To:       Honorable Members of the House Election Integrity Committee

From:   Michigan Association of School Boards

             Michigan Association of Superintendents and Administrators

             Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators

             Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals

             Michigan Alliance for Student Opportunity

             Michigan Elementary & Middle School Principals Association

             Michigan School Business Officials

             School Equity

             Education Advocates of West Michigan

RE:       Opposition to House Bills 4583 and 4584

Date:   Feb. 24, 2026

On behalf of public school board members, superintendents and administrators, we urge opposition to House Bills 4583 and 4584, which limit millage elections to November.

Creating only one date for districts to go to their voters could raise the costs of bonds, force districts into higher interest rates and create a backlog at the Department of Treasury to approve those projects going through the School Bond Loan Fund. It would also create serious problems if the 18 mills non-homestead school millage should fail. Districts are required to levy the 18 mills in order to receive any state per-pupil funding; putting a year between elections would jeopardize a district’s ability to operate schools and pay staff. For this reason, we strongly encourage maintaining the current election dates.  

Additionally, bonds and sinking funds are the only way currently available to school districts to pay for capital improvements, and both require voter approval. When a district determines a bond is necessary for infrastructure and capital improvements, timing is part of the decision. A district will look at the markets to determine the best time to issue a bond to get lower interest rates and thereby lower costs for its taxpayers. If timing is limited, the ability to find lower rates will be removed. If the only date is November, the millage will not be able to be placed on tax rolls until the following summer. Since most construction must occur while school is out of session, this means projects may not break ground until over a year after the election, once revenue has been collected.

Thank you for your consideration, and we hope you will consider our concerns with the logistics of this change. Please contact any of our organizations with any questions.