The Dearborn Board of Education is seeking community input in regards to placing a $76 million bond proposal on either the August 6, 2013 Primary Ballot or the November 5, 2013 General Election Ballot. Anyone interested in sharing their opinion can take part in a quick and easy survey by visiting the district website, clicking on the link located on the home page. No personal information will be collected by the survey.
“Although this is a non-scientific poll it will provide the Board with one more way of gathering input from the community about the two election dates,” commented David Mustonen, Communications Coordinator for the Dearborn Public Schools.
At the March 11, 2013 Board of Education meeting the administration presented a proposal for a $76 million bond that would provide funding for Security, Modifications, Additions, Remodeling, Technology, and Transportation. The bond is being called the S.M.A.R.T. Bond, an acronym for the projects included in the proposal.
The district has 19,100 students with over 6,200 of them added during the last 26 consecutive years of enrollment gains. A need to provide additional security, increased student numbers, an aging inventory of buildings (35 total with 23 ranging from 50 to 90 years old), state required on-line testing, an aging fleet of busses, and an 8.1 percent decline in funding from the state over the last five years have all contributed to the need for the district to seek a voter approved bond.
Community members can find out more information, leave comments, ask questions, and engage in a constructive dialogue at a special website dedicated to providing information only on the 2013 S.M.A.R.T. Bond, https://iblog.dearbornschools.org/2013bond/.
A voter approved bond project would not increase the current 5.81 mill rate taxpayers are currently paying due to the retirement of existing bond debt.