Ferndale Schools Superintendent Talks about 2015 Millage (video)

Ferndale Schools Superintendent Talks about 2015 Millage (video)
(Crystal A. Proxmire, Oct. 17, 2015)
On the Nov. 3, 2015 ballot voters in the Ferndale School District, which is part of Ferndale, part of Oak Park, and all of Royal Oak Township and Pleasant Ridge, will be faced with a millage question for the school district.
The millage is a non-homestead tax, meaning that it is paid by landlords and businesses, not homeowners. The millage is a 20-year renewal of the tax that has been in place for the past 20 years, so the amount paid would not change.
In his interview with oc115, Superintendent Prewittt talked about the reason for the millage, including the basics of school funding. He also talked about how the district has been shifting their funding priorities in the past two years since he has come on as Superintendent, including reducing costs in maintenance, board budget, central office and administration in favor of putting more money into the classrooms.
When asked why those who do not have children in the district should care about supporting the schools, Prewitt said “If you have a solid community, a solid school district, you have a place where people want to live, then you’re more likely to get employees from that area. You’re also more likely to have a stable environment.
“In cities that don’t have a stable school district, a stable city, It’s much harder to do business there. From a community-wide aspect, a high functioning school district which we have, a high-functioning city, makes better property values.” He noted the boom in Ferndale real estate.
While voters traditionally have supported the schools, low voter turnout is always a concern. Prewitt encouraged people to get out and vote.
The millage brings in about $4.1 million, which is roughly the cost of operating an entire elementary school.
Check out the 10 minute video below, or go to http://ferndalevotinginfo.org for more details on the Nov. 3 millage vote.

For more election information go to https://oaklandcounty115.com/category/election-information/.

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