Good morning,
Please be sure to vote in the February 27th election.
One of the items you will be asked to vote on is the District’s Operational Millage.
Below are some quick facts about the millage:
- The Operational Millage brings $41 million into our General Fund budget; that is 16% of the budget.
- Without this funding, the district would sink to one of the lowest per-pupil general fund revenues in Michigan.
- This is a millage renewal, not a new tax. For homeowners, the Operational Millage would drop from a maximum of 6.17 mills to 4 mills. The district assessed 2.04 mills for this year and expects the rate to settle at about 2.5 mills. The ballot will read 4 mills in case conditions change. The rate for homeowners could not go above 4 mills.
- For businesses in the district, the millage rate will stay at the 18 mill rate created with Proposal A changed school funding in 1994. This is where the majority of the funding ($34 million of the $41 million) comes from. This rate also applies if you own rental property.
- The Operational Millage is part of the General Fund, which is used for daily operations. This money pays for staff, utility bills, classroom supplies, busing, etc. This is NOT A BOND proposal. This would not fund any major school construction or renovation projects.
- If the Operational Millage Renewal does not pass, the district would need to cut $41 million from the budget. A 16% cut in daily expenses and would likely result in reductions in almost all programs and staffing areas.
Please see the Superintendent’s One Minute Message about the Millage RENEWAL.