Oakridge Public Schools issued the following announcement on Mar 23.
I believe we all recognize the strength of our schools is a measure of our community’s strength. Strong schools are at the heart of our community. They are places where community members gather for athletic events and musical and theatrical performances. Strong Schools ignite bright futures and foster thriving communities. But most of all Strong Schools are places of learning — where students discover their passions for the future.
I am proud of how hard our faculty and staff work to help students discover their passions, encouraging them to reach their full potential. I am particularly proud of the hard work of our special education team, providing essential and mandated services to our students with special needs.
Providing educational services to students with physical, emotional, or mental disabilities is mandated by state and federal law and it is the right thing to do; it makes our schools and community stronger. But these services are not fully funded by state and federal sources. Every year our district has to spend over $1,100,000 from our general fund to fill the gap left by local, state, and federal sources. Countywide this gap was $20.3 million dollars last year in 2020-21.
To reduce this gap the Muskegon Area Intermediate School District is the only entity legally able to ask countywide voters to approve a property tax increase of 1.75 mills for ten years to fund special education. If approved by voters on May 3 this increase will be the first increase in 40 years and will cost the owner of a $200,000 home ($100,000 assessed value) $175 annually. Every penny raised will go directly to local schools, not the Muskegon Area ISD.
The impact of this millage could reach every corner of our district. Every dollar generated by this millage will free up another dollar that had been used for special education. Those dollars can be used for teaching supplies, building maintenance, and other student-focused needs. In our district, we might gain around $349 per student. Do the math and you will see that this millage has the power to help every one of our students.
Keep watch for more information and social media posts as we seek to educate our community on our special education services and how they are funded. If you have any questions please contact me and for more information, please visit the Oakridge website or the countywide site and FAQ at www.strongschools.org.
Original source can be found here.
Source: Oakridge Public Schools
