Enhancement Millage

A Regional Enhancement Millage is a voter-approved property tax that allows public school districts within a county to generate additional funding beyond what is provided by the State of Michigan under Proposal A (1994). This millage would create an equitable distribution of funds to each district, using the same per-student amount. 

If approved:

• The millage is collected county-wide, from all homeowners throughout the county.
• Funds are distributed equally to all public school districts and eligible public school academies on a per-student basis.
• Each district would receive $781 per student annually.
• Each district maintains local control over how the funds are spent. There are no restrictions like a Bond or Sinking Fund, where funds have to be used on very specific projects.

Since Proposal A passed in 1994, the majority of school funding comes from the State of Michigan via a per-student rate. A regional enhancement millage is the only mechanism school districts may use to increase per-student funding that can be used for all budgetary needs. 

School districts continue to experience costs that outpace state funding increases, as well as costs that outpace inflation. This proposal would provide additional, locally controlled revenue to support students, staff, and district operations.

In addition, special education funding is underfunded by approximately 40%. This means that districts have to support students with special needs with large gaps in funding, mainly from the general fund. There are many continuing special education teacher and specialist vacancies throughout the county as well, causing districts to pay more to fill these gaps, as well as hire third-party companies to ensure students are serviced with high-quality staff.

School Finance Research Collaborative is a non-partisan guiding study for the cost of education, and shows where the state funding model falls short. The recommendations from this study outline the additional funding needed. If the regional enhancement millage were to pass, the funds that would be allocated to each student would help Oakland County get closer to the recommended per-student number in the School Finance Research Collaborative.

The proposal would:

• Levy 1.5 mills
• For a period of six (6) years
• Appear on the ballot on August 4, 2026
• Begin collection in December 2026, if approved, on the winter tax bill

If passed by voters, the Regional Enhancement Millage would generate approximately $781 per student annually for all Oakland County public school students and eligible public school academies.

Over six years, this millage would generate approximately $4,686 per student across the county.

Each individual cost is directly tied to their home’s taxable value. The Oakland County Regional Enhancement Millage would be $1.50 more per $1,000 of taxable value. To determine your exact cost, visit this tax calculator and type in your address.

An example: A home worth $200,000 typically has a taxable value of $100,000. 1.5 mills levied on this home would cost $150/year, before any income tax considerations. However, your costs may be less.

An example: A home worth $400,000 typically has a taxable value of $200,000. 1.5 mills levied on this home would cost $300/year, before any income tax considerations. However, your costs may be less.

Visit the Oakland County Property Gateway to look up your address and taxable value.

If the ballot proposal is passed by voters, the following steps will take place:

• The Intermediate School District (Oakland Schools) would collect the funds annually.
• Money would be distributed to all public school districts and eligible public school academies in Oakland County.
• Distribution would be handled on an equal per-student basis.
• Each district would decide locally how to use the funds.

The millage must pass or fail on a county-wide basis, not by individual communities. Oakland Schools would not receive any funds from this millage, if passed.

To place the proposal before voters:

• Districts representing at least 50%+1 student of the total student population adopted resolutions requesting the Oakland Schools Board of Education to consider placing the proposal on the August 4, 2026, ballot.
• Local resolutions were adopted within an 180-day period and sent to the Oakland Schools Board of Education.
• The Oakland Schools Board of Education voted on March 24, 2026, to place the Enhancement Millage on the ballot. 
• The Oakland Schools Board of Education certified the ballot language to the Oakland County Clerk.
• The election is set for Tuesday, August 4, 2026.

Yes. Several Michigan counties have voter-approved enhancement millages, including:

• Wayne County
• Macomb County
• Kent County
• Kalamazoo County
• Midland County
• Monroe County
• Ottawa County
• Muskegon County
• Charlevoix-Emmet County

Currently, approximately 44% of students in Michigan, or 617,635 students, receive enhancement millage funding.

