Bond Projects: Dexter High School Planned to Get Big Renovations

This year will see the first series of big projects as part of the 2025 Dexter Community Schools (DCS) Bond get underway.

The DCS Board of Education got an update recently about what’s next for the bond and what the community can expect to see beginning to happen in the coming months. The Sun Times News followed up with Ryan Bruder, DCS Assistant Superintendent, to ask about the bond projects.

Bruder said the school board received an overview that outlined most of the bigger, visible work in Series 1 of the 2025 Bond. He said the latest bond is broken up into four separate series that are tentatively scheduled to take place over the next seven to eight years. Series 1 projects are on schedule to break ground this summer.

There are a variety of projects planned for Dexter High School. Bruder said the high school will get a new secure entrance and weight room facility. Another area at DHS expected to see a big lift is in the Career and Technical Education (CTE) where new space will be put in to house Building Trades.

Outside of the high school there will be improvements to the athletic entrances, safety nets, bleachers, and backstops at the baseball/softball fields.  Another big addition to come is the 70,000 square feet Field House, which will be located behind the Twin Turfs at DHS.  

(A rendering of the field house)

Other projects set to begin this year include a new Entrance at Al Ritt Stadium and seven additional classrooms at Wylie Elementary School.

Bruder said the 2025 Dexter Community Schools bond focuses on upgrading critical infrastructure across all district buildings while enhancing student learning environments and community spaces. 

“Key projects include collaboration space and restroom improvements, accessible playgrounds and outdoor learning areas, and consolidating younger students by converting Mill Creek into a 5–6 (grades) building,” Bruder said of the bond projects. “The plan also includes constructing and renovating spaces at Creekside to create a new 7–8 (grades) building and theater, adding a modern classroom wing at Wylie Elementary, and building a 70,000-square-foot indoor field house.  Additional improvements include athletic facility upgrades, enhancements to arts and music spaces, high school security and program expansions (including CTE and science areas), district-wide technology upgrades, and bus purchases.”

DCS is currently building out a communications webpage about the bond work for the community, which can be found here: https://www.dexterschools.org/district/2025-bond.

Bruder said this resource also includes an overview of bond work, a timeline overview and a project planning process.  As they get visual renderings and/or images of construction as well as general updates, they will also post those on the shared website.