DEARBORN HEIGHTS – On Tuesday, voters in the Dearborn Heights Crestwood School District approved an election proposal to issue more than $120 million in bonds to upgrade school facilities and buildings, and they also renewed their confidence in five current school board members who ran to retain their seats on the seven-member board.

According to the final results for the district that serves the city’s Arab dominated downtown and northern neighborhoods, voters re-elected the five members who ran for terms ranging from six years (three seats), four years (one seat) and two years (one seat).

While four members —  Danielle Alzayat, Salwa Ali Fawaz, David A. Williamson and Billy Amen — retained their seats without competition, Najah Chami-Jannoun was able to achieve a landslide victory over her competitor, Hassan Ali Issa, by obtaining about 63 percent of the votes.

The election for the Crestwood School Board, which serves about 4,000 students, most of whom are Arab Americans, was divided into three categories. The first included an uncontested race for three open seats for a full term, which was won by acclamation by Alzayat, Fawaz and Williamson.

Alzayat came in first with 4,785 votes (35 percent), followed by Fawaz in second place with 4,662 votes (34 percent) and Williamson in third place with 3,996 votes (29 percent).

Chami-Jannoun won the race for a partial four-year term seat.

Najah Chami-Jannoun

Chami-Jannoun, who received the support of both the Arab American Political Action Committee (AAPAC) and the The Arab American News, was able to win the race by a wide margin over Issa with 5,334 votes to 2,930 votes.

After the results were tallied, Chami-Jannoun expressed her gratitude to Dearborn heights voters for helping her retain the seat she has held since 2020.

“We won after months of hard work, dedication and support from families and friends in the community,” she said, expressing her excitement at being “part of passing the bonds” that will improve the learning environment and safety of students in Crestwood Public Schools.

Chami-Jannoun described the referendum result as “a huge win for the entire community and all current and future students” in the Crestwood School District.

Amen ran unopposed in the race for a two-year partial term and received 6,645 votes.

With this, the Crestwood School Board will maintain its current composition, which includes, in addition to Alzayat, Fawaz, Williamson, Chami-Jannoun and Amen, members Mo Sabbagh and Hassan Baydoun.

A big “Yes” to passing the bonds

In parallel with the Crestwood School District Board of Education races, Voters overwhelmingly approved a referendum to issue $121 million in bonds that would be paid off over 30 years with a property tax increase, to improve and develop the district’s schools, which include three elementary schools, a middle school, a high school and a preschool program.

The bond proposal, which also received support from AAPAC and The Arab American News, was approved by 5,571 voters while 4,366 opposed. Crestwood Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Yousef Mosallam told The Arab American News that the bonds would be paid off over 30 years, with a maximum property tax of 5.32 mills per year. (A mill is one-thousandth of the property’s tax value.)

Mosallam explained that the money will be used to make much-needed infrastructure upgrades across the school’s facilities and buildings “to ensure the safety and health of our students”, including repairing and renovating outdated heating and ventilation systems, upgrading water and electrical systems, building security halls at school entrances, renovating parking lots and other improvements at Crestwood Schools, one of four school districts serving Dearborn Heights residents.

Mosallam added that some of the money will go toward expanding classrooms and enhancing security systems.