Northville Public Schools will keep nearly $11.8 million a year in operating revenue after voters approved the district's Non-Homestead Operating Millage Replacement on Tuesday, Aug. 4, by a comfortable margin in both counties the district spans.

The 10-year renewal passed 5,781 to 2,616 (69%) in Wayne County and 2,434 to 1,287 (65%) in Oakland County, according to The Oakland Press. Combined, more than 8,200 voters said yes versus about 3,900 who voted no. It was the widest margin of victory for any school proposal on the Aug. 4 ballot.

The result means homeowners pay nothing new. The 18-mill levy applies only to non-homestead properties: commercial buildings, businesses, rental units and vacation homes, at $18 per $1,000 of taxable valuation. The millage replaces an authorization voters last approved in May 2021 that expires with the 2026 tax levy; the new term runs 2027 through 2036.

What was at stake

District officials estimated the millage generates roughly $11.8 million a year, about 11.3% of Northville Public Schools' operating budget and approximately $1,662 per student across the district's 10 schools and roughly 7,022 students in the City of Northville, Northville Township and portions of Novi.

Had the measure failed, Michigan's school-finance structure under Proposal A would not have made up the difference. The state assumes every district levies the full 18 mills and does not compensate districts that lose a local vote, according to the district's millage information page.

Northville's margin stood out

The strong showing contrasted sharply with other school proposals on the same ballot. The countywide Oakland County school enhancement millage, a separate 1.5-mill measure, failed narrowly with 51.1% voting no out of more than 332,000 ballots cast. Waterford's non-homestead operating millage replacement was rejected 52% to 48%, putting $17.7 million (13% of that district's budget) at risk. Oxford's replacement squeaked through by just 34 votes after a similar proposal was rejected in November 2025.

As we reported Wednesday, the countywide Oakland County enhancement millage's failure means Novi Community Schools will lose an estimated $781 per pupil that supporters had hoped to secure.

Superintendent RJ Webber said in a July 17 Oakland Press article about the countywide school enhancement millage: "I have a hard time with people lecturing myself or people in my profession about efficiency and a return on investment when you look at the fact of what we do for the money that we get, and the public good that we do is pretty incredible."

What's next

Ballot language authorized the district to collect up to 20 mills to guard against future Headlee Amendment rollbacks, though the actual levy remains capped at the statutory 18 mills. The approved millage takes effect with the 2027 tax levy.