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Schoolcraft, MichiganPhoto: LittleT889 · CC BY 4.0
Town Hall · Schoolcraft

Schoolcraft spent less per resident in 2022 than 74% of similar cities

Schoolcraft’s village government spent $1.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to February 28, 2023, about $1,014 per resident. Water and other utilities ($164,000) are counted separately.

Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Michigan.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2023
$1.5M
year to February 28, 2023
Per resident, 2023
$1,014
In 2022: $764, less than 74% of 291 similar cities
Long-term debt
$255,000
end of FY2023, reported
Village staff, 2022
7
full-time · 9 part-time · March payroll $40,752
Typical tax bill
$2,874
1.28% of home value · MI 1.25%

What stands out about how Schoolcraft is run

Read from the village’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$764 per resident in 2022: less than 74% of them

Schoolcraft’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($764 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 291 Michigan cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,081, and the middle half spent $748–$1,663. Schoolcraft spent less than 74% of them.

Middle half of the group, $748–$1,663Median $1,081Schoolcraft

Includes sewer and trash ($3,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
291

Michigan cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Schoolcraft itself left out).

Your share of the 2023 budget

About $1,014 per resident a year, or $2.78 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 27%.

Where the money comes from
Property taxes 49%From the state 26%Utility sales 15%Fees & charges 3%Interest, fines & other 3%Other taxes & licenses 2%From the federal government 2%From other local governments <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $377,000; interest on debt $8,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $2 million.
Over the years

Day-to-day spending is up 25% since 2022

Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Schoolcraft reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.

Day-to-day spending by fiscal year

2022$1.2 million
2023$1.5 million

Per resident: 2022: $764 · 2023: $1,014. Per resident it went from $764 to $1,014 (up 33%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 1,548 to 1,454.

Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $2,874 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.28% of the home’s value, vs 1.25% across Michigan.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Michigan$2,904
Schoolcraft$2,874
$2,874
typical bill a year
1.28%
effective rate
$224,800
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Schoolcraft’s rate.

Can I afford it? →

The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.

Tax bills are one input to Schoolcraft’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Schoolcraft →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Schoolcraft

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

Check Schoolcraft’s own website for current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Schoolcraft yet.
Who works for Schoolcraft

One full-time village employee for every 208 residents

On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (1,454).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Administration & buildings3 + 7 pt
Police2 + 1 pt
Roads & transportation1
Water & other utilities1
Parks & libraries0 + 1 pt
7
full-time
9
part-time
$40,752
payroll for March 2022
$489,024
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$67,200
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
2
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Schoolcraft had 4.5 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 233 of the 291 Michigan cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 4.4: Schoolcraft had more than 51% of them. Same group and year as the budget comparison.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Schoolcraft Community Schools

Schoolcraft’s K–12 school district, shared with Prairie Ronde Township, Schoolcraft Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Schoolcraft →
$14,140
per pupil · MI $16,528
1,111
students
$35.1 million
long-term debt

Of the $14,140 per pupil, $8,361 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 30%State 66%Federal 3%

Michigan districts overall: 34% local, 57% state, 9% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

Schoolcraft’s votes are counted by county

Michigan reports official results by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Schoolcraft alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Kalamazoo County’s results.

President · Kalamazoo County’s results145,710 votes · results as certified
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat58.0%84,501 votes
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican40.3%58,671 votes

Others: 1.7% (2,538 votes).

Most votes in Kalamazoo County: Kamala D Harris

Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%

The county’s page

100% of Schoolcraft lies in Kalamazoo County. Every 2024 race in Kalamazoo County is on the county’s page.

Kalamazoo County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.

Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.

Who represents Schoolcraft

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Schoolcraft.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Michigan HouseState representatives
  3. 3
    Michigan SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Michigan

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Reach Schoolcraft’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Schoolcraft’s government

How much does Schoolcraft spend per resident?

About $1,014 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to February 28, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $764 was less than 74% of 291 Michigan cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Schoolcraft?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,874 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.28% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.25% across Michigan. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the village’s assessor.

Who runs Schoolcraft’s government?

We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Schoolcraft yet.

How did Schoolcraft vote in 2024?

Michigan counts votes by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Schoolcraft alone. Kalamazoo County, where 100% of Schoolcraft lies, voted Harris 58.0%, Trump 40.3% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Schoolcraft?

7 full-time and 9 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $40,752 (about $489,024 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Schoolcraft in the state legislature?

State Senate District 19 (Sean McCann) and State House District 42 (Matt Hall). The House district also covers 20 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Schoolcraft’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →