Saline, Michigan

Saline Area Schools

The district
5,200 students. 40 miles south of Detroit. BYOD technology plan.

The challenge
The school district was in dire need of upgrades to its classrooms and facilities to prepare students for the future, but two previous bond measures failed. In 2015, the district tried a third time, asking taxpayer’s for $67.5 million in capital improvements for schools.

The solution
School district leaders partnered with K12 Insight to conduct a climate survey to better understand how the community felt about the school’s current facilities. The district also launched Let’s Talk!™, K12 Insight‘s cloud-based community feedback solution, to field questions and concerns from community members ahead of the bond vote.

The results:

• Saline passed it’s $67.5 million bond with 60-percent of the vote
• Superintendent Scot Graden credits Let’s Talk! with fostering a two-way dialogue between the schools and the community
• The district has created a culture where parents and others feel empowered to ask questions and share feedback

Extra credit…
Saline’s bond, which features three funding cycles and would finish in 2022, is focused on keeping students, “Safe, Warm, Dry–and Future Ready.” Taxpayer funds will be used to upgrade aging buildings and outfit classrooms with the technology and infrastructure needed to keep students competitive in the 21st century.

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