Novi Community School District will not receive an estimated $781 per pupil annually after Oakland County voters narrowly defeated a proposed 1.5-mill school enhancement millage on Tuesday, Aug. 4.

The final count, which arrived shortly before 9 a.m. Wednesday, showed 51.1% of voters rejecting the measure (173,743 votes) against 48.9% in favor (166,355 votes), according to WXYZ. The margin of defeat was about 7,400 votes out of approximately 340,098 ballots cast, the Detroit Free Press reported.

That lead didn't hold. At 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, the "Yes" side was ahead by about 500 votes out of 212,000 counted, the Detroit News reported. Late-arriving ballots flipped the result overnight.

What it means for Novi families

The defeat means Novi homeowners will not pay the additional estimated $300 per year the millage would have added to tax bills on a home with a taxable value of $200,000 (roughly $400,000 market value). It also means Novi Community School District, one of 28 Oakland County public school districts eligible for the funding, will not see the per-pupil dollars that would have started flowing in December 2026.

The six-year levy was projected to generate approximately $125.8 million countywide in its first year, distributed equally on a per-pupil basis, according to the Oakland Press.

Supporters and opponents

Northville Public Schools Superintendent RJ Webber had publicly backed the millage before the vote. In a July 17 Oakland Press article, Webber defended the investment: "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."

Oakland County Commissioner Bob Hoffman urged a "no" vote, arguing the true annual cost to the average homeowner was closer to $300, not the $152 figure cited by some supporters, according to the Oakland Press. The Oakland County Republican Party ran an opposition campaign describing the proposal as a "$131 million tax grab."

Oakland Schools Superintendent Kenneth Gutman said in a statement Wednesday that the district respects the outcome and the will of Oakland County voters, according to WXYZ.

What comes next

South Lyon Community Schools Superintendent Steve Archibald told the Free Press he would not be surprised to see a new request brought back to voters, noting that the need for additional funding "isn't going away."

Oakland County remains without a countywide school enhancement millage. Eight other Michigan counties, including neighboring Wayne and Macomb, already levy one, according to the Oakland Press. Approximately 600,000 students, about 44% of Michigan's public school enrollment, live in counties with similar millages.

As we reported July 22, the millage had been projected to add $300 a year to Novi tax bills. Novi school district officials have not yet commented publicly on how the defeat will affect the district's budget planning.