A millage renewal for the Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency is on the ballot Tuesday.
According to KRESA Superintendent Dedrick Martin, the millage is nothing new, having been in place since 2015, and it won’t change residents’ current tax rate.
If renewed, Martin said the funds generated would go to the nine local school districts that KRESA serves to support mandated special education programs and staff, including psychologists, speech therapists and special education teachers.
“It really as much as possible allows our districts to maintain the support that we need to keep a level playing field for kids who need that extra little bit so that they can compete and live to their full potential," Martin said.
If the millage was not renewed, Martin said schools would have to use general fund dollars to fill the gap.
"It's going to be different for each school district. So some may say, 'we have a healthy enough fund balance and we can cover it for a year or two,'" Martin said.
“Others may say, 'we really don't have a fund balance. We're going to have to lay off staff if the number is too significant, or we're going to cut back, whether it's our textbooks or we're going to cut back on the athletic budget or the transportation budget, whatever it may be.”
Take Back the Trash
Portage residents will also see another proposal before them on Tuesday, that of a vote on how trash is picked up in the city.
The special election comes nearly a year after Waste Management won the bid to become Portage’s sole trash hauler for the next five years. Before that, Portage allowed multiple haulers to pick up trash.
The Portage City Council approved the ballot language in January but some council members warned residents that even if the initiative passes, the city could be forced to continue with Waste Management’s contract or pay a penalty.
The special election petition, called "Take Back the Trash," was backed by Kalamazoo-based garbage collector Best Way Disposal, which lost the bid to become Portage’s only hauler.
Michael Symonds reports for WMUK through the Report for America national service program.
