With Sinking Fund Win, West Bloomfield Schools Projects Move Forward

With the May 6 passage of a building and site sinking fund millage, West Bloomfield Public Schools officials have begun prioritizing $23 million worth of site needs across the district

Superintendent Gerald Hill said the first projects to use the new millage dollars will be front fascia replacement at West Bloomfield High School and modifications to elementary schools as they are reconfigured for the coming school year. Doherty and Sheiko elementary buildings previously housed kindergarten through 5th grade students; in the fall, they'll be K-2 and 3-5 buildings, respectively.

"Probably the most visible projects will be ingress and egress, how people enter schools and the design of the entrances," Hill said. "We'll take a complete look at that issue." 

Other projects will center around security upgrades, but officials haven't done an analysis of what may be needed, he said. And with sinking funds available for capital projects, the district will be able to redirect other bond funds to technology improvements. 

But the first step will be to create a prioritized list of "what happens, and in what order, over the next several years." 

"The challenge is everybody will want their priority done first," Hill said. "The reality is, we're getting $2 million a year, and we have $20 million worth of needs."