Telegram - Serving Metropolitan Detroit Since 1944

In November, voters served by the Westwood Community School District approved the district's request to pass a $24.5 million bond proposal to invest in the districts aging educational infrastructure. The Westwood Community School District is headquartered in Dearborn Heights and serves the cities of Dearborn Heights, Inkster, and Dearborn.

Westwood Superintendent Dr. Stiles Simmons arrived in the district in the summer of 2018 and says he immediately realized the district would need renovations to classrooms, building exteriors, hallways, and parking lots. He also acknowledged the district has historically been one which struggles financially, having passed it last bond proposal in 1958. Following a need assessment which was conducted by an outside consulting firm, it was determined the district would need $45 to 50 million to fully modernize all buildings. "I thought it would be best to do something that would be a bit more manageable, more feasible and could help us begin to make the necessary upgrade to our facilities, so we decided to go for a Sinking Fund, which generates $7.7 million over a ten-year period. It was nowhere near what was actually needed but it was a great start, in our minds," he recalls. "We were looking to start somewhere so that we could establish some sort of track record and demonstrate to the voters and community leaders that we're responsible stewards of the taxpayers' dollars and that we're doing good thing to help improve the educational environment for our students and staff."

The Sinking Fund passed in early 2020 and was immediately followed by the arrival of the COVID Pandemic. While the pandemic brought its own set of challenges, it also brought federal relief dollars to school districts across the nation. Westwood utilized roughly $12 million of COVID relief funding, and together with the Sinking Fund, the district began work on replacing roofs, boilers, ventilation systems, adding security upgrades including cameras in all buildings, and new water filling stations to replace old, worn drinking fountains. District leaders then began asking themselves, what's next? Simmons, along with other district leaders and community partners, knew that more financing was needed to complete what had been a successful start at renovating the district's educational infrastructure with the goal of providing a 21st century educational experience for the students. They decided to present the $24.5 million bond proposal to the voters and provided all information on how the funds would be spent to allow voters to make an informed decision. The bond passed with 58 percent of voters saying "Yes."

DR. STILES SIMMONS - Westwood Superintendent

The bond proposal will cost the average homeowner less than $15 a month. In return, the district receives funding which will provide the means to finance major capital projects which include renovations to the football field and new turf for the football field, new secure exterior doors for all schools, renovations to the high school's auditorium, renovations to science classrooms, STEM labs, and freshly painted classrooms and new classroom furniture, to name a few. Simmons says the improvements will boost the morale of students, staff and the community as well. "The state and condition of your facilities communicates whether you're serious and prioritize safety and security, it communicates whether you prioritize a type of educational experience and whether you're serious about providing a particular type of work environment," he says. "The passage of this bond says we are serious about the type of education we want to provide for our students and that we are serious about making sure that staff and students are safe while they are in this particular environment."

Simmons is excited about the variety of projects planned for the district and says the district is eternally grateful to the voters for approving the bond proposal, and the district will demonstrate its willingness to be good stewards of the funding entrusted them. "The last bond was approved in 1958 to build Robichaud High School. This is historic. Hopefully, we'll never, ever have to get to a point where we have to wait another 65 years to have funds that are dedicated to our facilities," he adds. Projects will begin in the summer with the renovation of Robichaud High School's gymnasium.