Dearborn Public Schools presents $1.51 billion, phased bond plan; officials say about 1,000 Dearborn Heights students would benefit

District representatives presented a proposed $1.51 billion, phased bond plan Tuesday and told Dearborn Heights council members the measure, if approved by voters in November, would fund a mix of new PK–8 campuses, major renovations and districtwide safety projects.

Interim Superintendent Lamese Roar said the plan grew out of years of community outreach after a 2019 bond failure. "This proposal, if passed, will benefit about a thousand of your students that attend Dearborn schools but live in Dearborn Heights," Roar said, adding that the district continued to solicit input and refine the proposal.

Paul Wills, a partner with Plantaran Real Point who is leading capital‑projects planning for the district, described the bond as a phased program of work intended to limit tax impacts by selling bonds across multiple series. "The total amount is 1.51 billion," Wills said when outlining the four-phase structure and estimated phase amounts.

Presenters listed phase estimates of roughly $366 million for phase one, $394 million for phase two, $426 million for phase three and $314 million for phase four. They said much of the first-phase funding will address critical infrastructure needs and districtwide safety upgrades such as secured vestibules, roofing, toilet rooms, traffic and bus improvements.

The district described programmatic goals beyond repairs: converting selected sites to PK–8 designs to keep cohorts together, expanding career and technical education, increasing special‑education inclusion (the presentation cited moving roughly 160 special‑education students onto a mainstream campus), and adding amenities such as multi‑stage gyms and six‑lane ADA‑accessible pools at some PK–8 sites.

Officials said the district commissioned independent facility and educational planners and conducted polling and stakeholder outreach (presenters reported about 400 survey respondents and roughly 150 focus‑group/interview participants) to shape priorities. Presenters also stated that 71% of respondents supported the lowest funding option described during the presentation (characterized in the talk as roughly $300 per year or $25 per month).

On tax impacts, presenters explained how the bond would affect millage rates and the district’s tax strategy. The presentation said the district’s current debt millage is 1.22 mills; the proposed bond would be sold in series to avoid a single large spike. Presenters also said the district would not collect a 2.18‑mill operating request to offset some of the new debt millage, a choice intended to reduce net increases for taxpayers.

During council questions, presenters clarified which Dearborn Heights residents would vote on and be affected by the bond: those who live in the area served by Dearborn Public Schools (described in the presentation as east of Telegraph and north of Ford Road). Presenters said roughly a thousand Dearborn Heights residents attend Dearborn schools but noted city boundaries and precinct arrangements create variation in who would see the ballot question.

The district said the board voted to place the bond on the November ballot; the transcript records the board action as occurring "on a 70 vote," and presenters described the board action as unanimous. The transcript does not provide a mover, seconder or a definitive roll‑call tally in clear form.

Presenters urged continued community input during design and phasing: they said each major phase will include additional public engagement and engineering coordination with municipalities. They also offered to return for itemized briefings on schools that directly affect Dearborn Heights residents.

Next steps outlined by the district include ballot messaging and community outreach led by district communications staff (presenters referenced "Katie" as a point of contact for ballot information), and the creation of public dashboards and regular reporting on program progress if the bond is approved.

The presentation closed after council input and questions; presenters thanked the council and invited further dialogue and feedback.