Ballot question
Royal Oak Schools: $165,000,000 school improvement bond
- On the ballot in
- Royal Oak City School District
- Vote
- Yes or no
- Election
- Nov 3, 2026
The question, as printed on the ballot
County of Oakland State of Michigan Shall the Royal Oak Schools, County of Oakland, State of Michigan, borrow the sum of not to exceed One Hundred Sixty-Five Million Dollars ($165,000,000) and issue its general obligation unlimited tax bonds, in one or more series, to pay the cost of the following projects to create a modern learning environment for students and for health, safety, security, energy, conservation and other purposes: Remodeling, equipping, re-equipping, furnishing, re-furnishing school buildings, athletic fields and other facilities;Erecting and completing additions to school buildings and other facilities;Acquiring and installing instructional technology infrastructure and equipment in school buildings and other facilities; and Preparing, developing and improving sites at school buildings, athletic fields and other facilities?The annual debt millage required to retire all bonds of the School District currently outstanding and proposed pursuant to this ballot is expected to be at or below 2.20 mills which is a 0.00 mill increase from the 2.20 mills of annual debt millage levied in 2026. The maximum number of years any series of bonds may be outstanding, exclusive of refunding, is not more than fifteen (15) years; the estimated millage that will be levied to pay the proposed bonds in the first year is 1.41 mills (which is equal to $1.41 per $1,000 of taxable value); and the estimated simple average annual millage that will be required to retire each series of bonds is 2.05 mills annually ($2.05 per $1,000 of taxable value). (Pursuant to State law, expenditure of bond proceeds must be audited, and the proceeds cannot be used for teacher, administrator or employee salaries, repair or maintenance costs or other operating expenses.)
A “Yes” vote means
A yes vote lets Royal Oak Schools borrow up to $165,000,000 for building and athletic field renovations, additions, technology and sites; estimated 1.41 mills in the first year.
A “No” vote means
A no vote rejects the bond.
Sources
- Sample ballots, November 3, 2026 State General Election: Oakland County (every precinct) · Michigan Department of State, Michigan Voter Information Center
- Official Proposal List, November 3, 2026 General Election (updated 9/9/2026) · Oakland County Clerk/Register of Deeds, Elections Division
The question and plain English statement are copied word for word from official election materials. The Gist does not take a side on ballot questions.