The Chelsea District School Board now has a new member with the official swearing-in of Laura Bush, while Steve Olsen was not only sworn-in but also re-elected as president for another year.
Laurel McDevitt was elected vice president, Anne Mann as secretary and Sally Devol as treasurer.
School Board members also chose a number of committee assignments for the next year.
Typically, election of officers takes place in July at the beginning of the district’s new fiscal year, Olsen said, but with a change in school board election dates, board elections and committee assignments are now following the election calendar cycle.
In one of their first unanimous votes of the new year, school board members approved a resolution to ratify the closing documents to refund the 2004 bonds, which will save the district and its taxpayers $1.1 million for total debt service payments, and about $333,000 in loan fund interest expenses for a total of $1.435 million in total savings.
On Sept. 24, the board adopted a resolution to refinance the 2004 school building and site bonds, and the vote on Jan. 14 was another step in the process.
The board also got a look at a resolution for a special election on May 7 for the renewal of 19.5126 mills. A discussion and vote is expected on Jan. 28.
The proposed millage rates will expire in 2013 and 2014, and will allow the school district to continue to levy the statutory rate of 18 mills required of school districts to receive its full state revenue per pupil foundation allowance.
The remaining 1.5126 mills “are only available to restore millage lost as a result of any Headlee rollback,” according to the proposal.
The proposed millage rates are renewals of 16.7786 mills for 7 years and will expire in 2013 and 2.8340 mills for six years that expires in 2014.
The proposed language reads: “Shall the current authorized millage rate limitation of 19.5126 mills ($19.5126 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation) on the amount of taxes which may be assessed against all property, except principal residence and other property exempted by law, in (the) Chelsea School District, Washtenaw and Jackson Counties, Michigan, of which 16.7786 mills be renewed for a period of 7 years, 2014 to 2020, inclusive, and 2.8340 mills be renewed for a period of 6 years, 2015 to 2020, inclusive, to provide funds for operating purposes; the estimate of the revenue the school district will collect in the first year, if the millage is approved and levied, (is) approximately $3,500,000 (this is a renewal of millage rates which will expire with the 2013 and 2014 tax levies, respectively)?”
