Dearborn Voters Approve $1.5 Billion School Bond

The measure passed with 68% of the vote, authorizing a 20-year program to rebuild and renovate Dearborn Public Schools facilities. Construction could begin as early as spring or summer 2027, with work organized into four phases.

The first phase calls for three new buildings: a Salina Intermediate school, a new Lowrey school, and a combined Nowlin and Smith facility serving pre-K through eighth grade, with a special education wing. Across the full plan, six new schools serving students from pre-K through eighth grade are planned, alongside major work at other elementary, middle and high schools.

The bond will also pay for secure entrances at 24 schools, repairs to roofs and heating and cooling systems, new career and STEAM spaces, technology and athletic upgrades, and replacement buses. The district’s buildings average about 70 years old, and roughly one-third are nearly a century old or older. The plan seeks eventually to install air conditioning at every school.

The funding uses a 3.14-mill increase. Officials say reductions in other city and school operating millages will offset the cost for current Dearborn taxpayers, leaving their overall tax rate unchanged. Dearborn Heights residents in the portion of the district outside the city would see an additional 0.96 mill in school-related property taxes.

The city plans to pay off the millage over 30 years. The school board intends to establish a community oversight committee, with details on participation still being finalized.

Dearborn Voters Back Long-Term Investment in Aging Schools

Dearborn voters chose a major investment in students and educators, approving a $1.5 billion bond with 68% of the vote. The plan responds to a district where buildings average about 70 years old and roughly a third are nearly 100 years old or older.

The four-phase program includes six new schools for students from pre-K through eighth grade and extensive renovations at other schools. The first phase is slated to build a new school at Salina Intermediate, a new Lowrey building and a shared Nowlin-Smith facility with a special education wing. Upgrades will include secure entrances at 24 schools, heating and cooling repairs, career and STEAM spaces, technology improvements and replacement buses.

Officials say reductions in other city and school operating millages will offset the 3.14-mill increase for current Dearborn taxpayers, leaving their overall tax rate unchanged. Residents in the Dearborn Heights portion of the district outside the city would face an additional 0.96 mill in school-related property taxes.

Construction could start as early as spring or summer 2027 and will unfold over about 20 years. The city plans to cover the millage over 30 years. A community oversight committee is planned, though participation details have not been completed. The investment gives the community a path to address deteriorating facilities and improve the places where students learn.

Dearborn Bond Adds Taxes for Some as School Overhaul Begins

Dearborn voters approved a $1.5 billion school bond, passing the cost of a sweeping school construction program onto property-tax bills. The 3.14-mill increase is expected to be offset for current Dearborn taxpayers through reductions in other city and school operating millages, officials say. But Dearborn Heights residents in the district’s northern section would face an additional 0.96 mill in school-related taxes.

The bond received 68% support and will fund six new schools for students from pre-K through eighth grade, extensive renovations, secure entrances at 24 schools, heating and cooling repairs, technology and athletic upgrades, and replacement buses. The first phase includes new schools at Salina Intermediate and Lowrey, as well as a combined Nowlin and Smith building with a special education wing.

The work is set to roll out in four phases over about 20 years, with construction potentially beginning in spring or summer 2027. The city plans to retire the millage over 30 years, extending the financing well beyond the initial construction period.

The district’s buildings average about 70 years old, and roughly a third are close to a century old or older. The bond also seeks eventually to install air conditioning in every school. A school board community oversight committee is planned, but its participation details are still being finalized.