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Plan would exempt childless people from public school taxes
The legislation would eliminate school-related property taxes for homeowners who do not have children enrolled in government K–12 schools, arguing it is unfair to force people to fund a service they do not use.
LANSING, Mich. (FOX 2) - A controversial proposal at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing could dramatically change how the state pays for public education.
Big picture view:
The legislation would eliminate school-related property taxes for homeowners who do not have children enrolled in government K–12 schools, arguing it is unfair to force people to fund a service they do not use.
The package of bills was just introduced this week and would fundamentally change how Michigan funds public education by exempting property owners from school-related property taxes if they don’t have a child enrolled in a taxpayer-funded K–12 school. The proposal is framed as a fairness measure.
The argument is that seniors, empty nesters, people without children, and families paying for private school shouldn’t have to fund a government service they don’t use.
Though some see it differently.
Dig deeper:
Under the plan, qualifying taxpayers would get a phased-in reduction starting with a 40% cut in 2027, increasing annually until school-related property taxes are fully eliminated for them by 2031.
State Rep. Steve Carra points to the fact that roughly 72% of Michigan households do not have children in government schools and argues that despite record per-pupil spending, academic outcomes such as fourth-grade reading proficiency continue to decline, signaling a disconnect between funding levels and results.
"What sort of response have you gotten? I’ve gotten great response so far. Property taxes are so high in general. This is making it like a use tax. If you use the government school system, you pay taxes. If you don’t use the government school system, you don’t. It’s very simple," said Carra. "The private sector is doing it at less than half the cost, and when we look at the education results, they continue to deteriorate as costs continue to rise."
Carra also raises the comparison to millages for services like fire protection, saying people may not use them but still pay, similar to insurance.
He notes that $7 billion out of $29 billion, using 2024 data, reflects fewer students and less funding.