By Sharon Raschke, ED.D., CFO, MSBO Board Member, School District Liaison – Dexter Wellness Center Management, Dexter Community Schools
For most of my career, the plan was simple: retire after 25 years in public education — plus the five I purchased in my very first month on the job. I pictured a graceful exit: a few farewell luncheons, heartfelt goodbyes, maybe time to travel — and finally finish my grandfather’s family history, which, well, I started 23 years ago.
But just as I was charting that exit, my superintendent’s political savvy and commitment to the community — after all, we’re the only entity overseeing all things recreation in Dexter — landed us over $10 million in federal grants. Those funds were awarded specifically to save the Dexter Wellness Center and give the soon-to-be-homeless Dexter Senior Center a permanent home. He looked me in the eye and said, “You’re the only person I know who could pull this off.”
And just like that, I went from Chief Financial Officer to Senior Project Manager — which, in practice, meant Chief Everything Officer — tasked with developing a multigenerational community center from nothing.
Meeting a Community Need — and Building a Legacy
The next two years consumed my professional and personal life, demanding every ounce of experience, knowledge, network, creativity, persistence, and resilience I had — long hours, late nights, weekends, and holidays — completely absorbed in work that stretched me beyond anything I had ever done. While collaboration was essential, the vision, planning, and day-to-day execution rested squarely on my shoulders. If ever there was a capstone project for a career in school business, this was it.
This whole project could not have been accomplished as it was without the perspective and insight gained from over 25 years of experience as a school business official in this same community. That deep understanding of local relationships, operational systems, and community values was critical to navigating challenges, designing spaces seniors would truly embrace, and meticulously leveraging every funding stream without impacting the classroom.
And what a project it was:
- Dexter Wellness Center (48,196 sq. ft.) was secured as a permanent community asset, with the founding organization, 5 Healthy Towns Foundation, continuing as a key partner in operations and programming.
- Dexter Senior Center (9,094 sq. ft.) was designed hand-in-hand with seniors — literally. On December 27, 2023, I sat in the old Senior Center, located in the 1936 cafeteria wing of the town’s original school building, with a giant sheet of graph paper and dozens of cutout room shapes. Seniors moved them around until the layout felt right. Three of those seniors had actually served on the Dexter School Board when I first began my career, bringing the project full circle in a way that felt deeply personal. When I handed the taped-together plan to the builder, he asked, “Whose craft project is this?” That “craft project” became one of the most personal and powerful ways to help seniors not just see but own their new home.
I added thoughtful touches they hadn’t even requested — what I jokingly called “I girlified it.” Closets were designed with a woman’s perspective. Auto-close doors feature hold-open hardware, and doorways were made extra-wide. Convenience accessories were added to the toilet rooms, extra outlets were placed throughout, and the spaces were overlit for aging eyes, but dimmable and zone-controlled with LED lighting. Hard-surface floors included an acoustic base for cushioning and sound absorption.
I also designed a one-of-a-kind coat rack using reclaimed barn beams with hand-forged raw iron hooks, paired with a matching fireplace mantle — a creative touch that became the most noticeable feature in the building, as well as a visitor favorite.
We closed on the completed space exactly one year later, December 27, 2024, despite some unfathomable roadblocks from city and county officials.
- We also disbanded the condominium association that had held these units plus a third private sub-condominium building.
- The facilities now sit on just under 7 acres of new property, acquired as part of the building acquisitions, seamlessly connected to existing school property, creating a multigenerational complex that will serve Dexter for decades to come.
That’s 57,000+ square feet of new and preserved community space, fully operational in under two years. Not a bad accomplishment for someone who was supposed to be “retired.”
Funding Without the Tax Burden
Here’s the part that makes every school business official sit up straighter: this project was funded entirely through four federal grant programs — no new taxes, no bond funds, no general fund dollars:
- $8,500,000 – Federal American Rescue Plan (ARP) Grant through the State of Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Senior and Community Center Program
- $850,000 – Congressional Community Project Funding through Department of Housing and Urban Development: Economic Development Initiative
- $775,562 – Federal American Rescue Plan (ARP) Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, Community Priority Funds Grant, through Washtenaw County Senior Nutrition Program (2 grants)
Braiding these four funding streams — each with its own timelines, compliance requirements, reporting rules, and political stakeholders — was like solving a puzzle where the pieces kept changing shape — and yet still had to fit together perfectly. But with persistence, I made them fit to cover the entire project.
And yes, our Board was nervous. Their demand was unwavering: not a single dollar would be redirected from the classroom — not even to cover my role. The new Dexter Multigenerational Community Center Complex is operated in a newly created Cooperative Activities Fund (Fund 27), an approach I designed so it could stand on its own. Through careful programming and contracts, the fund is fully self-sustaining, with a healthy reserve balance to secure its operational future.
Why This Matters (and Why I Stayed)
In school business, our work is usually behind the scenes: balancing budgets, navigating compliance, stretching every dollar, and making sure paychecks are accurate. If done well, we are invisible.
This project changed that. The Dexter Multigenerational Community Center Complex is a living, brick-and-mortar — and fully bustling — testament to what careful planning, strong partnerships, and a lifetime of school business experience can accomplish.
I didn’t plan to take this on. I didn’t plan to delay retirement. But sometimes, the pinnacle of a career doesn’t arrive when you expect it — it arrives when someone taps you on the shoulder and says, “I trust you to get this done.”
I traded retirement for long hours, frustration, and full immersion into work outside my comfort zone — but it was the most meaningful and visible accomplishment of my career. Every room, every program, every detail reflects the district’s values and decades of careful stewardship, ensuring this multigenerational campus will serve Dexter for generations — a legacy I am proud to leave behind.
Now, maybe I will finally retire… though I’ll stay connected where I’m valued — at least until the next “impossible” project comes knocking. Hopefully, the next chapter will be a little less like a multigenerational community center… and a little more like a well-organized spreadsheet.