Oakland County school districts move toward countywide 1.5-mill enhancement proposal for Aug. 4, 2026 ballot

A countywide education tax proposal is advancing through local school boards

A proposed countywide school “enhancement millage” is moving closer to the Aug. 4, 2026 ballot in Oakland County, Michigan, as local boards of education consider resolutions that would allow Oakland Schools—the county’s intermediate school district—to place the question before voters.

The proposal under discussion would levy a 1.5-mill property tax for six years. If approved by voters, proceeds would be distributed to participating public school districts on a per-pupil basis, a structure intended to deliver the same dollar amount per student across districts regardless of local property wealth.

How the proposal reaches the ballot

To qualify for placement on the ballot, the measure must clear procedural thresholds that rely on participation from local districts. In practice, boards are being asked to indicate whether they want the question advanced for countywide consideration, with the process tied to district enrollment totals across Oakland County.

Board packets and draft resolutions circulated by districts describe an Aug. 4, 2026 election date and note that ballot wording may be finalized or revised as the intermediate school district completes required steps to certify language for the county clerk.

What 1.5 mills means for taxpayers and schools

Millage rates are applied to taxable value. A 1.5-mill levy equals $1.50 per $1,000 of taxable value each year. Illustrative estimates presented in public discussions have described the proposal as adding hundreds of dollars annually for some homeowners, depending on a property’s taxable value.

Supporters of countywide enhancement millages in Michigan generally describe the mechanism as a way to supplement school operating resources with locally raised revenue. The revenue may be used for district priorities that can include staffing, student programming, and safety-related spending, subject to applicable rules governing intermediate-school-district millages and local budgeting decisions.

Local debate: participation, transparency, and control

Votes to advance the question have not been unanimous. In Clarkston, the school board voted 4–3 to direct Oakland Schools to submit the countywide question for the August ballot, reflecting divisions that have centered on voter clarity, the tax impact, and how countywide proceeds would be governed and distributed.

Other districts have documented differing positions in formal action items, including instances where boards have declined to support the proposal at that time. Those decisions can affect whether the countywide participation threshold is met and whether the measure ultimately appears on the ballot.

What happens next

• Additional local school boards are expected to vote on whether to request or support placing the enhancement millage question on the Aug. 4, 2026 ballot.
• If participation thresholds are met, Oakland Schools would proceed with final ballot language and filing steps for the countywide election.
• If certified for the ballot, Oakland County voters would decide in the Aug. 4, 2026 election whether to authorize the 1.5-mill, six-year levy.

Key decision point: whether enough districts—by enrollment share—formally participate to qualify the countywide question for the August 2026 ballot.