Clarkston board holds truth-and-taxation hearing, approves 2026 tax rate

The Clarkston Community Schools Board of Education held a public truth-and-taxation hearing and then approved the district's 2026 tax-rate request, enabling the district to levy 18 operating mills for non-homestead property plus the full seven debt mills allowed by state law.

During the hearing, a district presenter explained the district's total taxable value was read as $3,128,213,538 and said the non-homestead (personal property) taxable base was presented as roughly $627 million. The presenter reviewed a previously voter-approved 25.8457 mills (Nov. 2024) and explained Headlee rollback factors that reduced the district's collectible rate this year; because the district had voted a higher millage previously, staff said the district is "protected" from some future rollback impacts and can levy the full 18 operating mills now. The presenter emphasized that the truth-and-taxation hearing is required by law to avoid an additional rollback calculation.

After the hearing the board moved to approve the 2026 tax-rate request as presented; the motion carried by voice vote.

Votes at a glance - Approval of tenure for listed teachers: motion made and carried by voice vote (tenure granted). (See tenure list read at the meeting.) - Personnel changes and non‑affiliated employment agreement: approved by voice vote. - Curriculum and resource approvals (9th-grade U.S. history/geography, world-language heritage, AP Business/CTE items, secondary ELA novel "Long Way Down", total presented: $76,556): approved by motion and voice vote. - Approval of the 2026 tax-rate request: motion made and carried by voice vote. - Bus installment purchase agreement: approved by roll-call vote (Mrs. Chapel yes; Mr. Clark yes; Mr. Hyer yes; Dr. Ryan no; Mrs. Love yes; Mr. Ne yes; President Crane yes). Motion carried. - 2022 bond change order (Quality Air Systems): approved; amount in the transcript is truncated/not fully read (not specified). - Security-technology contracts for Clarkson Junior High (bond project): approved for a total amount presented as $754,842.77 (breakout: $672,584.77 + 10% contingency $67,258 + $15,000 PA licensing allowance). - Clarkson School Zone signage improvements (J Rank Electric): approved for a total of $171,675 ($163,500 + 5% contingency of $8,175). - Furniture purchase for bus garage (ISG): approved for $62,418.71. - Support for the Oakland Schools 2026–27 budget (district ballot): motion to support passed by roll-call vote.

What the approvals mean The tax-rate approval preserves projected operating revenue tied to the 18 mills on non-homestead property, which staff said avoids an additional rollback and preserves roughly the equivalent of the funds otherwise at risk. Multiple capital and procurement approvals (bus purchase, bond change order, security systems, signage and furniture) moved forward with board approval; staff will proceed with contract implementation and, where required, vendor coordination.

Clarifying details and limitations - The presenter read total taxable value as $3,128,213,538 and described non-homestead taxable value as approximately $627 million; the transcript contains pauses and corrections while those totals were read and a small amount of spoken numeric text appears truncated in one bond change-order amount. Where amounts were truncated in the audio, this article marks those as "not specified" and flags the transcript excerpt in provenance. - Several motions were approved by voice vote without a recorded roll-call tally; the bus installment and the Oakland Schools budget support motions were recorded via roll call and individual votes are listed above.

Next steps The district will submit required tax-rate documentation as per Michigan procedures and will proceed with the approved contracts and personnel actions. Several items (bond change orders, security contracts) include implementation contingencies and contractor coordination.