On November 4, 2025, voters in West Bloomfield School District will be asked to consider replacing the current Building and Site Sinking Fund millage (Sinking Fund) that will extend the 1.1552 mill levy from 2027 to 2036. The ten-year request will provide approximately $3.2 million annually to fund building and site repairs, including safety and security measures, facility and infrastructure improvements, and technology upgrades to protect our community’s investment in the School District’s buildings and sites.

No, it is estimated that the School District’s sinking fund millage rate will remain at the current rate of 1.1552 mills.

The District’s goals for the Sinking Fund replacement include:

• Keep general fund dollars in the classroom by using Sinking Fund proceeds for building upkeep and technology
• Continue to provide safe, secure, and healthy school environments for our children
• Protect the community’s investment in the School District’s buildings and sites
• Provide a consistent funding source for instructional technology across all buildings
• Keep West Bloomfield’s taxpayer dollars in West Bloomfield 

Timely repairs prevent costly emergencies and ensure a safe, healthy, and functional environment conducive to learning. This Sinking Fund will be used for repairs, replacements, and remodeling of buildings, sites, and systems to increase operational efficiency over the next ten years. It can also be used to pay for instructional technology, safety and security equipment, and the purchase and maintenance of school buses. The key areas identified for this future Sinking Fund fall into these major categories: 

• Energy & Operational Efficiency
• Health, Safety & Security
• Instructional Technology

Yes. The Board unanimously (7- 0) approved the resolution to place the Sinking Fund replacement proposal on the ballot.   

When WBSD's current Sinking Fund was approved in 2013, districts could ask for up to 5 mills for up to 20 years. Legislation has changed. Today, sinking funds are limited to 3 mills for a maximum of 10 years. A ten-year sinking fund millage allows stability and long-range planning capabilities for capital projects, enhancing operating dollars. The ability to budget and plan for these impending expenses provides effective long-term planning and the most cost-efficient use of funding.

The last Sinking Fund millage for our School District was approved by voters in 2013. It has addressed the District’s most critical facility repairs, the District’s aging buildings, shifting student enrollment, and the desire to modernize facilities to align with educational best practices.     

Previous Sinking Fund project examples include HVAC system upgrades, parking lot and sidewalk replacements, partial High School roof replacement, High School baseball and softball field upgrades, district-wide door hardware safety upgrades, Preschool classroom flooring, and replacement of the West Bloomfield Middle School field with artificial turf.

In May of 2023, West Bloomfield School District successfully passed a bond proposal to implement major improvements to buildings and sites. The program prioritized enhanced elementary programming through new and remodeled schools; dedicated early childhood spaces in north and south elementary buildings; High School STEAM/CTE addition and remodeling and enhanced outdoor multi-activity spaces; and operational efficiency, environmental quality, and safety through infrastructure upgrades.

Details of the ongoing 2023 Bond Projects can be found at WBSD.org/about-us/bond2023 

Sinking Fund proceeds can be used for the following items:

• Construction and remodeling of facilities
• Land purchases
• Site/athletic/playground improvements
• School security improvements
• Purchase of instructional technology equipment
• Purchase of buses

Sinking Fund proceeds cannot be used for the following items:

• Equipment and Furnishing Purchases
• Supplies, salaries, and service contracts
• Textbooks
• Upgrades to existing computer operating systems or application software

Sinking Fund proceeds can be used for the following items:

• Construction and remodeling of facilities
• Land purchases
• Site/athletic/playground improvements
• School security improvements
• Purchase of instructional technology equipment
• Purchase of buses

Sinking Fund proceeds cannot be used for the following items:

• Equipment and Furnishing Purchases
• Supplies, salaries, and service contracts
• Textbooks
• Upgrades to existing computer operating systems or application software

No. School districts are not allowed to use sinking fund money for operating expenses such as teacher, administrator or employee salaries or benefits. Sinking funds must be kept separate from the district’s operating funds.

Sinking Fund proceeds can only be used to repair, remodel or construct buildings and sites, purchase and maintain buses, and for technology purchases and upgrades. By law, Sinking Fund expenditures must be audited yearly for compliance according to the Michigan Department of Treasury guidelines.

The District is not required to spend any of the Sinking Fund tax revenue in the year it is received. The District is required to track millage revenues and expenditures separately and is allowed to maintain a positive fund balance in the Sinking Fund at year-end. The District is
also not required to spend the Sinking Fund tax revenue within a specified time period. (Note: the Michigan Department of Treasury requires that the fund be audited each year, as is the case with the District’s other funds.)

