August 2025 Sinking Fund Replacement Millage

Orange and blue graphic with a little boy drawing a checkmark.

On August 5, 2025, voters in Northville Public Schools approved the renewal of the district’s Sinking Fund millage with approximately 71% voting YES across Wayne and Oakland counties. This renewal extends the .9357 mill levy from 2026 to 2035, continuing to provide approximately $4.1 million annually to support instructional technology and infrastructure repairs and upgrades—protecting the community’s investment in our schools.

This renewal will:

Preserve General Fund dollars to accomplish the District’s core mission of instruction and student learning
Continue to provide safe, secure, and healthy school environments for our children
Protect the community’s investment in the School District’s buildings and sites
Provide a consistent funding source for instructional technology across all buildings
Keep Northville’s taxpayer dollars in Northville

We are grateful for the community’s continued support.

Progress updates on Sinking Fund 2025 projects will be shared on this page and our social media channels throughout the year.

If you have questions or comments, please email us at: [email protected]

What are the goals for the Sinking Fund Renewal?

The District’s goals for the Sinking Fund Renewal include:

Preserve General Fund dollars to accomplish the District’s core mission of instruction and student learning
Continue to provide safe, secure, and healthy school environments for our children
Protect the community’s investment in the School District’s buildings and sites
Provide consistent funding source for instructional technology across all buildings
Keep Northville’s taxpayer dollars in Northville!

What are the major features of this Sinking Fund proposal?

Timely repairs prevent costly emergencies and ensure a safe, healthy, and functional environment conducive to learning. This sinking fund will be used for repairs, replacements, and remodeling of buildings and sites over the next ten years. It can also be used to pay for instructional technology, and safety and security equipment. The key areas identified for this future Sinking Fund fall into three major categories:

3 separate boxes that showcase the key focus areas: Instructional Technology: Important upgrades to devices, networks, and systems across the district. Energy & Operational Efficiency: Buildings will be kept in good working condition by addressing system and equipment upgrades where necessary. Health, Safety & Security: Building safety and security upgrades will continue to provide safe and healthy learning environments.

What is the difference between a bond and a sinking fund millage?

A Bond is a lump-sum dollar amount that a school district borrows through the sale of bonds to fund capital projects. Taxpayers pay the bond money back over a period of years with interest, like a home mortgage, by way of the debt millage levied by the district. This provides the district with the ability to fund major capital projects and

improvements without impacting the General Fund. A Sinking Fund is a way for residents to invest directly in their school system by keeping their tax dollars local. In Michigan, a Sinking Fund is a millage levied to support school safety and instructional technology improvements, and the repair, renovation, and construction of school buildings. This millage is a limited property tax considered a pay-as-you-go method for addressing building improvements. No debt or interest payments are incurred with a Sinking Fund.

What was accomplished over the past five years with the 2020 Sinking Fund Program?

The last Sinking Fund millage for our School District was approved by voters in 2020. It has been essential in addressing the District’s most critical facility repairs, the District’s aging buildings, shifting student enrollment, and the desire to modernize facilities to address the needs of today’s and tomorrow’s learners. The following matrix illustrates some of the projects that have been completed with sinking fund revenue.

BSSF Upgrades graph showcasing the projects that have happened and are proposed between 2011-Current.

Explain what money from a sinking fund millage can and cannot be used for?

Sinking fund money can be used for purchasing, completing, remodeling or repairing facilities, or parts of or additions to facilities; and improving sites for school buildings, structures, athletic facilities, playgrounds, or other facilities; and technology infrastructure. Sinking funds may be used for repairs, but not for maintenance. In November 2016, legislation expanded the use of sinking fund dollars to include security equipment and instructional technology equipment.

The State of Michigan has legal requirements, restrictions and guidelines for public school districts that plan to fund capital improvements or repairs through sinking fund millage levies. The law is very specific about what is considered an allowable use and what reporting and audit requirements are expected. Money raised through sinking fund millages cannot be used for school district operating expenses such as personnel costs, textbooks, technology software or equipment updates.

Can the money from a Sinking Fund be used to pay teacher or other employee salaries and benefits?