By Greg Chandler
Zeeland Record
Voters in the Ottawa Area Intermediate School District on May 6 approved renewing the district’s tax for funding its special education programs and restored another half-mill to compensate for reductions caused by the Headlee amendment.
The request to renew 1.2425 mills and restore another 0.5 mills was approved by about 59 percent of voters in the OAISD coverage area, which takes in both Ottawa County and a small portion of Allegan County. A total of 32,236 voters cast “yes” ballots compared to 21,974 “no” votes.
The levy will generate an additional $4.5 million for OAISD this year to help pay for mandatory special education services. Michigan public school districts and academies are required under law to provide students with disabilities with a “free appropriate public education” (FAPE) from birth to age 26. Nearly 13 percent of students in the OAISD service region receive special education services.
State and federal funding currently cover around 42 percent of the costs for mandatory special education services in the region, leaving a shortfall of approximately $14.5 million annually. To make up the difference, local public schools rely on special education millage funds, or must reallocate general fund dollars — resources that would otherwise support educational programs and services for all students.
Under the OAISD levy, homeowners with a market value of $200,000 and taxable value of $100,000 can expect to pay $14.52 per month or $174.25 annually, which is an increase of $50 a year from what is currently collected.
Zeeland Record
Voters in the Ottawa Area Intermediate School District on May 6 approved renewing the district’s tax for funding its special education programs and restored another half-mill to compensate for reductions caused by the Headlee amendment.
The request to renew 1.2425 mills and restore another 0.5 mills was approved by about 59 percent of voters in the OAISD coverage area, which takes in both Ottawa County and a small portion of Allegan County. A total of 32,236 voters cast “yes” ballots compared to 21,974 “no” votes.
The levy will generate an additional $4.5 million for OAISD this year to help pay for mandatory special education services. Michigan public school districts and academies are required under law to provide students with disabilities with a “free appropriate public education” (FAPE) from birth to age 26. Nearly 13 percent of students in the OAISD service region receive special education services.
State and federal funding currently cover around 42 percent of the costs for mandatory special education services in the region, leaving a shortfall of approximately $14.5 million annually. To make up the difference, local public schools rely on special education millage funds, or must reallocate general fund dollars — resources that would otherwise support educational programs and services for all students.
Under the OAISD levy, homeowners with a market value of $200,000 and taxable value of $100,000 can expect to pay $14.52 per month or $174.25 annually, which is an increase of $50 a year from what is currently collected.
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