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Local petitioner urges Kalamazoo residents to back ballot amendment for school funding
Summary
A resident asked board members and attendees to sign petitions for a proposed Michigan constitutional amendment to add a surcharge on very high earners that would fund public schools; petitioners hope to gather 20,000 signatures locally for a November 2026 ballot drive.
At the public comment portion of the Kalamazoo Public Schools meeting, Sherry Webber urged community support for a statewide ballot initiative she said would amend the Michigan Constitution to raise additional revenue for public schools.
Webber told the board the proposal would impose a surcharge on very high earners—she described it as a "5% surcharge" on individual filers making over $500,000 or couples making over $1 million—and said the revenue would be dedicated to public schools. "It is a ballot initiative that will go on the ballot in November 2026," she said, and added petitioners are targeting 20,000 signatures in the Kalamazoo area.
Webber invited board members, administrators and community members to sign petitions after the meeting and to assist with signature gathering.
The board did not take a position during the meeting. No district staff or board member provided fiscal estimates, legal analysis or a formal response to the petition drive during public comment. The petitioner's description of the proposal's tax thresholds and surcharge rate were presented as the petitioner framed them; the district did not present verification or an opinion at the meeting.
Next steps: the petitioner asked volunteers to contact her after the meeting; the board did not schedule further action on the item.
