ALPENA — Atlanta Community Schools is making improvements in all facets, for facilities and academics.

On Tuesday, residents in the Atlanta school district will be able to vote in a special election to approve a new sinking fund.

The sinking fund is a voter-approved, pay-as-you-go account used only for building repairs, safety upgrades, technology, and facility improvements, according to a graphic about the proposal.

The sinking fund, if passed, will ensure that the district can plan proactively, avoid emergency spending, and protect general operating funds for student education.

A recent statewide school facilities study report showed that the Atlanta Community Schools district needs a little over $4 million in facilities repairs. Superintendent Sue Grulke said that in the past two years, the school has spent around $300,000 on repairs for well pumps, sewage pumps, furnace replacement, door security, and athletic facility maintenance, among other things.

The sinking fund will generate around $200,000 annually for ACS for the next 10 years, according to a Q and A from the district. The proposal is a one mill sinking fund, which means a homeowner with a taxable value of $50,000 on their property would pay around $50 extra in taxes.

When ACS served as a shelter during the ice storm, equipment failures showed gaps in backup systems, according to the graphic.

The district fund balance is healthy now, but continued facility spending will deplete it, which could affect the district’s ability to support educational programs and classroom learning.

Grulke said that the fund will help with any repairs that are needed.

In the 2025 Michigan Context and Performance Report Card from the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, ACS is listed in the 100 most improved public elementary and middle schools, based on improvements in state test scores.

ACS improved its Context and Performance (CAP) score by 14.35 points from 2019 to 2025. CAP scores take into consideration the number of students with free or reduced lunches in a district, which neutralizes the impact of more affluent schools on the list, Grulke said.

The score primarily shows the improvement that the district has made since the COVID-19 pandemic, Grulke said, where many districts saw a decrease in student performance.

The top 100 list had score increases ranging from 9.76 points to 22.75 points, with Atlanta falling closer to the top of the list with their score increase.

Reagan Voetberg can be reached at 989-358-5683 or rvoetberg@TheAlpenaNews.com.