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Dearborn City School District holds second round of interviews to fill two board vacancies
Summary
At a Sept. 4 special meeting, the Dearborn City School District interviewed more than a dozen applicants for two trustee openings; candidates emphasized student-first governance, transparency on a proposed infrastructure bond, special-education services and mental-health supports.
The Dearborn City School District held a special Board of Education meeting on Sept. 4, 2025, to continue interviews for two vacant trustee seats, conducting five-minute interviews with multiple applicants who emphasized student-centered governance and transparency around district facilities planning.
Many candidates said they would prioritize student supports, mental-health services and special-education programs. Zamira Mahmood, who said she is an undergraduate at the University of Detroit Mercy and a recent graduate of Dearborn Public Schools, told trustees she would bring “a younger advocate” perspective and described supporting a board letter of understanding with the Dearborn Federation of Teachers on boundary exemptions and evaluations. Samah Khatib, chief executive of a multidisciplinary health-care agency, said her experience managing multimillion-dollar budgets and special-education services would inform decisions about program funding and contracts.
Infrastructure and a potential facilities bond featured repeatedly. Multiple applicants — including Angela, a parent and special-education advocate who said the district serves about 20,000 students (roughly 2,000 in special education), and Ali Frezat, an engineer who described directing large capital programs — urged proactive planning and early community engagement. Nasri Sobe, an attorney who works in Detroit economic development, commended the board’s contract with Quinn Evans for an infrastructure evaluation and called for transparent procurement and shared community priorities.
Academic outcomes and district leadership were also recurring themes. Candidate Mark Treziwiak noted a 95% graduation rate alongside a cited literacy rate under 50% and urged a focus on improving foundational skills as the district searches for a new superintendent and Henry Ford College president. Several candidates said the next trustee should help oversee hiring, budgets and long-range facility planning while resisting micromanagement of daily administration.
Applicants frequently framed their responses around community engagement and transparency. Multiple candidates referenced past bond or millage efforts and stressed that clear explanations of priorities, equitable distribution of funds across neighborhoods and visible accountability would be essential to secure public support. Candidates called for tools such as data dashboards and risk-assessment matrices to prioritize projects and make budgeting more transparent.
The board paused for a five-minute break at the end of the session; members said interviews would resume after the break. No formal votes or appointments were taken during the meeting.
