2025 Kent ISD Regional Enhancement Millage Proposal

An Intermediate School District is structured as a separate educational unit to provide various administrative and instructional services to area schools. Kent ISD serves the broader Kent community and helps schools prepare nearly 120,000 students for school and life success. Some of the services they provide include early childhood services, career technical education, and oversight for special education services. They also assist schools with student auditing and accounting, and provide professional development for educators and school staff.

Since 2017, Forest Hills Public Schools has used the taxpayer-approved enhancement millage to attract and retain superior K-12 teaching staff. This enhancement millage proposal on the Nov. 4 ballot would renew 0.8498 mill, first approved in 2017, which is set to expire in the 2026-2027 school year. It also restores 0.0502 mill that was reduced as required by state law, allowing a total of 0.9 mill to be levied for another 10 years.

The millage rate is 0.9, the same millage rate voters approved in 2017. If approved, this proposal generates an estimated $35.6 million—approximately $357 per student.

An enhancement millage would be an additional local contribution to school operations that would support programs and services for kids. A bond issue is a mechanism for individual school districts to raise capital funds for technology hardware, facility improvements (such as roofs and parking lots), and equipment replacement (such as boilers and water heaters).

The Kent Intermediate School District decided that the November 2025 election is the best time to ask taxpayers within the boundaries of KISD to consider restoring and renewing the enhancement millage.

• It remains non-partisan and focused on K-12. 
• If passed, the proposal would provide local funding that school districts have relied on since 2017.
• This timing aligns with multiple districts within Kent ISD that have millages on their ballots in November 2025, including Byron Center, East Grand Rapids, Godwin Heights, Grandville, Rockford, and Wyoming.

The proposal is about $135/year or approximately $11.25/month for the owner of a $300,000 home with a taxable value of $150,000.

The funds are distributed per pupil to all local public schools and the charter schools within the Kent ISD for school investments, including special education, career and technical education, academics, fine arts, technology, health, athletics, security, and more. The ISD collects the funds and then distributes them on a per-pupil basis to each school within the ISD. The schools then decide how to use the funding. Some common themes on where and how schools use these funds include: staffing, staff professional development, career and technical education, dual enrollment, college readiness programs, student mental health/behavioural supports, reduced class sizes, additional academic supports, safety and security, student and staff technology, no pay to participate athletics, curriculum materials, and facility enhancements.

While local public schools have taken steps to make cuts and find efficiencies, other one-time federal and state relief funds have expired or are unknown. In January 2025, Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds expired, meaning districts will no longer have the significant financial support these funds provided. There is also serious uncertainty around potential funding cuts from the federal and state governments. This proposal will continue the dedicated, stable source of revenue for schools, students, and classrooms.

The enhancement millage would generate an estimated $35.6 million—approximately $357 per student. All funds will be collected and distributed to each local public school within the taxable boundaries of Kent Intermediate School District on a per-pupil basis.

The enhancement millage would benefit all local public schools within the taxable boundaries of Kent ISD as listed below: 

All revenue from the proposal will be distributed equally to local school districts on a per-pupil basis. Spending will be subject to annual independent audits and publicly disclosed to ensure transparency and accountability. Publicly elected local school boards, governed by the Open Meetings Act, provide additional taxpayer protections.

All public school districts have seen the purchasing power of state revenue received decline. While FHPS’ current 2025-2026 fiscal year budget is balanced, we face difficult decisions to address a budget deficit. The deficit is masked by the one-time revenues, such as interest income and state enrollment stabilization ($1.6MM-$2.6MM) and federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds that were supporting a portion of many elementary student support services personnel ($2.5MM). Our annual state per-pupil foundation allowance the district receives has increased over the past couple of years, but not at the pace of inflation. To understand more about the budget and school funding for Forest Hills Public Schools, please review our community budget guide.

If approved, the millage would begin with the 2026-27 school year, and then in 10 years, the millage will expire and enhancement funding will end unless local boards of education again petition Kent ISD to seek a renewal on behalf of local school districts.

If you have additional questions about the enhancement millage and what it means for Forest Hills Public Schools, please call the FHPS administration office, 616-493-8800, or email your questions to us.

KENT INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL DISTRICT

REGIONAL ENHANCEMENT MILLAGE PROPOSAL

This proposal renews regional enhancement millage previously approved by the electors that will expire with the 2026 levy and restores millage lost as a result of the reduction required by the Michigan Constitution of 1963. Pursuant to state law, the revenue raised by the proposed millage will be collected by the intermediate school district and distributed to constituent districts based on pupil membership count.

