By: Jasmine West
Detroit voters approved Proposal S, protecting a critical source of operating revenue for Detroit Public Schools Community District and ensuring money used to run the city’s public schools can continue reaching classrooms, educators and students.
The measure authorizes DPSCD to collect up to 18 mills on non-homestead property through 2045. District officials estimate the levy will generate approximately $112 million in 2026 for teachers, classroom instruction, student programs, technology, transportation, arts and music, athletics, career and technical education and the daily work of operating Detroit schools.
The millage applies primarily to businesses, rental properties, industrial property and second homes. It does not apply to owner-occupied primary residences and does not increase the existing operating tax rate.
What changes is who has the authority to collect it.
Since Detroit’s school system was restructured by the state in 2016, DPSCD has educated students and operated schools while the former Detroit Public Schools entity remained in place to collect taxes and repay legacy debt.
With that operating debt nearing repayment, the old district could no longer remain the long-term collector of the millage. Proposal S gives that authority directly to DPSCD, allowing the district responsible for Detroit’s students to continue receiving the full operating funding available under Michigan’s school funding formula.
Without voter approval, district officials warned DPSCD could face an annual funding loss of approximately $120 million once the legacy district lost its authority to collect the tax.
That possibility placed programs, staffing and services throughout the district at risk. Proposal S did not ask Detroiters to create a new pot of money. It asked them to prevent an existing and essential source of school revenue from disappearing because of the legal structure left behind by Detroit’s 2016 school restructuring.
In a statement following the measure’s passage, the DPSCD Board of Education thanked residents for supporting the district and investing in Detroit children.
“We sincerely thank the voters of Detroit for supporting Proposal S and investing in the future of our students,” the Board said. “We are grateful for your confidence and committed to earning your trust every day.”
The Board described the vote as an investment in opportunity and in the belief that Detroit students deserve the same access to strong schools, educators and programs as children in wealthier communities.
“Every child deserves to learn in a safe, welcoming school, be inspired by outstanding educators, and have access to strong academics, technology, the arts, athletics, and career pathways that prepare them for success,” the statement continued. “A child’s future should never be determined by their ZIP code.”
For Detroit families, that funding directly shapes what students experience inside their schools each day.
Operating revenue pays for the people who greet children in the morning, teach them throughout the day, transport them to school, provide academic and emotional support and keep school buildings functioning. It supports books, classroom technology, utilities and programs that give students opportunities beyond their required courses.
The measure’s passage comes as DPSCD prepares to welcome students back for another academic year and families continue demanding strong instruction, safe schools, transparency and visible results from district leadership.
Board members acknowledged that Proposal S alone will not solve the deeper inequities built into public school funding. Its passage does, however, prevent Detroit schools from losing revenue that districts across Michigan rely on as part of the state funding system.
“While we recognize there is still work to do to achieve greater equity in school funding, the passage of Proposal S is an important step forward,” the Board said. “It provides critical resources that will help our students learn, grow, and reach their full potential.”
Board President LaTrice McClendon said the elected Board remains committed to transparency, accountability and placing students at the center of its decisions.
Detroit voters have now given DPSCD the authority to collect the operating dollars attached to the work it has carried out since 2016.
The vote protects more than a line in the district’s budget. It protects the people, programs and everyday resources Detroit children depend on when they walk through their school doors.
