The City of Novi and the Novi Community School District take great pride in maintaining an excellent relationship, working collaboratively to provide the highest quality services for the community. This relationship transcends providing superior education for our youth. It involves sharing facilities, land and programs. 

Examples include:

• The City provided land to accommodate a Novi High School expansion
• Novi Schools share facilities for City programming
• School Resource Officer
• Youth Assistance

Most recently, the City of Novi and the Novi Community School District have been discussing a potential land exchange. 
 
Discussions began quite some time ago for a possible exchange of approximately 140 acres ( +/- 70 acres from the schools and the same from the City), jointly performing due diligence and assessing the needs of the community, ensuring a focus on the best land usage for the betterment of all stakeholders. The proposed property for exchange is all located within the Novi Community School District and City of Novi boundaries and includes:

• Novi Community Schools gaining full ownership of the soccer fields, tennis courts, basketball courts and property to the east of the Novi Middle School.
• The City receiving full ownership of Bosco Fields with the intention of expanding the Novi Parks system.
• Novi Community Schools acquiring the land south of the high school baseball fields, including current softball/baseball fields and cross-country trails/wetlands.
• Squaring off the Fuerst Park property with the City receiving additional acreage in southwest corner of the park, near Taft Road.

Any potential agreement would change the name of the entity on particular property ownerships, but retain public property in public hands, while enhancing community usage. 

"The City of Novi has long been looking at opportunities to expand recreational opportunities for community members,” said Mayor Bob Gatt. “We value and appreciate our school partners and their shared vision to ensure Novi continues to be viewed as a desirable city to live and recreate. This exchange would provide for space to increase offerings in our park system to meet future recreation needs."

The potential exchange would enable expanded recreational opportunities, free up existing athletic fields, provide for additional contiguous acreage to existing Novi Community Schools facilities and further demonstrate a commitment of partnership for the betterment of Novi. 

“The Novi Community School District has a long-standing, collaborative partnership with the City of Novi,” said Dr. Steve Matthews, Superintendent of the Novi Community School District. “This land exchange will enhance that school-City relationship and provide outstanding recreational and extracurricular opportunities for both the district and community.”

The Novi Community Schools Board and the Novi City Council met at their respective meetings earlier this month to discuss the exchange and, voted unanimously to direct final preparation of documents necessary to facilitate the transfers.