Dearborn Public Schools is holding a bond vote on Nov. 5, asking voters to approve a new $240 million bond. The new bond will not increase tax rates for residents. Residents will continue to pay the current 4.82 mills for school bond debt. That is possible because some current bonds will be paid off in the coming years.
The District has named the bond BRICS because the projects will focus on bricks-and-mortar type work, including buildings, renovations, infrastructure, capacity and safety. A Citizens Task Force spent more than three months working to identify the most critical needs in the District.
Bond money would be used largely to update the aging infrastructure in the schools, including items like boilers used to heat buildings, roofs, parking lots, windows, bathrooms, flooring, plumbing, electrical and more. Some additional classroom space could also be added, and renovations would include moving school offices to improve safety. All schools will benefit from the bond proposal, if passed.
Dearborn Public Schools has 34 buildings with 3.2 million square feet of space to maintain. That is twice as big as Ford Field Stadium and five times more space than the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation. The average age of school buildings in the District is 65, with 12 buildings more than 90 years old, another 12 ages 60 to 75, six between 20 and 59 years, and four younger than 20 years.
By law, bond funds cannot be used for items like salaries, books or everyday supplies. The revenue must be used for construction projects and some capital investments such as buses and technology. To learn more about the proposed bond, visit the District’s bond website at http://bit.ly/BRICSbond.
Dearborn Public Schools and the City of Dearborn are separate government bodies.