District overview
Pewamo-Westphalia Community Schools
Funding structure, how it compares to peers, and where major projects stand.
How Pewamo-Westphalia schools are paid for and who decides
Pewamo-Westphalia Community Schools runs one elementary school in Pewamo and one middle/high school in Westphalia, in Clinton County, Michigan. Most of its money comes from Michigan's per-pupil foundation allowance, so funding rises and falls with enrollment. State aid is about $9.7 million of the $10.7 million in planned 2026-27 general fund revenue. Local property taxes (18 mills on non-homestead property) add about $665,000. A seven-member Board of Education, elected to six-year terms, hires the superintendent and adopts the budget. Martin DuBois became superintendent on July 1, 2026.
State aid pays most of the bills
The 2026-27 budget counts on $9.67 million in state aid out of $10.74 million in general fund revenue.
Planned deficit
The 2026-27 budget plans to spend $220,154 more than it takes in, lowering the fund balance from $2.80 million to $2.58 million.
Big leadership turnover
In 2026 the district got a new superintendent and a new middle/high school principal, and the elementary principal resigned in September.
Bond projects finishing
Bond-funded building work wrapped up with a new turf football field in August 2026, but some Phase 1 punch-list items and a building-code dispute remained open in October.
The 2025-26 deficit ended far smaller than first planned ($37,457 instead of $494,651), and the district still has a fund balance of over $2.5 million. A planned deficit is not by itself a sign of trouble.
Where the district stands
Calculation: $10,956,417 / 685 students (NCES Common Core of Data). Different years; context only. Excludes food service, preschool and activity funds.
Major projects
School bond projects: Phase 3 turf football field and site work
field complete; final punch list and close-out under wayThe board ended construction manager PSI's role in Phase 3, then hired Katerberg Verhage for a turf football field. Smaller contracts covered a south parking lot extension and pine tree removal. Phase 1 close-out work with PSI was still under way in fall 2026.
- PSI removed from Phase 3
- $1.37M turf contract approved 5-2
- Turf installation begins
- Football field installation complete
- Final walkthrough pending; duct detector citation in litigation
Funding
Voter-approved bond (2023) and Public Improvement Fund for smaller items
Superintendent search and leadership transition
new superintendent in place; elementary principal job openThe board ran a public search with MASB, interviewed six candidates and hired Martin DuBois on a 2026-2029 contract. A new middle/high school principal and athletic director followed in summer 2026. The elementary principal resigned in September.
- Board picks MASB to run the search
- Public interviews with six candidates
- DuBois contract approved
- New MS/HS principal named
- Elementary principal resignation accepted
Funding
General fund (search run with MASB)
Data-based strategic plan
in developmentThe board hired MASB consultant Scott Morrell to build a 4-5 year strategic plan with measurable goals, using community input. A new mission statement was adopted in June 2026.
- Board agrees to start planning
- Consultant retained
- All-day board retreat
- New mission statement adopted
Funding
General fund (consultant contract; amount not stated)
Recent news
View the news feed →Resources
Practical guides to school phone policies, district budgets, and administrator hiring.
Explore resources →Board of Education agendas and minutes from www.pwschools.org (Board Meeting Agenda and Minutes page, October 20, 2025 through the October 19, 2026 agenda and administrative reports). Also the 2025-26 revised and 2026-27 budget resolutions from the Transparency Reporting page, the 2026-27 board meeting schedule, and the 2026-27 middle/high school student-parent handbook. Most minutes are scanned PDFs read with OCR.
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