Dearborn School Board weighs bond proposal options

 

Four schools have reached the century mark

By SUE SUCHYTA

Times-Herald Newspapers

DEARBORN – With aging schools and infrastructure, the school board met in a study session Jan. 5 to determine the best way to approach the community with a bond proposal.

While focus groups showed support for Dearborn Public Schools, current economic conditions drove voters toward supporting a least cost bond proposal.

Logistically, four possible dates for a bond proposal to go before school district residents are: the Nov. 3 general election; a May 2027 special election; a Nov. 2, 2027, special election; and the Feb. 22, 2028, primary ballot.

Logistically and from a legal standpoint, it would take about 90 days for funds to be released if a bond proposal were passed by voters, with construction beginning at the earliest eight months following passage.

Dearborn Public Schools Director of Communications and Marketing David Mustonen said parts may no longer be available for infrastructure in some of the district’s older schools, and a school could foreseeably face closure for lack of repair parts.

The school district’s 35 buildings have an average age of 70 years, with a 74-year median age. Four buildings have reached the century mark, eight more are 90 years or older, and 14 schools are between 60 and 89 years old. None of the district’s schools are under 20 years old.

The district’s critical priority schools are Howe, Whitmore-Bolles Elementary, Salina Intermediate, and Salina K-4 school.

The seven high priority buildings include Nowlin Elementary, O.L. Smith K-4, Lindberg Elementary, Howard Elementary, Maples Elementary, McDonald Elementary, and the district’s transportation building.

Mark Fisk, a partner at Byrum & Fisk Advocacy Communications, presented research explaining what different demographics of voters were willing to support with respect to a school bond proposal.

Stakeholder interviews and focus groups were held during mid-2025, with focus groups divided into four demographics: Arab women under 50 with mixed educational background; Arab men under 40 with mixed educational background; non-Arab white seniors with different gender and educational backgrounds; and non-Arab, white non-parents under 60 with different gender and educational backgrounds.

In addition, 400 registered voters were polled by voice and text during the second week of December.

Overall, 61 percent of responders said Dearborn is “going in the right direction,” with a 72 percent positive response from Arab voters.

A majority of respondents said the Dearborn district is better than those of surrounding districts, while only half said the district is managing its finances well.

Among school district supporters, 71 percent said they would pick the lowest bond funding option or none at all.

Those surveyed said that school infrastructure, skilled trade programs and school heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems were top priorities for them. Notably, fewer respondents than in the past were opposed to providing air conditioning in school buildings.

Participants were strongly in favor of improvements that directly impact classroom and in-school learning experiences.

They favor targeted areas that they think have tangible, visible results in the community.

Respondents also support a smaller milage that does not try to do everything at once and ventures away from the core goal of improving classroom conditions.