Midland Public Schools places facilities sinking-fund proposal on Nov. 3 ballot

Midland Public Schools will ask voters to decide a proposed facilities sinking fund on Nov. 3, 2026, after the Board of Education approved ballot language during a special meeting Aug. 5.

The proposal would support school safety and security work, along with pressing building and infrastructure needs across the district. The board’s action places the measure on the election path; it does not mean voters have approved the funding or that construction work has begun.

How the proposal developed

The board reached consensus on the proposal during its July 20 meeting, according to local reporting. The measure then advanced to the special meeting where the board approved language for the November ballot.

The district’s facility study examined several areas of school operations and building needs, including infrastructure, safety, accessibility, technology and educational spaces. Those areas formed the basis for the facilities plan connected to the proposed sinking fund.

More than 1,800 residents responded to a community survey conducted during the planning effort. The responses gave the district feedback as it considered facility conditions and priorities for school buildings.

What voters will decide

Local reporting described the proposal as a potential millage for safety and infrastructure work. A sinking fund is a financing tool for capital needs, but the measure remains a proposal until Midland voters cast ballots.

The district’s published facility-planning page does not state a final millage rate or projected annual tax amount in the information associated with the proposal. That means the potential effect on an individual property-tax bill cannot be calculated from the published details.

The planning information also does not identify a final project-by-project spending list. The stated focus is broader: school safety, security and pressing building and infrastructure needs identified through the district’s facilities-planning process.

Next step

The next major decision is the Nov. 3, 2026, election. Midland voters will determine whether to authorize the proposed school-facilities tax measure.

Until that vote, the sinking fund is neither an approved tax nor an authorized capital program. If voters approve it, the district could proceed under the authority granted by the final measure. If they reject it, the proposed funding authority would not take effect.