Financial FAQs

The tax would be paid by property owners in the Grand Haven Area Public Schools (GHAPS) voting jurisdiction.

In Michigan, one mill of property tax equals $1.00 for every $1,000 of a property’s taxable value. For GHAPS homeowners with taxable values of approximately $154,000–$185,000, the proposed rate change would result in an estimated additional $25–$30 per month.

For a personalized estimate based on your home's taxable value, use the tax impact calculator:   https://pfmtaxcalc.com/GrandHavenAreaPublicSchools/

If approved, the proposed $98.55 million for projects would require an estimated initial debt levy of 1.95 mills in 2027. The total amount of bonded debt will not exceed $98.55 million, as stated in the ballot language. 

The proposal authorizes up to $98.55 million in principal, and estimated interest is $63.17 million, for an estimated total repayment of $161.72 million. Actual interest costs will depend on the terms when bonds are sold, similar to a home mortgage.

The estimated initial debt levy in 2027 is 1.95 mills. The estimated simple average annual millage anticipated to retire the bond debt is 1.15 mills. 

The ballot language states that the maximum number of years the bonds of any series may be outstanding is 25 years, excluding any refinancing.

The bonds are expected to be sold in three parts, or “series,” rather than all at once. Ordinarily, 85% of bond issuance proceeds should be spent within three years of a bond sale, and all bond funds must be spent within five years.

The proposed bond program is not qualified for participation in the State’s School Bond Qualification and Loan Program. One of the deciding factors for this was that Qualified bonds are subject to prevailing wage, which increases the cost of construction and ultimately the burden on taxpayers.

A sinking fund is a voter-approved millage that produces annual revenues for districts for building improvements and other school needs.

At GHAPS, voters approved the district's current sinking fund in 2024. The 0.696-mill sinking fund helps pay for projects such as parking lots, boilers, roofs, student technology devices, buses, security upgrades, and emergency building repairs.

However, the sinking fund has limits. It cannot be used for operating expenses, regular maintenance, or employee salaries and benefits. It does not generate enough revenue to fund major renovations, additions, or new schools.

You can learn more about the planned sinking fund projects here. 

If approved, the $98.55 million bond proposal would fund renovations and improvements at several schools, along with districtwide investments in technology, transportation, and musical instruments. The estimated costs are:

• Ferry Elementary: $33.845 million. Comprehensive interior renovation to modernize learning spaces and building systems, including air conditioning, while preserving the existing structure. Additional projects include classroom additions, playground/site improvements, gym addition, and kitchen/main entrance additions with renovations.

• Rosy Mound Elementary: $28.835 million. Comprehensive interior renovation to modernize learning spaces and building systems, including air conditioning, while preserving the existing structure. Additional projects include classroom additions, playground/site improvements, gym addition, and kitchen/main entrance additions with renovations.

• Peach Plains Elementary: $28.64 million. Comprehensive interior renovation to modernize learning spaces and building systems, including air conditioning, while preserving the existing structure. Additional projects include playground/site improvements, gym addition, and kitchen/main entrance additions with renovations.

• Robinson and Lake Hills Elementary playground and site improvements: $1.8 million

• Districtwide technology: $3.5 million

• Bus replacements: $1.33 million

• Musical instruments: $600,000

Together, these investments total $98.55 million.

• Once bonds are authorized and issued, the district must levy the debt millage necessary to repay the principal and interest on all outstanding bonds due within each tax year – the rate levied depends on a number of factors and is a decision for the Board of Education to make each year.

• The only millage rate applicable at this time is the expected 2027 debt millage rate, with an estimated initial debt levy of 1.95 mills, as stated in the ballot language.

• The estimated simple average annual millage anticipated to retire the bond debt related to this authorization is 1.15 mills over 25 years, as stated in the ballot language.

• As the bond debt is repaid, the millage rate associated with the bonds would decrease over time.

  
  

It gets added, not replaced. Each bond proposal is its own voter authorization. All bonds are paid off over time, and as they are retired, the debt millage no longer has to be used for the repayment. That's how a new bond can be issued without the overall debt millage rate necessarily rising. Any future bond would still need its own vote, and the ballot would state the expected millage and term for those bonds.

Each bond proposal is its own voter authorization. All bonds are paid off over time, and as they are retired, the debt millage no longer has to be used for the repayment. That's how a new bond can be issued without the overall debt millage rate necessarily rising.

The roughly $500 million in total needs is a long-range plan carried out in phases over about 20 years. The district's plan is to keep the debt millage levy stable at or below 1.95 mills. Future phases would be timed as existing debt is paid down, so the overall rate holds steady instead of stacking up.

Any increase above 1.95 mills would happen if the community supports a proposal requiring a greater increase or if there is a change in property tax value or interest rate projections. Every phase of the master plan would require its own voter authorization.

At 1.95 mills, a home with a $150,000 taxable value would pay about $293 per year, or roughly $24 per month. Taxable value appears on your tax bill and is often well below market value.

The district actively pursues outside support through community partners and grants. The Grand Haven Schools Foundation independently raises funds to support students, and the district works alongside those efforts without duplicating them. Those dollars make a real difference for programs and equipment.

Realistically, private gifts and grants are not a source of funding for major facility projects such as HVAC, roofs, security, and classroom additions. These gifts and grants are typically small and tied to a specific purpose.

State support for school facilities is minimal and sporadic. When funding is available, the funding is generally for restricted purposes and is directed to districts that lack the taxable value to raise capital locally. There is not a separate source of one-time state funding for districts without bond authorization. Bonds therefore remain the only practical way to fund building needs at this scale.