PORTAGE, MI — In 2019, Portage Public Schools leaders decided it was time to update the district’s six elementary schools.
But officials couldn’t foresee a 30% jump in costs, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Voters approved a $175 million bond in 2021, with the plan of replacing five elementary schools and renovating another.
The cost has now ballooned to $267 million — a $92 million difference…