Don't let anti-tax sentiment take much-needed funding from students, vote to renew the special education millage
Given the state of the economy, and given the public mood, Washtenaw County educators are taking nothing for granted as they seek renewal of a special education millage next month.
They’re working hard to educate the public, and to encourage supporters to get to the polls and vote in favor of the renewal in a countywide special election scheduled for May 3.
We encourage a “yes’’ vote as well. This modest millage, first approved by a comfortable margin in 2004, has been money well spent, providing an important, stable source of funds to help finance special education services that districts must provide because they are mandated by the state.
Carol Smith, special education teacher at Scarlett Middle School in Ann Arbor, works with a student.
Lon Horwedel | AnnArbor.com
People are feeling squeezed by the tough economy, and anti-tax sentiment is strong these days. Educators understand that. So they are careful to emphasize that this is a renewal of an existing millage, and that approving it will not increase anyone’s taxes. What’s more, the amount they are asking for with this renewal is 0.985 mills, slightly less than the 1 mill that voters first approved in 2004.
The reasonableness of the request shows sensitivity to the concerns of taxpayers. But make no mistake about what’s at stake here. Special education services are costly, and the current millage is a vital source of funding for those programs. For this millage not to be renewed would deal a devastating financial blow to districts.
Millage renewal facts
Here are some facts about special education services in Washtenaw County:
- About 7,000 students around the county receive special education services.
- Local schools are required to provide special education services for students with mental, physical or emotional disabilities until age 26.
- The special education millage up for vote on May 3 provides about $14 million annually to schools countywide.
- The WISD operates six local-based K-12 classrooms, seven young adult classrooms around the county and eight classrooms at High Point School on the WISD's campus, serving about 240 students.
- State and federal government require special education services in public schools, but only provide about 34 percent of the funding for services.
- For more information, visit the WISD's website.


Local districts already spend about $20 million out of their general fund budgets to help meet the needs of the students. The rest of the costs are covered by state and federal funds and other sources - including about $14 million a year generated annually by the millage that is now up for renewal. 


What the public needs to understand is that a millage renewal request like this is very different from a school bond request.


If a bond issue is voted down, the district simply foregoes whatever project the bond would have financed. 


But special education services are mandated. Schools have to provide them. If this renewal is rejected, districts would have to dig more deeply into their general funds to pay for special education at a time they're already facing steep cuts in other funding from the state.


The results would be damaging not just to special education students, but to all students.


We hope the public understands how well-served it's been by the current millage and by a countywide approach to special education that helps keep costs lower while allowing districts to share expertise and technology they might not otherwise have access to. This is a dedicated millage that can only be used for its intended purpose, and it allows exactly the kind of efficiencies and shared services that we’ve been encouraging local schools and government units to embrace. 


There has been a lot of debate recently about whose back the budgets of state and local governments should be balanced on. We certainly don't think it should be on the backs of the most vulnerable portion of the student population in our schools. 


While the state budget battle rages on, the special education millage is a local issue that we can decide right here in Washtenaw County. It's an opportunity for us as a community to continue to support these services at a time when schools need this stable source of funding more than ever. And it’s an opportunity to do so without having to reach any deeper into anyone’s wallet. This isn’t a tax increase, just a continuation of a millage we’re already paying.


