The Brighton, Fowlerville, Hartland, Howell and Pinckney schools, as well as each public school academy in Livingston County, have asked the Livingston Educational Service Agency (LESA) to propose the renewal and restoration of the existing special education millage in the upcoming election on Tuesday, Nov. 5. If approved, this millage proposal would continue to fund services, programs and resources for more than 3,500 students with special needs in the local school districts and public school academies across Livingston County.
Initially approved by voters for ten years in 2015, the expiring portion of the special education millage should be familiar to taxpayers. In 2015, the agency committed to giving 100% of the millage-generated funds to local school districts and public school academies. LESA intends to do the same if this proposal is approved by the voters.
If passed, the millage would continue to:
• Fund for special education programs: The millage funds are used to operate various programs, including unified sports, work readiness training, peer-to-peer initiatives, assistive technology, and behavioral support services.
• Fund for para-educators: A significant portion of the millage goes towards covering the cost of para-educators and curriculum materials, among other supports.
• Free up general fund dollars: While federal and state mandates require support for special education students, they do not provide total funding. The millage helps fill this gap, helping ensure these mandates are met without diverting resources from other student’s educational needs.
“If approved, the millage renewal and restoration would continue to fund local school districts special education programs,” said Dr. Michael Hubert, superintendent of LESA. “Without these funds, districts may have to use general fund dollars from other programs to pay for mandated, but otherwise unfunded, services and programs that meet the needs of students with disabilities.”
Voting will occur in person on Tuesday, Nov. 5, or by early voting from Oct. 26 to Nov. 3, or by absentee ballot until Election Day. LESA is hosting one-hour informational meetings about the millage proposal leading up to the vote to provide more information, and community members are encouraged to attend.
Informational Meeting Days:
• Address: 1425 W Grand River Ave., Howell, in the Innovation Room.
• Virtual: https://tinyurl.com/millageinfo
— Thursday, Sept. 5 – Noon
— Thursday, Sept. 19 – 5:30 pm
— Thursday, Oct. 3 – Noon
— Thursday, Oct. 17 – 5:30 pm
For more details about the special education millage renewal, the programs it funds, and the upcoming informational meetings, visit https://www.livingstonesa.org/special-education-livingston-county.
About Livingston Educational Service Agency (LESA):
Livingston ESA is a service agency specializing in education, one of Michigan’s 56 educational service agencies known as ISDs, Intermediate School Districts. Its 650-plus employees provide various special education, early childhood, career development, mental health and collaborative services to the public and private schools in Livingston County daily.
LESA’s services are centered around advancing student literacy, narrowing the socioeconomic achievement gap, supporting student well-being, improving student opportunities to learn, and helping our schools by streamlining transportation, broadening the availability of student services, and providing professional development opportunities to enhance the skills of teachers and staff.
For more information about Livingston ESA, visit our website at LivingstonESA.org or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
