Voters approve operating millage for Grosse Pointe public schools

GROSSE POINTES/HARPER WOODS — Voters in the Grosse Pointe Public School System district — which encompasses the five Grosse Pointes and part of Harper Woods — showed strong support for an operating millage that was on the Aug. 6 primary ballot.

Unofficial voting results available at press time from Wayne County showed that 72% of voters approved the operating millage restoration and extension. As GPPSS Superintendent Andrea Tuttle explained in May, the millage was a renewal and represented “no tax increase for homeowners.”

Voter approval allows the district to levy up to 18 mills — the statutory limit — for general operations. Everything from salaries for teachers and staff to building maintenance and educational programs is covered by this millage.

For homeowners, the rate is capped at 7.5337 mills. By law, the district can only levy the amount of the millage needed to enable the district to get its full per-pupil foundation allowance; currently, that amount is 3.7113 mills.

The millage question calls for an increase to 20 mills for non-homestead property, but no more than 18 mills can be levied. Tuttle said they’re building in a cushion in the event of millage rollbacks.

“Today, our community reaffirmed its commitment to education and the well-being of our youth,” Tuttle said via email Aug. 7. “I extend my sincere gratitude to all who dedicated their time and effort to the operating millage education campaign and to everyone who participated in the voting process. We now look forward to the important work of maintaining and enhancing our educational programs.

“Being a part of the Grosse Pointe community and the GPPSS team is an honor, but the pride I feel today is particularly profound. Thank you, Grosse Pointe, for demonstrating that the future of our youth is a top priority.”

The Alliance for GP Public Schools, a nonprofit not affiliated with the district that had been advocating for passage of the millage, issued a statement on its Facebook page after the election that reads: “Strong Schools = Strong Communities. Thank you to Grosse Pointe and Harper Woods community members for your enthusiastic support of GPPSS schools with 72% voting YES for the School Operating Millage Renewal! The revenue from the operating millage will help our schools continue to thrive.”

District officials said the operating millage represents a critical portion of the district’s annual budget and without it, the district couldn’t operate its current schools and programs.

“If this doesn’t pass, the school district as we know it doesn’t exist,” Board member Ahmed Ismail said May 28.

The millage would raise an estimated $22.4 million in its first year. The district’s total budget is roughly $101 million.

The operating millage just approved by voters takes effect in 2025 and runs for five years, until December 2029. It doesn’t overlap the existing operating millage, for which the district will collect its last payment in December 2024.