We endorse the special education millage renewal on May 3, and strongly urge voters to approve it.
(This editorial was published in today's newspaper and reflects the opinion of the Editorial Board at AnnArbor.com.)
Comments
walker101
Sun, Apr 17, 2011 : 3:43 p.m.
Let's renew the superintendents contract for more money, I think maybe around $500K to start with, maybe she can come up with some innovative ideas on how to keep the school district under budget? This is a dedicated millage that can only be used for its intended purpose, and it allows exactly the kind of efficiencies and shared services that we've been encouraging local schools and government units to embrace. ??Spoken like a true politician.
snoopdog
Sun, Apr 17, 2011 : 3:40 p.m.
This "modest millage" as described will fail. Washtenaw County Schools have done very little to change their bad behaviors of spend, spend, spend and give the unions anything they want. It will be defeated because the taxpayers know that special education funding is mandated by the state. A "NO" vote is about the only way the taxpayer has a way to demand that the schools reign in spending and bring the unions to the table for cost cutting. Good Day
David Cahill
Sun, Apr 17, 2011 : 3:06 p.m.
I'll be voting yes. This is only a renewal, after all. Plus, if the renewal doesn't pass, special ed will still be funded because the schools are required to do so. A failure means that the amounts available for general education will be reduced.
glacialerratic
Sun, Apr 17, 2011 : 2:18 p.m.
That "approximately one out of every seven students in the county receives some form of special education" is a jaw-dropping statement that demands closer investigation. How has this part of the education system ballooned so much that Pioneer, Huron, and Skyline now have more staff dedicated to special education than to science, math, English, or any other instructional area? Do we truly have a K12 population with such significant levels of disabilities?
northside
Sun, Apr 17, 2011 : 3:20 p.m.
glacial my guess is that over the past several decades there's been a gradual expansion of students included in special education. As the article says that "includes students with learning disabilities, speech or language difficulties, or serious physical, mental or emotional impairments. " Another factor is that special education classes have a lower student-to-teacher ratio. A non-special ed class might be 30:1, special ed something like 10:1.
sbbuilder
Sun, Apr 17, 2011 : 2:12 p.m.
I'll be voting 'no'.
zip the cat
Sun, Apr 17, 2011 : 1:30 p.m.
AAdot com has nothing to do with my vote of NO. Its the business as usuall attitude of the schools in general. You blow thru funds like there is no tommorow and every knee jerk idea you come up with you think taxpayers are going to bail you out. I could care less if its a renewal or not,if it fails I get a reduction in my property taxes. Wait till snyder gets done swinging the budget axe on school funding. Taxpayers are fed up with paying more and more and more. You need to cut,cut,cut Till I see drastic cuts in schools I will always vote NO.
Cash
Sun, Apr 17, 2011 : 11:09 a.m.
Tony, To assume this is about "anti-tax" sentiment is incorrect. You say "There has been a lot of debate recently about whose back the budgets of state and local governments should be balanced on." ....Well......if the budget Gov Snyder is asking for passes, some taxpayers will be receiving significant tax increases, particularly the working poor.These are the folks already struggling to survive. Where do you propose that they get the money to continue business as usual? Some retirees will be receiving tax increases as well. In short, it's a negative change in financial position for many voters. Just because that doesn't include you or me, doesn't mean that this change doesn't matter. It WILL impact our local economy. For these folks and for many of us, NO MORE business as usual! It's time to think differently. There is no reason that WISD cannot consolidate with county districts that could provide administrative functions that are duplicated county wide. That would be a good start. Why is WISD hiring a new superintendent? Why have an asst superintendent? why a full administrative staff? Why not share those positions with districts? As we get state tax increases, we cannot just keep doling out money without seeing major cost savings countywide.
Cash
Sun, Apr 17, 2011 : 1:20 p.m.
But Tony, therein lies the bite! If we keep shoving the issue of wasteful spending aside, those cuts do NOT happen! Why should they? We keep voting approval of what they are doing!! We have to confront the reality of waste and wipe it out. Right now if I was trying to get any millage passed, I would present a list of cuts that were made to expenses and ask for LESS than I had asked for previously, thus showing that there's a realization many taxpayers are taking a big hit with the Snyder tax increase. In good conscience I cannot pay for waste now and assume they'll make cuts later. No way.
