There are two millage proposals on the May 3 ballot that affect education in our school district.
A Sinking Fund renewal and a Special Education Millage increase. As past Presidents of the Chelsea School District’s Board of Education, we are well aware of the need to renew and approve both of these millages.
The Chelsea School District has had a similar sinking fund for over 30 years. The purpose has always been to utilize this account to maintain our facilities for the students and community and to be able to keep our General Fund for the education of the District’s children, rather than diverting dollars out of the General Fund for major repairs and renovations.
The Sinking Fund is carefully monitored by the Department of Treasury and cannot, by law, be used for the day-to-day operations of the District. In other words, it cannot be used to pay for salaries, benefits, texts, materials or supplies. This proposal is a renewal and is critical to the school district in order to maintain the high quality of education this community so proudly provides our children.
The second proposal is a 1.5 mill increase to cover unreimbursed costs to provide Special Educational services in Washtenaw County. If successful, this millage would provide approximately $1.24 million to our Chelsea School District fund.
Nearly 6,500 students in Washtenaw County, or about 1-in-7, receive some type of special education service. The current special education millage does not cover all special education expenditures. In Chelsea, we transfer about $1.3 million out of our General Fund to cover the unreimbursed mandated Special Education expenses. This millage would cover approximately 97% of all of the districts’ costs for special education services.
If successful, the money retained in the General Fund will help educate all our students. So please join us on May 3 and vote YES to the Sinking Fund Renewal and to the Special Education Millage.
Thank you,
Ann Feeney
Arthur Dils
Anne Comeau
Jane Diesing
Scott Broshar
Jon Bentley
Dayle Wright
Past Presidents
Chelsea Board of Education
