The Dearborn Public Schools Board of Education continued its discussion of a possible infrastructure bond during a study session on Jan. 5, 2026, including hearing about four schools with critical needs and the results of a community study.
Residents can watch the entire study session on the district’s YouTube Channel.
As a result of input from trustees, school administrators are now working on four possible infrastructure bond plans to bring to the board for further discussion. The proposals will allow trustees to compare different scenarios, narrowing the options before possible plans are presented to the public for more feedback.
Different estimates show district buildings need well over than $1 billion in work, noted Tom Wall, Executive Director of Business Operations. Among the issues for the board to decide is how large the bond should be in both dollars and tax millage, what work would be included, and when to take the issue to voters.
During the Jan. 5 meeting, representatives from Quinn Evans gave an overview of their study of the district’s building needs.
Many factors went into ranking the buildings, including a detailed review of facility conditions and how well each building could be adapted to current and expected learning models. Schools were then categorized as low, moderate, high, or critical priority. Those with the most urgent rankings do not function well for students.
Four schools were tagged for critical needs – Howe, Lowrey K-8, Salina Intermediate and Whitmore Bolles. Lowrey was the only school that Quinn Evans suggested for a full replacement.
For Lowrey, the building has so many issues that constructing a new school on the site would cost about the same amount as bringing the current building up to par functionally. But repairing the 99-year-old building would still leave the district with an old school that was too large and not designed for current learners, according to the report.
By contrast, the Howe School building does not have significant mechanical or structural issues, but the space is not functional for the 175 severely disabled students in the building. For example, some halls are lined on both sides with special equipment for the students because there is no other space available. Quinn Evans recommended Howe School, or at least the special education program, be moved to a new structure designed specifically for students with intense physical needs. The report did not suggest a location for the new school, but trustees and administrators clarified any new special education program would still be attached to a traditional school so those students could interact with general ed peers. Officially named Howe Montessori and Center Based Education, the unique school has about 300 students. Less than half of the students are in-district school-of-choice students attending a Montessori-style preschool through fifth grade elementary school. The rest of the students are in programs for severely disabled students ranging in age from preschool through 25 years old.
Howe is one of several programs at the Dearborn Heights Campus, so if some or all of the school moved, the space could be repurposed for new or existing programs in the building.
During the meeting, the board also heard a report from Byrum and Fisk. The consultants held stakeholder interviews, focus groups, and a formal survey to gather community input about a possible bond.
Overall, the public was favorable to a bond for the school district, but most were not aware of how urgently district buildings need repairs, Mark Fisk reported. Voters were particularly supportive of infrastructure improvements, HVAC upgrades, and skilled trades.