DEARBORN HEIGHTS — On May 4, voters passed the $6.4 million bond proposal in the city’s D7 School District to help school enhancements.

The bond is a net zero tax increase to the community members, so the district says that residents will not see an increase in their taxes.

The bond will be split up between three large projects throughout the district.

The first project, for $1.7 million, would include a new turf football field at the Chircop site, baseball dugout enhancements and parking lot improvements.

Facility enhancements make up a majority of the bond, with $3.4 million going to high school auditorium renovations, secure entrances, HVAC system improvements, drinking fountain upgrades, ceiling and flooring replacements and exterior and interior door replacements.

“The  high school auditorium is a great space, but it’s very outdated,” Superintendent Jennifer Mast had said during a recent town hall event to discuss the bond. “It needs pretty much a complete overhaul, so new floors, new seats, air conditioning, lights, sound, everything you can think of needs to be redone in that space and that would be done with bond dollars.”

The secure entrances portion of the bond refers to Madison Elementary, which is the only school in the district that does not yet have a secure entrance vestibule.

“Madison is the last building to receive this, not because they don’t need it, but because everything costs money and we’ve been going in order,” Mast said. “Madison houses the fewest amount of students, so therefore they’ve been the last one on that list, but they are definitely in need of that. It will make it so that if anyone enters the building, they cannot get past the office into the hallways without being checked in by someone.”

Another $1.3 million of the bond money would go towards upgrading the electrical systems, including upgrades to clocks and bells, installing a new PA system at Pardee, Polk and O.W. Best schools and energy enhancements.

The unofficial count of the ballots showed a 578 to 351 vote in favor of the bond, but the results could take up to a week to be certified.

Mast told The Arab American News that the processes to begin these projects will start as early as this summer and are expected to take two to three years.

“We are so grateful to the District 7 residents for supporting our students and the schools,” she said. “All of these projects that are planned will make our facilities safer and healthier for our students and staff. Improved school facilities benefit the entire community, and we cannot thank District 7 families enough for their partnership.”