By WKTV Staff
joanne@wktv.org

Voters of Kelloggsville and Kentwood Public Schools will be heading to the polls on Tuesday, May 7, to renew operating millage for the districts.

Kentwood Public School voters are being asked to renew the current 10-year operating millage, an assessment of 18 mills on non-homestead properties. The millage would be renewed through 2029.

The millage provides approximately 16.9 percent, or more than $18.2 million, of the school district’s annual operating budget. If not approved, the district would lose more than $18 million of funding for the 2020-21 school year, and a similar amount each following year.

“The non-homestead funding is critical to our everyday operations in Kentwood Public Schools,” said Superintendent Michael Zoerhoff. “Losing over $18 million of the district’s operating budget would have a major impact on the educational programs offered to our students and the community.”

Kelloggsville voters are being asked to renew its current operating millage, an assessment of 17 mills on non-homestead properties and to increase that millage by .5 or 50 cents per $1,000 taxable valuation. The increase, according to the ballot language is to help restore millage lost as a result of the reduction required by the “Headlee” amendment to the Michigan Constitution of 1963. If the millage with the increase is approved, it would raise about $2.6 million for the district in 2020. The millage proposal is for two years.

If approved, Kentwood and Kelloggsville Public Schools homeowners will not see an increase in their primary residence property tax since it would be for only non-homestead properties, such as businesses, rental properties and vacation homes.

The millage has been in place since 1994. Under Proposal A, a measure that changed the funding formula for the state’s public schools, a renewal of the 18 mills is required periodically by voters in order for the district to continue collecting the millage.

Due to the change in the election law last year, voters may also seek an absentee ballot for no reason. To request an absentee ballot, contact your city clerk’s office: Kentwood City Clerk office, 616-554-0730; Wyoming City
Clerk office, 616-530-7296; Grand Rapids City Clerk (for those living in the Kentwood Public Schools District, which is primarily the Third Ward), 616-456-3010 or email cityclerk@grcity.us; Gaines Township Clerk, 616-698-7980.

School News Network contributed to this story. For more local school news, visit the School News Network website.