On February 14, the Saginaw ISD (SISD) Board of Education unanimously scheduled a special education millage election for August 2. If voters approve, this millage will directly benefit all students in all of Saginaw County’s local school districts and public school academies.
A successful election will significantly reduce annual special education funding shortfalls of $8.1 million across Saginaw County by providing local school districts with an annual increase of approximately $300 per pupil in their operating budgets.
This election is very important to Hemlock Public Schools. If it is approved by voters, the 1.5583 mill proposal will return $323,000 to our general operating budget each year for ten years. That’s a total of $3,230,000 in general fund revenue over the next decade!
Each local school district will determine how the millage revenue is used. We will decide how our share of the millage revenue will be used to benefit all students attending Hemlock Public Schools.
This election is necessary because the State of Michigan has not fully funded special education. As a result, this year, the SISD has had to invoice local school districts and public school academies $8.1 million to cover the funding shortages.
Money to pay these funding shortages is paid from the operating budgets of local public school districts and public school academies. This has reduced local school district operating budgets that provide programs and services to all 26,140 students in Saginaw County.
If voters approve a 1.5583 mill increase in August 2022, the SISD will levy the tax and distribute all the revenue to Saginaw County’s 12 local school districts and six public school academies. None of the revenue from this millage will be used to pay for special education programs and services provided by SISD because SISD programs are funded by the current tax levy.
The 1.5583 special education millage would cost the average Saginaw County homeowner (living in a $100,000 house) about 21¢ per day. Some homeowners would pay more, but most homeowners would pay less than 21¢ per day.
In the coming month, SISD will work with local school districts to communicate the rationale for the election to school staff and to members of communities served by SISD’s 12 local school districts and six public school academies.
Detailed information is also available by visiting www.sisd.cc and clicking on Special Education Millage Election or by contacting Erin Senkowski, SISD’s Executive Director of Special Education, at 989/249-8708 or email (senkowskie@sisd.cc) or by contacting David Krantz, SISD’s Special Education Director at 989/249-8754 or by email at dkrantz@sisd.cc.