Harrison Pool, New Athletic Fields Among Farmington Bond Plans

On Aug. 6, Farmington school district voters will decide whether to approve a $222 million bond for improvements and repairs touching every building in the district. Farmington-Farmington Hills Patch looks at how we got here, what's on the ballot, what's happening in neighboring districts and what officials plan to do with all that money.

In 2004, Farmington Public Schools voters passed a $25 million that, in part, installed artificial turf on all three high school athletic fields and deepened the pools at Farmington and North Farmington High Schools for competitive swimming and diving. 

The $222 million referendum voters face Aug. 6 includes replacement turf, but it's not possible to deepen the pool at Harrison High School, facilities director Jon Riebe said. Instead, the plan is to fill it in and create an auxiliary gym.

A new pool built on the south end of the building would allow Harrison's competitive swimmers and divers to practice and compete at their home school. In addition, Harrison would become the only school in the district able to accomodate regional competitions.

The pool could be used by the community as well, Riebe said.

According to a document on the district's website, spaces in the south parking lot lost to the pool and a planned two-story events entry will be replaced, likely on the building's north side.

The turf replacements are included in the bond, Riebe said, because after eight years, the fields are close to the end of their life expectancy.

"In 2004 ... we knew the life was about 10 years," school and community relations director Diane Bauman said. "This will be a good way to replace them, rather than having to use general fund dollars."

Other athletics-related projects include high school track and tennis court resurfacing, and gym and locker improvements at Warner Upper Elementary and Dunckel and East Middle Schools. 

"Physical education spaces are an extension of the classroom," Riebe said. 

Next: Bond plans include turning classrooms into collaborative learning spaces. 

Correction: The bond referendum amount was incorrectly reported in the original version of this post.