Avondale and Grand Blanc Schools Have Proposals on May 5 Ballot
(Oakland County Times, April 20, 2026)
Oakland County, MI – In the May 5, 2026 election there are only two communities with proposals on the ballot – Avondale School District and Grand Blanc Community Schools.
Avondale, which includes Auburn Hills, Bloomfield Township, Rochester Hills, and Troy, has two proposals, with ballot language as follows:
Avondale School District Operating Millage Proposal
This proposal, if approved by the electors, would, authorize the School District to levy the statutory limit of 18 mills on all property, except principal residences and other property exempted by law, which previous authorization expired with the School District’s 2025 tax levy and allow the School District to continue to levy the statutory limit of 18 mills in the event of future Headlee rollbacks required by the Michigan Constitution of up to 3 mills. The authorization will allow the School District to continue to receive revenues at the full per pupil foundation allowance permitted by the State.
Shall the limitation on the total amount of taxes which may be assessed against all property, except principal residences and other property exempted by law, situated within the Avondale School District, County of Oakland, State of Michigan, be increased, in the amount of 21 mills with 18 mills being the maximum allowable levy ($18.00 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation), for a period of twenty (20) years, 2026 to 2045? This operating millage if approved and levied, would provide estimated revenues to the School District of $11,591,089 during the 2026 calendar year, to be used for general operating purposes.
Building and Site Sinking Fund Proposal Avondale School District County of Oakland State of Michigan
This proposal, if approved by the electors, will authorize the School District to continue to levy a building and site sinking fund millage, the proceeds of which will be used to make improvements and repairs to the School District’s facilities, including security improvements and the acquisition or upgrading of technology, the acquisition of student transportation vehicles, trucks and vans and parts, supplies and equipment used for the maintenance of these vehicles, which previous authorization expired with the School District’s 2025 tax levy. Pursuant to State law, the expenditure of the building and site sinking fund tax proceeds must be audited, and the proceeds cannot be used for teacher, administrator or employee salaries, maintenance or other operating expenses.
Shall the Avondale School District County of Oakland, State of Michigan, be authorized to levy 1 mills ($1.00 per $1,000 of taxable valuation), for a period of ten (10) years, being the years 2026 to 2035, inclusive, to create a building and site sinking fund to be used for the construction or repair of school buildings, school security improvements, the acquisition or upgrading of technology, the acquisition of student transportation vehicles, trucks and vans and parts, supplies and equipment used for the maintenance of these vehicles and other purposes, to the extent permitted by law? This millage if approved and levied would provide estimated revenues to the School District of approximately $1,392,118 during the 2026 calendar year.
Voters in Grand Blanc School District also have a proposal. Grand Blanc Community Schools includes the communities of which includes Grand Blanc, Grand Blanc Township, Burton, Mundy Township, Atlas Township and Holly Township. Ballot language is as follows:
Grand Blanc Community Schools School Improvement Bond Proposition
Grand Blanc Community Schools Counties of Genesee and Oakland State of Michigan Shall the Grand Blanc Community Schools, Counties of Genesee and Oakland, State of Michigan, borrow the sum of not to exceed One Hundred Forty-Nine Million Dollars ($149,000,000) and issue its general obligation unlimited tax bonds, in one or more series, to pay the cost of the following projects for the purpose of creating a modern, safe and healthy learning environment for students: – Erecting and completing a performing arts center addition to the High School East, an early childhood center addition to the Perry Center, classroom additions to elementary school buildings which will replace temporary modular buildings for security purposes and additions to other facilities; – Remodeling, equipping, re-equipping, furnishing, re-furnishing school buildings and other facilities including district-wide security improvements; – Acquiring and installing instructional technology infrastructure and equipment in school buildings and other facilities; and – Preparing, developing and improving sites at school buildings and other facilities?
The annual debt millage required to retire all bonds of the School District currently outstanding and proposed pursuant to this ballot is expected to be at or below 6.30 mills which is a 0 mill increase from the annual debt millage levied in 2025. The maximum number of years any series of bonds may be outstanding, exclusive of refunding, is not more than twenty-five (25) years; the estimated millage that will be levied to pay the proposed bonds in the first year is 0.15 mills (which is equal to $0.15 per $1,000 of taxable value); and the estimated simple average annual millage that will be required to retire each series of bonds is 2.95 mills annually ($2.95 per $1,000 of taxable value).
If approved by the voters, the bonds will be guaranteed by the State under the School Bond Qualification and Loan Program (“the “Program”). The School District currently has $86,460,000 of qualified bonds outstanding and $0 of qualified loans outstanding under the Program. The School District does not expect to borrow from the Program to pay debt service on these bonds. The estimated computed millage rate required to be levied to pay the proposed bonds may change in the future based on changes in certain circumstances. (Pursuant to State law, expenditure of bond proceeds must be audited, and the proceeds cannot be used for teacher, administrator or employee salaries, repair or maintenance costs or other operating expenses.
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