Grand Rapids Reporter

Public millage was on the agenda during a recent Grandville Public School Board meeting.

A school operating millage is a mandated funding avenue that requires all school districts in the state of Michigan to levy an 18-mil local property tax to make their minimum funding per pupil. It is a regular property tax for the school district and not an additional bond or referendum. The last time the district had their millage renewed by the voters was in 2013 for a 10-year period, meaning that their current millage will expire on Dec. 31. Voters will have to renew the millage before that expiration date.

“Just comparing total millage rankings, I'm pretty proud of this slide,” Heather Roszkowski, assistant superintendent, said in the Jan. 17 meeting. “I hope you guys are too. Just because we're the fourth-lowest debt millage in Kent County and we are, you know, very lucky to have the support of the community that voted in an increase to build a new middle school. And even with that increase, we're still the fourth-lowest. So, I'm pretty proud; and an overall total millage is debt plus operating plus sinking fund, and then a couple of districts in the county also have a rec millage. But overall, in Kent County, we have the fourth-lowest total millage rank.”

The district also received a Headlee rollback in 2016, a local law preventing them from their full 18 mil when property rates in the area rise faster than inflation—so Grandville is capped at 16.8422 mil. They can request more if the voters approve it, but they can never collect more than 18 mil even if their override mil makes their total greater than 18. 

The only reason a district would take an override that makes their total above 18 is in case of another reduction. The Grandville district has not done an override to cancel out their reduction because they were receiving federal dollars and did not need the additional funds.

Now that the federal funding is gone, the district feels it is very important to pass their new mil and educate the community as to why they will be asking for it and why the money is so vital to their operations.

Their next steps include a recommendation from the business office to get voters' approval of a 19-mil rate with a four-year term ending on Dec. 31, 2026. Even though they would be asking for 19 mil, the school cannot collect more than 18. This would simply allow them to weather any reductions or changes in the next few years.

The board opted to move forward and hold some educational sessions for community members in the near future, and then vote on the issue at the next board meeting.