Kent ISD Enhancement Millage
Local public school leaders are asking voters to consider a proposal to restore and renew the 10-year, 0.9 millage originally approved in 2017. The proposal directly benefits nearly 100,000 public school students by maintaining a stable, reliable funding source to help students learn, achieve, and be college and career-ready. The proposal will appear on the November 4, 2025 ballot.
If passed, the proposal would continue to provide local funding, which school districts have relied on since 2017, while other one-time federal and state funding has expired or has an unknown future. In January of 2025, Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds expired, meaning districts no longer have the significant financial support that these funds provided.
The funding of the enhancement millage would provide nearly $357 per pupil that K-12 schools can depend on.
How much will the proposal cost homeowners?
The passage of the proposal would amount to about $135/year for the owner of a $300,000 home with a taxable value of $150,000. This works out to about $11.25/month.
| Home Value | Taxable Value | Annual | Monthly |
|---|---|---|---|
| $150,000 | $75,000 | $67.50 | $5.63 |
| $200,000 | $100,000 | $90.00 | $7.50 |
| $300,000 | $150,000 | $135.00 | $11.25 |
| $400,000 | $200,000 | $180.00 | $15.00 |
| $500,000 | $250,000 | $225.00 | $18.75 |
How much will this generate for schools?
Passage of this proposal would generate an estimated $35.6 million, approximately $357 per student, for all public schools within the taxable boundaries of Kent ISD.
How will the funding be used?
The funds distributed to all local public schools will be used for school investments determined by the local school leaders. All of the funding raised by the enhancement millage will go directly to local schools. Since 2017, local schools have used the funding in a variety of ways, including:
- Special Education
- Career & Technical Education
- College Readiness Programs
- Student Mental Health/Behavioral Supports
- Academic Supports
- Curriculum Materials
- Facility Enhancements
- Safety & Security
- Reducing Class Sizes
- Dual Enrollment
- Staff Professional Development
- Student & Staff Technology
- Reducing Pay to Play for Athletics
You can see more specifics on how districts used the funding from the millage approved in 2017 here.
How will the schools be held accountable?
Spending will be subject to annual independent audits and publicly disclosed to ensure transparency and accountability. Publicly elected school boards, governed by the Open Meetings Act, will provide additional taxpayer protections.
The Headlee Amendment Effect
The Headlee Amendment, a 1978 amendment to the Michigan Constitution, restricts local property tax increases by requiring a reduction in millage rates if the tax base (taxable value) grows faster than inflation, unless voters approve a "Headlee Override".
- Headlee Rollback is a permanent reduction in the originally approved millage rate.
- Headlee Override is the mechanism to restore millage rates to their original rates through voter approval.
The 2017 millage rate, due to the Headlee Amendment, was reduced to 0.8498 mills. If passed, this proposal would restore and renew the millage to the original 0.9 mills.
How will the question look on the ballot?
REGIONAL ENHANCEMENT MILLAGE PROPOSAL
This proposal renews regional enhancement millage previously approved by the electors that will expire with the 2026 levy and restores millage lost as a result of the reduction required by the Michigan Constitution of 1963. Pursuant to state law, the revenue raised by the proposed millage will be collected by the intermediate school district and distributed to constituent districts based on pupil membership count.
Shall the limitation on the amount of taxes which may be assessed against all property in Kent Intermediate School District, Michigan, be renewed by .8498 mill ($0.8498 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation) and also be increased by .0502 mill ($0.0502 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation) for a total of .9 mill, for a period of 10 years, 2027 to 2036, inclusive, to provide operating funds to enhance other state and local funding for constituent district operating purposes; the estimate of the revenue the intermediate school district will collect if the millage is approved and levied in 2027 is approximately $35,606,388, which funds will be disbursed as required by statute to the following constituent districts: Byron Center Public Schools, Caledonia Community Schools, Cedar Springs Public Schools, Comstock Park Public Schools, East Grand Rapids Public Schools, Forest Hills Public Schools, Godfrey-Lee Public Schools, Godwin Heights Public Schools, Grand Rapids Public Schools, Grandville Public Schools, Kelloggsville Public School District, Kenowa Hills Public Schools, Kent City Community Schools, Kentwood Public Schools, Lowell Area Schools, Northview Public Schools, Rockford Public Schools, Sparta Area Schools, Thornapple Kellogg School, and Wyoming Public Schools, Byron Center Charter School, Chandler Woods Charter Academy, Covenant High School Grand Rapids, Creative Technologies Academy, Cross Creek Charter Academy, Excel Charter Academy, Gerald Dawkins Academy, Grand Rapids Child Discovery Center, Grand River Preparatory High School, Hope Academy of West Michigan, Knapp Charter Academy, Lighthouse Academy, New Branches Charter Academy, NexTech High School of Grand Rapids, PrepNet Virtual Academy, Ridge Park Charter Academy, River City Scholars Academy, Vanguard Charter Academy, Vista Charter Academy, Walker Charter Academy, Wellspring Preparatory High School, West MI Academy of Environmental Science, West Michigan Aviation Academy, and William C. Abney Academy, and to Kent Intermediate School District (.8498 mill of the above is a renewal of millage that will expire with the 2026 tax levy and .0502 mill is a restoration of millage lost as a result of the reduction required by the “Headlee” amendment to the Michigan Constitution of 1963)?
Additional Information
While Central High students have been participating in the zoo excursion for about the past 10 years, Butler said this is the first time students from all three high schools participated, which was made possible through the regional enhancement millage and John Ball Zoo and Grand Rapids Public Museum millage.
According to a Kent ISD website, which tracks how districts have used the funding, enhancement millage dollars have gone toward a wide range of student-centered initiatives.
Voters will consider renewing a millage Nov. 4 that has generated millions of dollars across 20 public school districts in Kent ISD over the past eight years.
