Utica Community Schools details multi‑million dollar building and athletic projects affecting Sterling Heights
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Summary
Utica Community Schools assistant superintendent John Graham told council the district is executing the 2018 and 2023 bond programs across Sterling Heights, including reconstructed elementary schools, new playgrounds, and a planned athletic campus at 16 Mile Road and Dodge Park scheduled to open in spring 2026.
Utica Community Schools is moving forward with a slate of school reconstructions, site redesigns and a new multi‑field athletic campus that will affect several Sterling Heights neighborhoods, Assistant Superintendent for Auxiliary Services John Graham told the City Council.
Graham said the district’s 2018 and 2023 bond programs—approved by voters—are funding safety upgrades, modernized classrooms and campus reconfigurations across the district’s 40 facilities. “At the top of the list, always important to us is the safety of our students and our staff,” he said.
Major elements Graham described:
- Elementary reconstructions and relocations: DeKeyser Elementary was rebuilt from its original footprint; Rose Kidd was renovated to temporarily house Grebner students; Grebner reconstruction began June 2025 and Graham said it will reopen in roughly 14 months. Havel Elementary is slated to open in fall 2027.
- Site and safety work: The district has added rapid‑flash beacons and improved crosswalks at Stevenson High School and Havel Elementary and is prioritizing separated bus and parent drop‑off loops to reduce traffic and enhance student safety.
- Athletic campus at 16 Mile Road and Dodge Park: Graham said the project will consolidate tennis, baseball and softball fields into a dedicated athletic campus with full‑turf baseball/softball fields, press boxes, grandstand seating, concessions and restrooms. He said the campus is scheduled to open for the spring 2026 season.
- Runkel Stadium: Moving fields off the Stevenson campus will free space for planned improvements to Runkel Stadium; Graham said planning for that work is underway and further announcements are expected in four to six months.
Graham framed the projects as part of a broader strategy to make facilities safer, modern and comfortable and said the district’s approach to elementary construction emphasizes “learning communities” and compartmentalization to improve safety and flexible instruction.
The presentation was informational; no council action on school projects was recorded during the meeting. Graham thanked city staff for interagency cooperation and residents for approving the bonds.
