Dearborn Public Schools seeks $1.5 billion bond proposal on November ballot

Dearborn Public Schools is asking voters in November to approve a $1.51 billion bond proposal that would revitalize its aging infrastructure.

The school board unanimously agreed to advance the measure Monday night. 

Dearborn has the third-largest school district in Michigan, with nearly 20,000 students.

School leaders say the bond proposal would be transformative over the next 20 years.

"We have over 30 buildings; we have almost a dozen schools that are a century old, and they need some TLC," said Lamis Srour, interim superintendent for Dearborn Public Schools.

Every building will get TLC if the bond is passed.

"The first phase, every single building will see major improvements, safe vestibules, HVAC where needed, roofing where needed," Srour said.

The plan calls for a facelift at all three Dearborn high schools.

"Those will not be new builds. The community wants them to remain as is, and we are listening to the community, but they will have major renovations inside and out," Srour said.

The school district's goal is to move to a PreK-8 model. Two schools in the district are already under this structure, which means consolidation and six brand new school buildings.

"There are many benefits of PreK-8 facilities. We can go on and on about them, but still maintaining that neighborhood feel and reducing our footprint in the city a little bit as well is important to us, and being efficient with our staffing and also providing benefits for our families, one drop-off versus two or three," Srour said.

Here's the most important part of the proposal: there will be a zero-tax increase for homeowners in the district.

"Even though the ballot language says an increase of 3.14 mills because the district is taking more mills, but the city is dropping off a mill to support us, and then our operating millage will no longer be collected, because (if) the bond passes, and we will no longer need that money," Srour said.

The district's interim superintendent explains what will happen if the bond proposal isn't passed.

"You know, the best we can do is fix and maintain, but we cannot improve with how big the district is and the needs that we have, and so when we're talking about transforming schools, giving our students what they need and what they deserve to thrive," Srour said.

Voters will ultimately decide the bond proposal's fate. It will be on the ballot during the general election in November.