This is a ZERO MILL INCREASE from the 2013 levy, the ballot language cannot legally refer to it as a renewal because it adds technology and transportation due to the change in state law. With the added technology and transportation language, we are technically putting a different proposal on the ballot rather than “renewing” the existing one. It will, instead, replace the existing sinking fund.

As of 2025, 249 districts in Michigan are collecting millage dollars for sinking funds, including 19 of 28 districts in Oakland County.

Millage rates range from 2.929 tp 0.471 mills in similar or surrounding school districts. West Bloomfield School District is proposing a continuation of the current 1.152 millage rate for this Sinking Fund replacement.

No, it is estimated that the School District’s sinking fund millage rate will remain at the current rate of 1.1552 mills.

Property taxes may be deductible as itemized deductions on your federal income tax return if you itemize. You may also be eligible for the Michigan Homestead Property Tax Credit on your Michigan income tax return. Please consult with your tax preparer.

There would be no change in the tax rate from the 2013 levy. The district is asking for the same amount (1.1552 mills). Please note, taxable value is generally half (or less) of the market value of your property.

Foundation allowance is the per-pupil funding used for most school operations in Michigan districts. The foundation allowance amount is established by the State of Michigan. The amount can change each year and may vary by district. 

Prior to 1994, local property taxes were the primary revenue source for schools and did not always meet district needs. School reform measures changed the methods and sources of school funding by using a combination of local property taxes and State of Michigan financial support. 

A mill represents $1.00 for every $1,000 of taxable value of your property. The taxable value of your property is the same or lower than the state-equalized value and substantially lower (50% or more) than the market value. Also, it is important to remember that property taxes may be deductible on your federal income tax returns and may count as a credit on your state returns.

With the passage of the Headlee Amendment to the State Constitution in 1963, local units of government (including school districts) are required to reduce millage rates when the annual growth on existing property exceeds the rate of inflation. When this occurs, the local unit’s millage rate is “rolled back” so that the resulting growth in property tax revenue is no more than the rate of inflation. Accordingly, the Sinking Fund millage was gradually reduced from 1.25 mill in 2013 to the current 1.1552.  

The Michigan Homestead Property Tax Credit is a method through which some taxpayers can receive a tax credit for an amount of their property tax that exceeds a certain percentage of their household income. This program establishes categories under which homeowners or renters are eligible for a Homestead Property Tax Credit.
Please consult with your tax preparer to determine if you are eligible for this important and valuable tax credit.

Sept. 25, 2025             Absentee ballots available
Oct. 20, 2025               Deadline to register to vote by mail or online and be eligible to vote in November election
Oct. 21, 2025                Starting 10/21/25 through Election Day a voter can register in person with their local clerk with proof of residency
Nov. 3, 2025 at 4 pm    Deadline to vote in person, with an absentee ballot, at your city or township clerk’s office

Michigan voters have the right to cast a ballot early and in person at an early voting site before Election Day.  The early voting period takes place for a minimum of nine consecutive days, ending on the Sunday before an election. 

Early voting site locations, dates, and hours are available 60 days prior to Election Day at Michigan.gov/Vote

The deadline to request an absentee ballot by mail is Friday, October 31, at 5 p.m. Voters may also obtain an absentee ballot and vote in person up to 4 p.m. on Monday, November 3. The deadline to return a completed absentee ballot is Tuesday, November 4, at 8 p.m. at your designated polling location.
If you have not received your absentee ballot application, it is available at your clerk's office.

Find your local clerk's office
michigan.gov/vote
 

Note: Once election ballots are available in the clerk’s office, you can walk into your clerk’s office, receive an absentee application, fill it out, and immediately be given your ballot to cast your vote. Please check with your clerk’s office for drop box availability and locations.

WEST BLOOMFIELD SCHOOL DISTRICT
SINKING FUND MILLAGE PROPOSAL

Shall the limitation on the amount of taxes which may be assessed against all property in West Bloomfield School District, Oakland County, Michigan, be increased by and the board of education be authorized to levy not to exceed 1.1552 mills ($1.1552 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation) for a period of 10 years, 2027 to 2036, inclusive, to create a sinking fund for the purchase of real estate for sites for, and the construction or repair of, school buildings; for school security improvements; for the acquisition or upgrading of technology; for the acquisition of student transportation vehicles; for the acquisition of parts, supplies, and equipment used for the maintenance of student transportation vehicles; for the acquisition of eligible trucks and vans used to carry parts, equipment, and personnel for or in the maintenance of school buildings; for the acquisition of parts, supplies, and equipment used to maintain such trucks and vans; and all other purposes authorized by law; the estimate of the revenue the school district will collect if the millage is approved and levied in 2027 is approximately $3,169,000?

 □ YES      □ NO