Counties with regional enhancement millages have used the funds in the following ways:

• To increase their teacher salary grids and offers including right-sizing teacher salaries, (which has pulled highly qualified staff away from Oakland County.)
• Purchased interactive technology for all classrooms
• Purchased new security systems
• To add support staff
• To expand career technical education
• To hire instructional coaches

If approved, the funding could help districts:

• Maintain class sizes
• Stabilize special education funding
• Continuing focus on student safety and wellness
• Maintain staffing supports
• Make compensation more competitive to attract and retain talented staff
• Close gaps in rising operational costs
• Maintain district-wide programming

Each district would determine locally how best to allocate funds to meet the needs of its students and community. Districts without Sinking Funds or Bonds may choose to use the funds on technology, transportation, or building improvements.
For example, if one District needs to enhance its teacher pay scale to retain talented staff, but another needs to purchase new school buses to replace an aging fleet, and yet another needs to hire additional mental health professionals to support data-based student needs, this millage would allow for this type of flexibility.
 

No.

The local school board’s resolution is a request to place the Enhancement Millage on the ballot for all Oakland County residents, allowing all voters to decide. A local board resolution is not an endorsement of the millage itself. 

The election date is: Tuesday, August 4, 2026

If approved by voters, collections would begin in December 2026, and it would be reflected in winter tax bills.

The last day to register to vote in any manner other than in-person at the Clerk's office is Monday, July 20th.

June 25, 2026: First day absentee ballots will be available (40 days before the election)

July 24, 2026: Deadline for electors to submit a written request to spoil their absent voter ballot and receive a new absent voter ballot by mail.

July 25, 2026: Nine days of early voting begin at the Oak Park Community Center, 14300 Oak Park Blvd. Oak Park, MI 48237, and also at Waterford Oaks Activity Center, 2800 Watkins Lake Rd, Waterford, MI 48328.  Hours are 8:30 am - 4:30 pm. This continues until Sunday, August 2nd.  Same hours each day with the exception of Thursday, July 30th, in which the voting hours will be from 12 pm - 8 pm.  

July 31, 2026: At 5 pm, the deadline for voters who have lost their absentee ballot or have not yet received their ballot in the mail to submit a written request to spoil their absent voter ballot and receive a new absent voter ballot by mail.

August 3, 2026: At 4 pm, the deadline to request a primary absentee ballot in person at your local clerk’s office.

August 4, 2026: Election Day - polls are open from 7 am to 8 pm. Absentee ballots must be returned no later than 8 pm on Election Day to be counted.

From the Michigan Secretary of State Website:

Return and submit an absentee ballot by mail (not recommended within 14 days of an election)

Voters can mail their completed and signed absentee ballot to their local clerk’s office using the provided pre-paid envelope.

Deadline: Mailed absentee ballots from all voters, except military and overseas voters, must be received by the voter's local clerk by 8 p.m. on Election Day. Ballots not received by this time will not be counted. Voters are encouraged to mail an absentee ballot at least two weeks before Election Day to avoid potential mailing delays. Military and overseas voter absentee ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and received within 6 days after the election.

Having the election in August aligns with the Michigan statewide primary election. This is also one of the three days schools can use for elections. In addition, having an election in August will allow districts to collect the funds on the winter tax bills in December 2026, allowing for a fast impact of the funds if voters were to pass the ballot initiative.

Unrestricted funds mean that if the ballot proposal passes, funds can be used for the general fund without specific spending requirements. This means that one district could use the funds to increase pay for their teachers, another could buy school buses, yet another could hire a school resource officer, and finally another could continue to keep elementary mental health staff on the payroll. All of these expenses would typically come from the general fund, and the regional enhancement millage would support expanding each district's budget to allow for a variety of uses to support their budgetary goals. Oakland Schools would not receive any funding from this Millage if passed.

These funds could be used where each local district sees fit to tackle the funding gaps and inflation gaps in current budgets.

If the millage is not approved by voters, it would not change any local districts' budgets. However, it would mean that districts would continue to operate at the funding deficits and inflation deficit levels.

Yes. School districts are working on a schedule of information sessions to share with the public. These will be held in the spring and will be located in each quadrant of the county.