Taylor Schools $130 million bond approved
By ZEINAB NAJM
Sunday Times Newspapers
Dearborn Heights District 7 and Allen Park Public Schools passed millage renewals while Taylor Public Schools voters approved a $130 million improvement bond proposition in the Nov. 2 general election.
The bond proposal was approved with 5,617 votes in favor and 4,550 votes against. A new millage rate would be a 2.71-mill increase for a 3.67-mill school tax.
According to the ballot language, the estimated millage that will be levied to pay the proposed bonds in the first year is 3.64 mills which is equal to $3.64 per $1,000 of taxable value; and the estimated simple average annual millage that will be required to retire each series of bonds is 3.64 mills annually.
Some of the projects that will be paid for by the money generated from the bond are, erecting a new high school building and Career Center building which will include athletic fields and parking lots; erecting additions to and remodeling of the current high school for conversion to a middle school; remodeling, equipping, re-equipping, furnishing, refurnishing school buildings, athletic and play fields and other facilities to create a modern learning environment for students, for safety and security and other purposes.
Taylor Supt. Griff Mills thanked the community for approving the bond.
“Well, Taylor, we did it,” he said. “Our community decided we needed amazing schools. Our students, staff, teachers and board of education are so grateful that you decided to support our young people.”
The Allen Park non-homestead millage renewal proposal received 2,301 yes votes to 698 no votes.
The district will continue to levy the statutory rate not to exceed 18 mills on all property, except principal residence and other property exempted by law, required for the school district to receive its revenue per pupil foundation allowance and renews millage that will expire with the 2022 tax levy.
The authorized millage rate limitation is 20.8769 mills, so $20.8769 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation may be assessed against all applicable property within the district.
According to the millage language, the renewal is for 10 years from 2023 to 2032 to provide funds for operating purposes. In 2023, an estimated revenue of $1.7 million will be collected by the school district.
“Thank you, Allen Park voters, for your overwhelming support of the APPS Non-Homestead Millage Renewal Proposal,” a Facebook post from the district said. “Approval of this proposal affirms the strong support of the school district by our community and allows the district to continue providing a high-quality education to our students.”
In Dearborn Heights, D7 voters approved the Headlee Amendment override operating millage tax levy with 869 yes votes and 678 no votes.
This allows the district to continue to levy not more than the statutory maximum rate of 18 mills on all property except principal residence and qualified agricultural property. This is required for the school district to continue to receive its full revenue per pupil foundation allowance.
The levy shall not exceed 3.0052 mills, which is $3.0052 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation for a period of four years from 2021 to 2024. It is estimated that the revenue the school district will collect if the millage is approved and levied in the 2021 calendar year will be $78,100.38.
Revenues from this millage will go to operate and maintain the school system.
A video thanking the community featuring Board of Education President Carrie Harleton, Supt. Mary Ann Cyr, Assistant Supt. Kevin Brock and students was posted by the district on Facebook.
“So as you may know our 2021 bond has passed and our future for our students is looking brighter every day,” Harelton said. “With all these changes in D7 schools we are totally excited to get working so we can move all of our students future forward.”
(Zeinab Najm can be reached at [email protected].)