Bond Community Update: January 2024

Bloomfield Hills Schools has seen considerable construction and facility improvements over the past several years. Thank you to our voters for passing Bond 2020 in order to accomplish many of the following items over the past several months:

• The district underwent its reconfiguration to four grade K-5 elementary schools and two grade 6-8 middle schools. 
• All four elementary schools have new kindergarten wings, both Conant and Way have new secure vestibules, and Lone Pine Elementary and Eastover Elementary moved to their new locations. 
• North Hills Middle School and South Hills Middle School opened their doors to students and staff; BHS celebrated with ribbon cuttings and community open houses. 

Throughout this school year, we are continuing with significant work across our district:

• Ongoing technology upgrades and improvements throughout our K-8 schools. 
• Completing punch list items for our K-8 schools. 
• Significant progress is underway on the athletic fields at Bloomfield Hills High School, specifically the softball and baseball fields and seating. 
• Construction renovations are in progress at Bloomin’ East, with an opening planned for Fall 2024.

We have big plans for the Summer of 2024! 

We have revised the construction timeline for the summer of 2024 in order to ensure that there is time for technology installation, allowing for a smoother transition into the 2024-25 school year. 

• At the elementary schools, the summer of 2024 will bring many significant changes:
  • Data infrastructure (cabling) 
  • Classroom audio and visual (front of classroom, sound systems, etc,) 
  • Public Address / Notification Systems (clocks, paging throughout the building, emergency notification)
  • Access control (entry into the building/classrooms) 
  • Video surveillance 
  • Secure vestibule at Lone Pine Elementary
  • Secure vestibule and new art room at Eastover Elementary 
  • New furniture at four elementary schools
• Begin athletic wellness facility and concession / team meeting facility at Bloomfield Hills High School.
• Continue with renovation at Bloomin’ East. 

Throughout the 2024-25 school year, planned work includes:

• Demolition of Fox Hills. 
• Continued technology upgrades.
• Continue athletic wellness facility and concession / team meeting facility and main athletic entrance at Bloomfield Hills High School.

Summer of 2025 

Similar to the summer of 2024, the scope for the summer of 2025 was also reduced in order to allow for a smoother transition into the 2025-26 school year. Even with a smaller scope of work, the list of improvements slated for this summer are significant:

• Improvements for BHHS, Wing Lake, and International Academy.
• Improvements for Johnson Nature Center and Bowers School Farm.
• Complete classroom improvements at four elementary schools.
• Complete construction on new athletic wellness facility and concession / team meeting facility at Bloomfield Hills High School
• Renovate Bloomin’ West.
• Relocate robotics program to the Bloomin’ West location.
• Renovate transportation center and Franklin Road maintenance facility.

Bloomin' Preschool Update and Locations:

After a thorough evaluation of the early childhood programming and facility needs at Bloomfield Hills Schools, BHS will operate a center at both the east and west side of the district boundaries.

• Fox Hills - 1661 Hunters Ridge Drive

  • This program will relocate to the newly renovated Bloomin' East at 1101 Westview Road (former Eastover Elementary) for the 2024-25 school year. 

• Bloomin' West - 3100 Lone Pine Road

  • This location will continue at its current location for the 2024-25 school year. 

• Bloomin' Central - 4100 W. Quarton Road

  • A timeline for closure has not yet been determined; however, the programming at this location will remain open for the 2024-25 school year. When the time comes to close the central location, current families will be offered the opportunity to relocate to the newly renovated Bloomin' West location.

Transportation Update: 

While an initial goal of the bond program was to relocate the transportation center, after significant review and due diligence, the cost of relocating along with a lack of viable real estate, prohibited the district from relocating the transportation center. 

However, there will be considerable improvements to the current transportation center location and the architect is working on design development drawings over the course of the 2023-24 school year.

By keeping the transportation center at its current location, the district has reallocated money from the transportation center to the classrooms across our elementary schools.  

Additional Information:

At the January 11, 2024 Board of Education Study Session, Superintendent McDonald provided a bond update, which can be viewed on the BHS Bond Webpage.