Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


Voters in the Howell Public Schools district will decide a millage renewal in November.

The Board of Education approved placing the renewal and restoration of the district's non-homestead operating millage on the November 3rd ballot and adopted the ballot language for the proposals.

Michigan school districts are required to levy an 18-mill non-homestead operating millage to receive their full per-pupil funding level established by the State of Michigan.

The millage applies only to non-homestead property and does not apply to owner-occupied primary residences or qualified agricultural property. Renewing the district's non-homestead operating millage is necessary for Howell Public Schools to continue receiving its full per-pupil funding.

Although the district's current authorization does not expire until December 2027, placing the proposals on the November 2026 gubernatorial election ballot allows the district to present the renewal and restoration to voters at no additional cost to the district.

The renewal and restoration will appear as two separate proposals on the ballot.

The first proposal asks voters to consider renewing the district's current non-homestead operating millage authorization of 18.4411 mills for 11 years.

The second proposal asks voters to consider restoring 0.6084 mill that has been reduced over time due to Headlee Amendment rollbacks. If approved, the restoration would return the district's authorized non-homestead operating millage to 19.0495 mills, the rate approved by voters in 2014.

Headlee Amendment rollbacks are a constitutional provision that can reduce authorized millage rates when increases in taxable property values exceed the rate of inflation.

Although voters are being asked to authorize a total of 19.0495 mills, Michigan law limits school districts to levying no more than 18 mills for non-homestead operating purposes. Authorizing more than 18 mills provides a cushion against future Headlee rollbacks, helping ensure the district can continue levying the full 18 mills without seeking additional voter approval.

Superintendent Erin MacGregor said "This November, voters will be asked to vote on two proposals relating to the district’s non-homestead millage. The first renews the district's existing non-homestead operating millage, while the second restores millage authorization that has been reduced over time due to Headlee Amendment rollbacks. The two proposals on the ballot work together to protect that funding. Neither proposal allows the district to levy more than the 18 mills permitted under Michigan law. By placing the proposals on the November ballot, the Board of Education is avoiding the cost of a standalone election while providing additional time to seek voter approval before the current authorization expires."

To help inform the community about the renewal, the district has launched a webpage at HowellSchools.com/renewal that includes information about the non-homestead operating millage, frequently asked questions and additional resources. That link is provided.

The district will also host informational sessions, with dates and locations to be announced at a later date.