Farmington Parent Says $222M Bond Moves District Forward

Erica Reaves has a passion for Farmington Public Schools that drives her work as co-chair of the committee advocating for a $222 million bond on the Aug. 6 ballot. 

If approved, the funds will be used to make repairs and improvements at all K-12 buildings, reconfigure classrooms and replace furnishings, add a new layer of security to those buildings, boost technology, build a pool at Harrison High and replace artificial turf at all three high schools. 

Her daughter is a first year student, but Reaves said she has had an interest in schools since moving to Farmington 10 years ago. Working to pass the bond "has really been a wonderful experience, deepening my roots and my understanding of the community," she said. 

Reaves says if the bond does not pass, Farmington Schools will have difficulty competing with neighbors in Livonia, West Bloomfield, Walled Lake and others where citizens have passed building and technology bonds. 

"We will be grossly left behind if this bond does not not pass," she said. "It really is bringing kids to a 21st century learning experience. If we are not training them now with the proper tools and upgraded environment ... that will set them back." 

Reaves considers the technology piece a key part of the referendum, because many children don't have access to it at home. "If the classroom doesn't have it, where will they be?" she said. 

Spending time in Lanigan Elementary, her daughter's school, Reaves has seen the building's run-down condition, with visible issues like restroom sinks coming away from the walls. She said she has heard students comment on the poor condition of their building. 

"They are aware of things," she said. "We shouldn't have to subject them to facilities that are broken down ... To ask for a good environment, is that too much?"

Reaves has been especially taken aback by some of the "vote no" literature and robocalls that have circulated in the community. One color postcard charges that "not a penny" of the $222 million goes to educate children. 

Nothing could be farther from the truth, Reaves said, adding that she does understand people have concerns about the cost, which on an average-valued home in Farmington would be $85.39 a year, and $109.87 annually for an average-valued Farmington Hills home. 

Looking at the "big picture", she said, substandard schools will have an impact on property values for both residents and businesses, and may make it more difficult to attract businesses, if families choose other communities where bond proceeds are improving buildings and technology. 

"It's going to hit us in the pocket no matter what," she said. "There's no pretty way to put it, other than the value of our community is at stake ... We all have to invest in our future."