DEARBORN — The Hold Harmless Millage renewal, which will be on the ballot in the Nov. 4, will not raise or impose new taxes on residents, said Dearborn School District Superintendent Brian Whiston.

“It is only a renewal to hold funding at current levels,” he said.

The vote will extend the 20-year-old millage, which generates about $40 million to the schools, more than 20 percent of the district’s budget, according to Whiston. The Hold Harmless Millage was passed in 1994 after Proposal A allowed the state to equalize funding for districts per student. Dearborn lost money with the new process. The millage, which requires renewal by the voters every 10 years, compensates for the decline in revenues caused by Proposal A.

Whiston said unlike a $76 million bond, which was passed last year to finance special projects, the Hold Harmless Millage is a part of the general budget and is used for operational costs for the schools. 

The superintendent said the loss of the millage would be “devastating” for the students and he schools. 

“It means bigger classrooms, lay-offs, eliminating programs and services; we just cannot afford to lose a fifth of our budget,” he said. 

Most school board candidates have urged voters to renew the millage. The Arab American Political Action Committee (AAPAC) has also endorsed a “yes” vote on the proposal.