Administrators of the 11 traditional public school districts operating in the MAISD originally considered holding the election on Aug. 6.
However, they decided it would be better to hold the election when families are back from summer vacations and students are back in school, said MAISD Superintendent David Sipka. It will be easier for schools to communicate to school families information about the election when school is in session, he said.
..Proceeds of the millage would be divided among the 11 school districts according to enrollment, Sipka said. Muskegon Heights Public Schools Academy System currently is not included, though that could change, he said.
If approved, it is estimated the millage would collect $4.3 million in 2014, its first year in effect.
...Area superintendents have been considering a regional enhancement millage for about the last year and a half, Sipka said. With state per-pupil operating funds in many instances barely covering day-to-day expenses, districts do not have money left over to keep technology updated, Sipka said.
A survey conducted by an outside research group in February found that 68 percent of 400 respondents were supportive of the 10-year, 1-mill tax increase, Sipka said.
Schools need to provide students with the ability to take standardized testing online by 2015. The enhancement millage could be used to pay for computers, netbooks, mobile devices and infrastructure.
It also could be used for surveillance cameras, electronic entry systems and security alarms. It would be up to each school district, not the MAISD, on how the funds would be spent.
No comments:
Post a Comment