The Arab American News strongly endorses the Dearborn Heights Crestwood Public Schools Non-Homestead Millage Renewal, which will be on the March 10 ballot.

We are proud of the district’s brilliant young minds, many of whom have put our community on the map because of their amazing educational achievements. As such, we want to ensure students from our community have the tools and infrastructures they need to keep excelling in both education and extracurricular activities.

The millage applies to non-homestead properties, properties deemed for business use or income. This means that if you own your home or are living in a home that you rent, nothing changes for you with the passing of this proposal. Further, this is a renewal and not a new tax.

This proposal is for a renewal of 3 mills levied on non-homestead properties if we fall below our 18 mills due to the Michigan’s Headlee rollback, which can reduce millage rates at a certain time.  Voting “yes” for the renewal will mean the district would be protected up to $40,000, in case of such a cut. We believe businesses in our community should want to ensure our students succeed by providing them this security blanket.

3 mills on $100,000 property would equate to $300 a year, or $6.25 a week.

The district currently utilizes $40,000 to grow its Robotics Team and Program, which has performed wonderfully in numerous competitions and challenges young minds to apply creative and critical analytic skills in a competitive and fun team-based setting.