Yes. Several Michigan counties have voter-approved enhancement millages, including:

• Wayne County
• Macomb County
• Kent County
• Kalamazoo County
• Midland County
• Monroe County
• Ottawa County
• Muskegon County
• Charlevoix-Emmet County

Currently, approximately 44% of students in Michigan, or 617,635 students, receive enhancement millage funding.

Counties with regional enhancement millages have used the funds in the following ways:

• To increase their teacher salary grids and offers including right-sizing teacher salaries, (which has pulled highly qualified staff away from Oakland County.)
• Purchased interactive technology for all classrooms
• Purchased new security systems
• To add support staff
• To expand career technical education
• To hire instructional coaches

No.

The local school board’s resolution is a request to place the Enhancement Millage on the ballot for all Oakland County residents, allowing all voters to decide. A local board resolution is not an endorsement of the millage itself.

The election date is: Tuesday, August 4, 2026

If approved by voters, collections would begin in December 2026, and it would be reflected in winter tax bills.

The last day to register to vote in any manner other than in-person at the Clerk's office is Monday, July 20th.

June 25, 2026: First day absentee ballots will be available (40 days before the election)

July 24, 2026: Deadline for electors to submit a written request to spoil their absent voter ballot and receive a new absent voter ballot by mail

July 25, 2026: Nine days of early voting begin at the Oak Park Community Center, 14300 Oak Park Blvd. Oak Park, MI 48237, and also at Waterford Oaks Activity Center, 2800 Watkins Lake Rd, Waterford, MI 48328.  Hours are 8:30 am - 4:30 pm. This continues until Sunday, August 2nd.  Same hours each day with the exception of Thursday, July 30th, in which the voting hours will be from 12 pm - 8 pm.  

July 31, 2026: At 5 pm, the deadline for voters who have lost their absentee ballot or have not yet received their ballot in the mail to submit a written request to spoil their absent voter ballot and receive a new absent voter ballot by mail.

August 3, 2026: At 4 pm, the deadline to request a primary absentee ballot in person at your local clerk’s office.

August 4, 2026: Election Day - polls are open from 7 am to 8 pm. Absentee ballots must be returned no later than 8 pm on Election Day to be counted. 

From the Michigan Secretary of State Website: 

Return and submit an absentee ballot by mail (not recommended within 14 days of an election)

Voters can mail their completed and signed absentee ballot to their local clerk’s office using the provided pre-paid envelope.

Deadline: Mailed absentee ballots from all voters, except military and overseas voters, must be received by the voter's local clerk by 8 p.m. on Election Day. Ballots not received by this time will not be counted. Voters are encouraged to mail an absentee ballot at least two weeks before Election Day to avoid potential mailing delays. Military and overseas voter absentee ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and received within 6 days after the election.

Having the election in August aligns with the Michigan statewide primary election. This is also one of the three days schools can use for elections. In addition, having an election in August will allow districts to collect the funds on the winter tax bills in December 2026, allowing for a fast impact of the funds if voters were to pass the ballot initiative.

Unrestricted funds mean that if the ballot proposal passes, funds can be used for the general fund without specific spending requirements. This means that one district could use the funds to increase pay for their teachers, another could buy school buses, yet another could hire a school resource officer, and finally another could continue to keep elementary mental health staff on the payroll. All of these expenses would typically come from the general fund, and the regional enhancement millage would support expanding each district's budget to allow for a variety of uses to support their budgetary goals. Oakland Schools would not receive any funding from this Millage if passed.

These funds could be used where each local district sees fit to tackle the funding gaps and inflation gaps in current budgets.

If the millage is not approved by voters, it would not change any local districts' budgets. However, it would mean that districts would continue to operate at the funding deficits and inflation deficit levels.

Yes. School districts are working on a schedule of information sessions to share with the public. These will be held in the spring and will be located in each quadrant of the county.