Shall the limitation on the amount of taxes which may be assessed against all property in Kent Intermediate School District, Michigan, be renewed by .8498 mill ($0.8498 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation) and also be increased by .0502 mill ($0.0502 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation) for a total of .9 mill, for a period of 10 years, 2027 to 2036, inclusive, to provide operating funds to enhance other state and local funding for constituent district operating purposes; the estimate of the revenue the intermediate school district will collect if the millage is approved and levied in 2027 is approximately $35,606,388, which funds will be disbursed as required by statute to the following constituent districts: Byron Center Public Schools, Caledonia Community Schools, Cedar Springs Public Schools, Comstock Park Public Schools, East Grand Rapids Public Schools, Forest Hills Public Schools, Godfrey-Lee Public Schools, Godwin Heights Public Schools, Grand Rapids Public Schools, Grandville Public Schools, Kelloggsville Public School District, Kenowa Hills Public Schools, Kent City Community Schools, Kentwood Public Schools, Lowell Area Schools, Northview Public Schools, Rockford Public Schools, Sparta Area Schools, Thornapple Kellogg School, and Wyoming Public Schools, Byron Center Charter School, Chandler Woods Charter Academy, Covenant High School Grand Rapids, Creative Technologies Academy, Cross Creek Charter Academy, Excel Charter Academy, Gerald Dawkins Academy, Grand Rapids Child Discovery Center, Grand River Preparatory High School, Hope Academy of West Michigan, Knapp Charter Academy, Lighthouse Academy, New Branches Charter Academy, NexTech High School of Grand Rapids, PrepNet Virtual Academy, Ridge Park Charter Academy, River City Scholars Academy, Vanguard Charter Academy, Vista Charter Academy, Walker Charter Academy, Wellspring Preparatory High School, West MI Academy of Environmental Science, West Michigan Aviation Academy, and William C. Abney Academy, and to Kent Intermediate School District (.8498 mill of the above is a renewal of millage that will expire with the 2026 tax levy and .0502 mill is a restoration of millage lost as a result of the reduction required by the “Headlee” amendment to the Michigan Constitution of 1963)?

If you’d like to view a sample ballot for the upcoming election, track the status of an absentee ballot and verify your voter registration information, visit Michigan Voter Information Center through the Michigan Secretary of State. Information pertaining to the November election should be updated and available soon on their website.

Visit the Michigan Voter Information Center to register to vote online. Individuals may also register in-person at their local clerk’s office with the required documentation. For assistance in obtaining the address of your local clerk, visit Michigan.gov/vote.

Owners of property are only eligible to vote if they reside within Kent County.

Yes, if you rent a house within the district of Forest Hills Public Schools or within KISD boundaries, you can still vote. You must be a registered voter in the city or township you are living in and live within the school district’s boundaries.

To register to vote, you must be:

• A Michigan resident (at the time you register) and a resident of your city or township for at least 30 days (when you vote)
• A United States citizen
• At least 18 years of age (when you vote)
• Not currently serving a sentence in jail or prison

College and university students have the option to register at their home address or campus address. College students may also request an absentee ballot to vote in the May 6, 2025, election. As a college student, it is critical that they register and vote as early as possible. For more information about college and university students registering to vote, click here.

Registered voters must complete and submit the application to receive their absentee voter ballot. To vote by mail, fill out the application and sign it, and then return it to your local county clerk. For assistance in obtaining the address of your local clerk, visit Michigan.gov/vote. When filling out the application, if you check the box to be added to the permanent absentee voter list, you will get an application mailed to you before every election.  

If you registered to vote after absentee voter ballot applications were mailed, applications may be obtained at Michigan.gov/vote. For additional information contact your county clerk.

Registering to Vote:

• You can register at any time up to 8 p.m. on Election Day at your city or township clerk’s office.
• If you’re registering another way, your voter registration application must be received or postmarked at least 15 days before the election.

Absentee Voting:

• Absentee voter ballots are available sometime in September.
• Contact your local township clerk with questions.

• Tuesday, Nov. 4, is election day, but absentee voting can occur leading up to that date. All registered voters may cast an absentee ballot by mail.
• Voters may also cast a ballot at the polling location established by their city/township. If you have questions or do not know where you vote, please contact your city/township office. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025.

If you are unsure of your polling location, click here for an online search of where you can vote based on your name and zip code or driver’s license: https://mvic.sos.state.mi.us/Voter/Index. You may also contact your township office.

Polling locations are open on election day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.