Thank you to all who voted in the November 2022 election and supported our school!

The 18-mill operating tax renewal proposal passed, allowing the school to retain their full per-pupil funding from the state. 

Donna Engman and Dallas Bond will continue serving on the board for the coming term. Angela Keranen and Chrissy Halkola will join the board. Welcome!

Please click the link to learn about the school board candidates who will be on the ballot.

ABOUT THE 18 MILL NON-HOMESTEAD TAX RENEWAL:

One item that will be on the ballot this November is a proposal to allow our school district to continue to levy the 18 mills that is standard, on all non-homestead property. Here is some information about this:

The State of Michigan funds schools by way of a “foundation allowance.” Every year, legislators approve a per-pupil dollar amount for schools to use for operating expenses–from day to day functions to supplies to employee salaries to utilities–expenses we need to cover in order to operate. That foundation allowance is made up of both a local part and a state part. The vast majority of Michigan school districts are required to levy an 18 mill millage on non-homestead property to cover the local portion of the foundation allowance. The state covers its portion through state aid. When figuring out how much state aid a school receives, the state assumes districts are levying the full 18 mills for the local contribution. So, the state does not give districts that portion of the foundation allowance that should be covered in the 18 mills that they are supposed to be collecting. And, if the full local millage is not levied, the state does not pay that missing amount.  

Q and A on the topic:

Who pays the 18 mills?

The 18 mills are levied as a “non-homestead” property tax. This means businesses and people who own rental properties pay this tax. The average taxpayer who lives in the home they own does not pay this tax. 

How many mills does the District currently levy? 

18. Our school district has been levying that statutory rate since at least 2014. The law only allows districts to levy up to 18 mills. DB-TC has been levying exactly 18 each and every year since 2014. 

How many mills does the district plan to levy if voters approve the millage proposal in November? 

As is the expectation of the State of Michigan, we expect to continue to levy 18 mills. Levying less than 18 mills would have a direct, detrimental impact on our students and school.  Only if we levy and receive the full 18 mills will we receive our expected full foundation allowance of $9,150 per pupil. 

Recap: 

The tax levy now is 18 mills.

If approved, the tax levy would be 18 mills.

It is a non-homestead property tax paid by businesses and people who own rental properties. 

What would happen if voters didn’t approve this in November before the current millage expires?  

That would be extremely unusual. It would mean the school district would miss out on a large portion of their funding, and that some businesses and some people who own rental properties in our district would not pay the tax they have been consistently paying for years. The loss of funding would mean the district would have to make cuts.