Leaders from Suttons Bay Public Schools (SBPS) will share the latest updates on the district’s bond project work at a community forum scheduled for this Thursday, January 22. The meeting is open to the public and will begin at 5pm in the Suttons Bay High School auditorium.

Voters approved an $18.3 million bond from SBPS in May 2024. Bond work includes replacing or upgrading boilers, roofs, windows, and other infrastructure, along with improving security and building a new all-purpose gym. The biggest part of the project is the removal of some 55,000 square feet of under-utilized building space, including the campus's dated “north wing.” Those reductions will allow SBPS to “right-size” its campus to suit its enrollment numbers, which have dwindled by about 50 percent over the past two decades.

Speaking to The Ticker in August, SBPS Superintendent Casey Petz said that the first major bond projects would start happening in spring 2026, with the coming summer and ensuing school year getting “very busy on campus.”

According to a press release from SBPS, Thursday’s forum will provide an overview of the updated bond project timeline, a status update of “completed works” so far, a rundown of next steps for construction, and a look at drawings and designs. The event will also offer Q&A time to address community questions or concerns.

“Transparency and community engagement remain a top priority as we move through the bond project,” Petz said. “This forum gives us the opportunity to update our community on progress, preview upcoming work, and answer questions as the bond project work progresses.”