Tony Dearing
Sun, Apr 17, 2011 : 12:53 p.m.
Cash, while I agree that public pensions are an important issue right now, I'm going to try to keep this discussion focused on the special education millage renewal, and save that discussion for another day.
Cash
Sun, Apr 17, 2011 : 12:28 p.m.
Tony, But I see that bus drivers are entitled to a pension (in the job posting on WISD). Not that it isn't hard work, but is it necessary to fund pensions for WISD employees? How about an employee match type plan? These are simple cost savings.
Dr. Vag
Sun, Apr 17, 2011 : 12:22 p.m.
For my money, I won't be robbing our students with the most need because I'm mad at the WISD. Voting yes here.
Tony Dearing
Sun, Apr 17, 2011 : 12:03 p.m.
Cash, I understand what your are saying. We've strongly encouraged districts to undertake more consolidation and sharing of services, such as the consolidated bus service that Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti and Willow Run have done through the WISD. Our belief is that special education services are an example where local districts have long shared services and coordinated programs to provide better services at a lower cost than they could on their own. This millage is a very important piece of the funding to support that, and we think it deserves to be continued. We do agree that other, structural changes are needed, but we wouldn't want to see local districts dealt this blow because of concerns in other areas.
northside
Sun, Apr 17, 2011 : 10:41 a.m.
If the millage does get voted down annarbor.com will be owed a thanks. The site's regular stream of 'top 25 salaries of ..." articles in recent months has done much to fuel anti-public sector sentiment.
northside
Sun, Apr 17, 2011 : 12:24 p.m.
As another example of this site's fixation on the public sector take today's article on the racial achievement gap in public schools. Is that a newsworthy subject? Absolutely. But how often do we see an article on general racial inequality in U.S. society or, this being a local paper, the local area? I can't recall the last one. The end result is that the reader gets an impression that most, if not all problems are tied to the public sector. Rare is the article that takes a critical look at the private sector or has a broader focus on social issues.
jcj
Sun, Apr 17, 2011 : 12:09 p.m.
"The site relies on easily accessible data - that for public workers" It doesn't look like ZAR Fraser's salary was all that "easy" to come up with. I agree with Cash "While those articles may stir the sentiment you describe, I do think it is important that the media keep the public informed. "
Cash
Sun, Apr 17, 2011 : 11:56 a.m.
northside, I completely agree. I honestly would like to see more research....and have each employee submit a paragraph or two stating their duties because often a job title doesn't really explain responsibilities. Sadly I am not sure the employer would allow them to do it. (without another FOIA). I'd like to see the openness with more research and comparisons to private sector would be excellent. Sadly, I guess that the raw data is thrown out like raw meat...and then let the taxpayer sharks (me included) go at it! (lots of hits) I have worked on both sides (public and private) and while public employment offers lots of satisfaction, to me it was much more demanding.
northside
Sun, Apr 17, 2011 : 11:48 a.m.
Hi Cash, I don't have a problem with annarbor.com running articles that examine public sector worker salaries. I'm as outraged as anyone to hear the Roger Fraser is getting 41K/year in pension after only working 9 years. My problem is that the site has a fixation on such stories and it contributes to an impression that all public employees - not just some - have bloated salaries, benefits, etc. Also, there's a lack of context to the articles. Most specifically, there's rarely any comparison to private sector salaries. The site relies on easily accessible data - that for public workers - but doesn't do the real journalistic work of digging for comparable private sector salaries.
Cash
Sun, Apr 17, 2011 : 11:41 a.m.
northside, While those articles may stir the sentiment you describe, I do think it is important that the media keep the public informed. And remember one top public official refused to give the media his full taxpayer funded income. I think a good public servant says "here's what I earn and here's how I earn it" and justifies the salary. In many cases I'm betting that they work darned hard for what they earn. But secrecy does not help. For years EMU used to publish the picture and salary of every administrator and manager in the Eastern Echo fall opening edition, along with a brief description of duties...and entire section in the paper with only that information!!!!! I am convinced that helped keep things in line. And then it was stopped. And staff became suspicious and distrusting. Secrecy breeds suspicion. Just my opinion.