Dearborn Public Schools Election: No Vote On Bond Proposal

DEARBORN, MI — Dearborn Public Schools Board of Education asked residents to approve a bond for school infrastructure that wouldn’t raise taxes, but would infuse the district with $240 million to improve the schools with repairs and updates needed.

With all 52 precincts counted, vote totals stood at 51.67 percent against the bond proposal to 48.33 percent in favor. The unofficial total defeats the proposal by 470 votes.

Dearborn Public Schools includes 34 buildings and 3.2 million square feet of building space for its 20,700 students. Each school building would have seen some improvement with the bond approval, organizers said. On average, each elementary school would have gotten $4 million in work, while middle schools received $8 million and high schools got $15 million each.

The $240 million was the amount of money that can be added to the current bond debt without increasing the current millage rate of 4.82, according to officials.

The district dubbed the bond BRICS for the areas it would target: Buildings, renovations, infrastructure, capacity and safety. The main focus for the funding is infrastructure including boilers and related equipment, restrooms, roofs, exterior doors and windows, LED lighting, paving and sidewalks, and technology infrastructure.

These focus areas were identified during several months of work by the Citizens Infrastructure Task Force. The group presented its findings to the Board of Education in October 2018. The task force reported that infrastructure, capacity, and safety most needed to be addressed, but it also included air conditioning as a separate item for consideration.

The group said they will continue to focus on the students after the failed vote.

"Although the outcome of the election is now what we wanted or expect3ed, we are proud of our positive campaign," they posted on their Facebook page. "As we move forward, our mission will always remain #studentsfirst."

Opponents on the bond thought the plan was too rushed and pointed to overlapping priorities from previous proposals and redoing work that was done within the last ten years in the schools.

Dearborn Parents For Better Schools, which led the "no" campaign, said voters "spoke loud and clear demanding transparency, accountability and real solutions" for the schools in Dearborn.

"We want solutions free of the divisive politic that have plagued our city and schools for too long," the group announced Wednesday. "The work will now begin to ensure that the residents, school board and administration work collectively to find progressive and fiscally sound so.utions for the challenges facing our schools."

The bond was the only question on the November ballot, making it a unique election in Dearborn, City Clerk George Darany said.

The election turnout was about 20% of the city's more than 60,000 registered voters.