KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – The hotly contested Portage trash referendum won’t be the only item on a local ballot on May 5th.
Voters countywide will be asked to renew a local millage that supports special education in all nine of its school districts.
KRESA Superintendent Dedrick Martin visited Kalamazoo Public Schools trustees last night to encourage them to start talking about the vote.
Dr. Martin says public schools are required to provide a free education to all children, but some need more services and more specialized programs than others.
“We’re talking about things that are federally mandated and what we have realized between the state and the federal funding, it’s not enough to cover the cost,” says Martin.
He says that means if this special millage didn’t exist, school districts would have to cut into other programs or services to fund them.
“And what we are asking for is 1.5 renewal, this is not an increase, this has been passed two other times before.”
Some of the programs are provided at schools around the district, and some are operated by K-RESA.
“By taking the kids that might have been more needs, and by bringing them all together to the same location it generally does things in a more cost-efficient manner.”
Dr. Martin says the 1.5 mill request is the same amount they requested in 2015, when it was first approved, and again in 2021 when it was first renewed.
It passed by large margins both times.
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