By: Mary Genson | Birmingham-Bloomfield Eagle | Published September 15, 2025
BLOOMFIELD HILLS — Voters in the Bloomfield Hills Schools district will decide on a 1.5-mill sinking fund replacement proposal that would be an increase over the expiring levy by just over 0.8 mills for 10 years. The measure will be decided in the Nov. 4 election.
The millage was originally levied by the district in 2005 for 1.5 mills. It was then renewed by voters in 2014 for 0.74 mills, 2018 for 0.71 mills and 2023 for 0.6976 mills. A mill is $1 for $1,000 of a home’s taxable value.
Superintendent Rick West said, “We have evaluated our needs over the course of what we anticipate over the next decade, and believe that the one and a half mills is the appropriate levy to meet our required needs.”
The 2023 sinking fund levy passed with a 67.9% approval from voters. Once it passed, the Board of Education assessed the facility needs of the district to determine a long-term solution.
As taxable values increase over the 10-year period, collections are expected to range between $7.9 million and $9.9 million per year.
The funds must be used “for the construction or repair of school buildings, school security improvements, the acquisition or upgrading of technology, the acquisition of student transportation vehicles, trucks and vans and parts, supplies and equipment used for the maintenance of these vehicles and for any other purposes permitted by law,” according to the ballot language.
Historically, Bloomfield Hills has used sinking funds for roofing repairs, site work, emergency repairs, safety and security improvements, and replacement of some exterior doors.
“We are planning today to preserve tomorrow,” West said. “That’s not just a tagline. That is what we’re doing. We believe that a sinking fund is a responsible funding mechanism to take care of the things that we’ve mentioned — the facility repair, safety and security, technology and transportation.”
Facility improvements
Director of Maintenance and Operations Jacob McDermott said they have day-to-day repair needs throughout the district — whether it be broken hardware, windows or playground equipment.
As for improvements, McDermott said they are in need of replacing some of the district’s roofing, parking lots and tennis courts. Additionally, he said they are going to soon evaluate the needs of the turf fields to ensure that they are in a safe condition for student athletes.
The purchase of school buses and maintenance vehicles is now sinking fund-allowable, whereas until recently, these expenses were required to come out of the general fund.
Technology improvements
BHS Director of Technology Services Samer Alsayed Suliman spoke on how the millage could benefit the district’s technology. Technology is a new category that is now sinking fund-allowable.
He said that for safety and security, the funds would focus on cameras and access control upgrades for the district. Additionally, it would focus on student devices, such as Chromebooks and iPads.
“All the instructional technology that’s used in the classroom is also going to be impacted by this,” he added. “So the sinking fund will allow us to fund these projects moving forward, because we were not able to do that before.”
On the ballot
Sinking funds are particularly helpful to carry-out ongoing renovations throughout the district, without it impacting the general fund, according to district officials.
“We are excited about it. We think it’s a responsible strategy to preserve the assets that we have in Bloomfield Hills,” West said.
If voters decide that they do not want to approve the measure, the district would make essential repairs with money from the general fund. This may lead to deferring projects and reevaluating school programming, officials said.
The sinking fund replacement proposal will be on the ballot Tuesday, Nov. 4. Polls will be open 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Absentee ballots will be available to voters after Sept. 25. Additionally, there will be early voting at early voting sites.
Bloomfield Hills Schools Building and Site Sinking Fund Millage Replacement Proposal
This proposal, if approved by the electors, will replace and extend the authority last approved by the electors in 2023 and which expires with the 2026 levy for the School District to levy a building and site sinking fund millage, the proceeds of which will be used to make improvements and repairs to the School District’s facilities. Pursuant to State law, the expenditure of the building and site sinking fund millage proceeds must be audited, and the proceeds cannot be used for teacher, administrator or employee salaries, maintenance or other operating expenses. As a replacement of existing authority, shall the Bloomfield Hills Schools, County of Oakland, Michigan, be authorized to levy 1.5 mills ($1.50 per $1,000 of taxable valuation) for a period of ten (10) years, being the years 2026 to 2035, inclusive, to maintain a sinking fund to be used for the construction or repair of school buildings, school security improvements, the acquisition or upgrading of technology, the acquisition of student transportation vehicles, trucks and vans and parts, supplies and equipment used for the maintenance of these vehicles and for any other purposes permitted by law? This millage if approved and levied would provide estimated revenues to the School District of approximately $7,960,000 in the first year that it is levied.