Caledonia board calls May special election to renew nonhomestead millage; other routine measures approved

The Caledonia Community Schools Board of Education on Jan. 27 voted to place a renewal of the district's nonhomestead operating millage on the May 6, 2025 special-election ballot and approved several routine items including officer elections, bank authorizations and the district's 2025 meeting calendar.

Superintendent Dirk briefed the board on how the nonhomestead millage interacts with the state's foundation allowance, and recommended the board adopt an "option 2" renewal that would renew the current levy and add additional cushion to help offset recurring reductions under Michigan's Headlee amendment. "We can renew plus ask for and increase the cushion," Dirk told the board, describing a proposal that could include up to 5.5 additional mills on a single ballot question.

Why it matters: The nonhomestead millage is the district's local portion of the per-pupil foundation allowance the state guarantees. Superintendent Dirk said the district receives $9,608 per pupil for 2024-25 and that roughly $48 million of the district's revenue comes through that foundation allowance; he said about $16 million of that is generated on local nonhomestead property. The district faces recurring Headlee rollbacks when property value growth outpaces inflation; Dirk presented historical rollbacks and modeled future projections to show how a cushion could preserve revenue over the next five years.

On the ballot: The board voted, by roll call, to adopt the option 2 resolution calling for a special election on May 6, 2025. The motion passed. "I move that the board…