An informational meeting regarding the BRICS bond will be held at O.L. Smith on October 15th at 6:30pm. Please make sure you attend the meeting, to learn more about this.
A question on the Nov. 5 ballot will ask residents to approve a new $240 million bond for the district. The new bonds will not increase the current tax rate because it is replacing other bonds that are expiring. So while residents would not see their tax rate increase, the district could make some much needed repairs and upgrades.
BRICS is a nickname the District gave the bond to help residents understand that the money will be used for mostly brick and mortar needs. The acronym stands for Buildings, Renovations, Infrastructure, Capacity and Safety. About $194 million would go to buildings, renovations and infrastructure. Capacity would account for about $22 million, technology $14 million, and security $12 million.
The need for a bond began with discussions almost two years ago to address overcrowding at two of the District’s high schools.
That conversation led to the creation of a Citizens Infrastructure Task Force, which presented its findings to the Board of Education last October. The task force reported that infrastructure, capacity, and safety most needed to be addressed, but it also included air conditioning as a separate item for consideration.
All the BRICS Bond informational meeting dates will also be posted on the District’s bond website at https://iblog.dearbornschools.org/bond/. The District expects more meetings to be scheduled. Residents and families are invited to attend whatever meeting fits their schedule. A general meeting for the community is scheduled for Sept. 26 at 7 p.m. at the Administrative Service Center, 18700 Audette St.
A complete building-by-building list of planned projects is being developed. Once the list is finalized, each meeting will include a list of planned bond projects for that school. The full list will also be posted on the bond site.
Every school would see some benefits from the bond.
The bond’s main focus will be infrastructure including boilers and related equipment, restrooms, roofs, flooring, doors, windows, LED lighting, paving, and sidewalks. Some buses and technology needs will also be purchased.