refunding all of the School District’s outstanding 2008 School Building and Site Bonds.  The refunding portion of this issue will reduce the School District's interest expense by approximately $13,670,147.

In preparing to sell the 2016 School Building and Site and Refunding Bonds, the School District, working with its financial advisor, H.J. Umbaugh & Associates, requested that Standard & Poors Ratings Services ("S&P") evaluate the School District's credit quality.  S&P assigned the School District’s rating of "AA-" with a stable outlook.  The rating agency cited the School District's strong incomes and good financial management practices in their rationale for rating the School District.

“We had a great team working on this project”, said Mark Bielang, Superintendent of Portage Public Schools, “We are pleased that the way the bonds were structured, priced and sold leverages the taxpayers investment in Portage Public Schools and allows us to focus on achieving the best outcomes for our students.”

The School District's financing was conducted by the Michigan investment banking office of the brokerage firm, Stifel, the financial advising firm, H.J. Umbaugh & Associates and the law firm serving as bond counsel, Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone, P.L.C.  The School District's 2016 School Building and Site and Refunding Bonds were sold at a combined true interest rate of 2.90% with a final maturity of 2040 (a repayment term of approximately 24 years).

Jeffrey Zylstra, Managing Director with Stifel states the, "Portage Public Schools' Bonds were very well received by the bond market.  We were able to take advantage of current low interest rates that met the goals of the District and provided a lower cost of borrowing than originally anticipated.