Superintendent’s Message Janet Sifferman.
In November there will be a LESA special education millage proposal on the election ballot. This proposal is a Headlee Amendment Restoration Millage. The current special education millage rate of 3.31 mills was established in 1988. Due to Headlee Amendment restrictions that are part of the state’s constitution, the millage rate has been reduced by 1.043 mills over the past 27 years, so LESA is currently only collecting 2.267 of the 3.31 mills originally allocated. The state allows for Headlee Restoration elections to take place to restore the millage rates to their original level.
During the past 27 years as the millage rate has rolled back, the cost of special education programming has increased to the point that the unreimbursed cost to our district is currently more than $45,000 per full time student (remember that Hartland Consolidated Schools receives $7,391 per pupil from the State.) Because these are federal and state-mandated programs, Hartland Schools has had to absorb these increasing costs using general fund dollars. Approximately 8% of Hartland’s student population receives special education services. As revenue has been reduced to the schools, maintaining the quality of our programming, other than special education, has become increasingly difficult. This spans across all responsibility areas including instruction, business, facilities, community services and outreach programs (i.e. Community Education, Hartland Childcare, Senior Center, etc.), and impacts ALL of our students and the entire Hartland community.
Should the Headlee Restoration Millage be approved by Livingston County voters, Hartland Schools will receive an additional $1.2 million, which will go toward the $2.6 million of unreimbursed special education costs currently incurred by the district. This will help the district continue to provide its current level of programs and services, as well as maintain its infrastructure and facilities.
If you have any questions, please contact me or Scott Bacon, Assistant Superintendent for Business & Operations at 810-626-2100.
During the past 27 years as the millage rate has rolled back, the cost of special education programming has increased to the point that the unreimbursed cost to our district is currently more than $45,000 per full time student (remember that Hartland Consolidated Schools receives $7,391 per pupil from the State.) Because these are federal and state-mandated programs, Hartland Schools has had to absorb these increasing costs using general fund dollars. Approximately 8% of Hartland’s student population receives special education services. As revenue has been reduced to the schools, maintaining the quality of our programming, other than special education, has become increasingly difficult. This spans across all responsibility areas including instruction, business, facilities, community services and outreach programs (i.e. Community Education, Hartland Childcare, Senior Center, etc.), and impacts ALL of our students and the entire Hartland community.
Should the Headlee Restoration Millage be approved by Livingston County voters, Hartland Schools will receive an additional $1.2 million, which will go toward the $2.6 million of unreimbursed special education costs currently incurred by the district. This will help the district continue to provide its current level of programs and services, as well as maintain its infrastructure and facilities.
If you have any questions, please contact me or Scott Bacon, Assistant Superintendent for Business & Operations at 810-626-2100.