Superintendents ask for support on ESD millage renewal. 

Mark Platt, superintendent, Hart Public Schools

Superintendents ask for support on ESD millage renewal. 

Dear Community Members,

As the superintendents of Hart Public Schools and the West Shore Educational Service District (WSESD), we ask you and every voter in our community to give the WSESD’s special education millage renewal request on the May 4 ballot your full consideration.

The special education millage renewal levy has been in place for 30 years and today it helps the WSESD provide programs and services to more than 1,400 students with disabilities in our local school districts.

Renewing the special education millage would raise $3.4 million annually to maintain these valuable programs and services.

The proposal on the May 4 ballot is the same 1 mill, 8-year levy previously approved by voters in 1990, 1998, 2006, and 2014. Additionally, the millage renewal would allow the WSESD to continue the direct reimbursements to local school districts to cover a portion of their special education costs. Over the last eight years, more than $13 million has been distributed back to our nine area public school districts.

Jason Jeffrey, West Shore ESD superintendent

We believe you’d find the WSESD’s partnership with our local school districts to be one of the most effective educational partnerships in our Lake, Mason, and Oceana counties region. Not only are we meeting the unique learning needs of our students with disabilities with care and professionalism, the partnership strengthens the operational budgets of every school district within the WSESD’s boundaries. This is because special education programs and services are mandated by federal and state law, but they aren’t fully funded by the federal or state government.

The WSESD and our local district districts would still be required to provide, and fund, those programs and services even if the millage renewal isn’t approved by the voters.

There’s more information on the www.May4forSpecialEducation website and you’re welcome to contact either one of us with your questions as well.

Thank you for your consideration.

Respectfully,

Mark Platt, superintendent, Hart Public Schools

Dr. Jason Jeffrey, superintendent, WSESD

Letters to the editor are opinion editorials submitted by readers. Letters to the editor are a long tradition in American journalism. The views and opinions of the writer do not necessarily reflect those of Mason County Press, its staff or its parent company. For more information, please refer to MCP’s Op/Ed policy.