Birmingham and Bloomfield Hills families facing recent staff cuts and tightening budgets would see new money flow into their schools if Oakland County voters approve a 1.5-mill enhancement millage on Tuesday, August 4.

The proposal would generate more than $130 million countywide in its first year and distribute an average of $781 per pupil annually over six years to every public school district and charter school in Oakland County, according to Oakland Schools Superintendent Kenneth Gutman. The funding would be unrestricted, meaning districts could spend it on teacher salaries, building improvements, equipment, or mental health services.

Early in-person voting begins Saturday, July 25, at 8:30 a.m. Birmingham and Bloomfield Township residents can cast ballots at the Bloomfield Township Public Library, 1099 Lone Pine Road. Early voting runs through Sunday, August 2, at 4:30 p.m., with extended hours of noon to 8 p.m. on Thursday, July 30, and Friday, July 31.

Local stakes

The millage arrives as Birmingham Public Schools grapples with budget pressure. The district laid off approximately 15 employees as of Friday, May 22, after enrollment dropped by about 100 students, costing an estimated $1.4 million in state funding. Two of those layoffs hit Groves High School teachers. Superintendent Embekka Roberson said in June that "state funding increases continue to lag behind inflationary costs."

The Bloomfield Hills Schools Board of Education voted at its Monday, February 23, 2026, meeting to approve a resolution requesting the enhancement millage be placed on the ballot, with Superintendent Rick West presenting the proposal.

Neither district has publicly detailed how it would spend the new revenue.

How it works

Oakland Schools would collect the tax beginning December 2026 and redistribute every dollar to local districts on a per-pupil basis proportional to enrollment, not property wealth. Gutman emphasized that the intermediate school district keeps none of the money.

"Revenue is distributed to local school districts and eligible public school academies based on a per-pupil formula," Gutman told the Oakland Press on Thursday, July 17.

Because funds are pooled countywide, some districts will contribute more than they receive. Walled Lake officials estimated their district would send more than $2 million to other communities. Whether Birmingham or Bloomfield Hills would be net donors or receivers has not been publicly disclosed.

Cost to homeowners

Supporters say a homeowner with a taxable value of $200,000 would pay about $150 per year. Oakland County Commissioner Bob Hoffman, who opposes the measure, counters that the average Oakland County home has a taxable value closer to $400,000, putting the real cost at roughly $300 annually. The difference reflects assumptions about home values, not a dispute over the mill rate itself.

The Oakland County Republican Party has launched an opposition campaign calling the proposal a "$131 million tax grab." Finance Chair Brian Szmytke argued that higher spending does not guarantee better outcomes, noting Michigan ranks near the bottom nationally in education performance.

Regional context

Oakland County is one of the few large Michigan counties without an enhancement millage. Wayne County adopted a 1.9-mill levy in 2016, and Macomb County voters approved 1.9 mills in March 2020. Waterford Schools Superintendent Adam Martin said the gap makes it harder for Oakland districts to recruit teachers: "We are trying to stay regionally competitive with Wayne and Macomb in a really difficult market where there aren't enough teachers."

The Oakland Schools Board of Education voted 3-1 on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, to place the proposal on the August ballot after school boards representing a majority of the county's student population passed supporting resolutions.

What's next

The deadline to request an absentee ballot by mail is 5 p.m. Friday, July 31. Voters can pick up an absentee ballot in person at the Bloomfield Township Clerk's Office until 4 p.m. Monday, August 3. Election Day is Tuesday, August 4.