Near the shores of Lake Superior, Michigan's Houghton-Portage Township School District is known for academic leadership and strives to provide an exceptional and secure learning environment for its students. However, like many districts around the country, Houghton-Portage is not immune to the economic restrictions. In a recent effort to address the need for facility improvements, technology upgrades, and overall energy efficiency, the district had to be imaginative when it came to funding. By using some creative thinking and leveraging community support, the district funded school improvements through a performance contract coupled with a voted bond referendum, the first of its kind in the state of Michigan. In this article, the author discusses how the district developed an innovative funding model to meet the community's expectations and shares lessons in innovative funding for district improvements.