Ferndale Schools Spreads the Word on Need for School Bond

Educating parents and community members and opening up dialogue about the  is the goal of Ferndale Schools' informational meetings.

Ferndale Schools Superintendent Gary Meier has been visiting local schools and other organizations to discuss the district's facilities needs since early December and some attendees have left fired up about spreading the word.

Alicia Felix, a member of the PTO at , attended an informational meeting at last week. When she left, she had set a new goal: educating other parents about the bond issue.

The Royal Oak Township resident said she wanted to get more information about the proposed bond, which residents will vote on Feb. 28.

. It includes infrastructure updates such as asbestos removal from , heating and cooling systems for buildings and a kitchen area for . The bond would not increase the current tax rate but would extend the current bond issue beyond its scheduled expiration in 2023 to 2041.

“Why not keep it going?” asked Felix, who has a child attending a preschool program in the district. “There's a lot of things I can see improved.”

About a dozen people attended the meeting, which was led by Meier. Spreading information “is always important” and part of his job is to communicate information about a variety of issues to the community, Meier said after the meeting.

“Tonight's just happened to be about facilities,” he said. “To me it's more about keeping open lines of communication.”

Felix said she plans to bring the information she learned to other members of the Grant PTO and get involved in other efforts to support the bond issue.

“I couldn't see myself sending my kids to any other school district,” she said. “I love it.”

Barb Landry, a member of  – a group advocating in support of the bond – also attended Thursday's event. “I just feel it's so important,” Landry said of the bond issue. “It takes a community to raise our children. We have to be involved.”

Ferndale resident and parent Gary Arnett, who was involved in the bond subcommittee over the summer, was also present. “Long before we ever had kids we voted for school bonds. Somebody paid my way,” he said during the meeting.

Royal Oak Township resident Karen Ballard, a graduate of Ferndale Schools, said she plans to vote yes on the school bond. “Nothing lasts forever; you've got to keep improving,” she said. “Ferndale has always been No. 1 to me.”

The district also has information on the bond proposal on its website.

Next meeting set for Feb. 13

• What: Community meeting to discuss district facilities needs
• When: 6:30 p.m. Feb. 13
• Where: African American Parent Network Meeting,
• What else: To schedule a presentation for your group, call Stephanie Hall, director of Pupil Services and Community Relations, at (248) 586-8651.