Copyright M Live Michigan
WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI – The $25 million tax request to support student career-technical programming in schools around Ann Arbor and across the region passed with roughly 54% of the overall vote in Tuesday’s election. Initiated by the Washtenaw Intermediate School District earlier this year, the millage will levy 1 mill annually, costing the owner of a home with a taxable value of $200,000 around $200 a year or $17 a month. The $25 million mark is what the tax will generate in its first year of a decade-long term to support expanded classes and training to help Washtenaw-area students access more career pathways in areas ranging from health sciences and entrepreneurship to welding, construction trades and engineering. The district’s goal has been to help every student access career-technical education before the end of their pre-K-12 journey and to have a career-oriented plan before graduation, Ryan Rowe, WISD’s CTE director, said in a statement issued early Wednesday, Nov. 5. “Whether it’s college, an apprenticeship, the military, or a high-skill career,” he said. “This funding allows us to build stronger pathways, connect learning to the real world, and help students see their future within reach.” Washtenaw County voters carried support for the millage with 35,947 votes in favor and 29,676 against, according to the county clerk’s unofficial election results. Overall, 46% voted against it. In some narrow areas outside county lines where the ISD reaches families, small majorities made up some of that opposition as follows: Livingston County, 148 yes and 195 no Monroe County, 514 yes and 688 no Wayne County, 210 yes and 238 no In Jackson County, 91 voters supported the millage, while 82 did not. Most area school board officials supported resolutions to put the millage on the ballot earlier this year, though some officials voiced concerns about burdening taxpayers with another tax. Within the Ann Arbor area, opposition took shape in September with formation of the ballot committee Citizens Against Regressive Taxes. Formed by former city council member, Kathy Griswold shared a list of concerns in October, calling the 1-mill tax hike an “audacious misuse of public funds by unelected officials.” Griswold did not immediately respond to a request for comment. WISD Superintendent Naomi Norman said the millage will eliminate barriers. “We are extremely grateful for the trust our community has placed in us,” she said. “We look forward to continued collaboration with our partners in this work to build a transparent, countywide framework that benefits PreK-12 students in all districts and strengthens our region’s talent pipeline.” CTE has risen in demand among Washtenaw County students across the region’s school districts and agencies that oversee career tech programming over the last few years, and program officials have routinely report long waiting lists for some courses. That includes Ann Arbor and Whitmore Lake public schools, Ypsilanti Community Schools, and the South and West Washtenaw Consortium, which accommodates Chelsea, Dexter, Lincoln, Manchester, Milan and Saline with 21 programs. Ann Arbor previously had 13 unique programs, Ypsilanti five, and Whitmore Lake four, all fewer than the state average, according to a University of Michigan Youth Policy Lab report in 2022. According to WISD, CTE enrollment rose from 1,866 in 2021-22 to 3,157 last year. The regional student population declined by over 1,200 over that same period. The intermediate school district is utilizing a $5 million grant to help fill some of the gaps in access to existing programs, as well as expand offerings such as from aerospace and aviation.
