Nik Rajkovic / news@whmi.com

Howell Public Schools is asking voters next month to approve a renewal and restoration of the district's 18-mill non-homestead operating millage.

"That helps fund things like teacher pay and classroom materials, and it's required for Michigan districts to pass this millage to receive their full per-pupil funding, that is determined by the state of Michigan," said district spokesperson Tom Gould.

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

"The first is a renewal of the current operating millage authorization, which is 18.4411 mills. And the second is restoring .6084 mills that had been reduced due to Headlee Amendments," said Gould. "So, if both proposals are approved by voters on November 3, it will restore our operating millage authorization up to 19.0495 mills, which is what voters approved back in 2014."

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.

The millage applies only to non-homestead property and does not apply to owner-occupied primary residences or qualified agricultural property.

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.

To help inform the community about the renewal, the district has launched a webpage linked below that includes information about the non-homestead operating millage, frequently asked questions and additional resources.