Matthew is struggling to learn how to read, and his mom wonders if he might have dyslexia. Anna was born with a birth defect that makes it difficult for her to speak and be understood. Jaden’s father was killed in an accident and the resulting trauma is causing disruptive behavior. Such situations can make learning difficult for children, but the good news is that schools are required to give them special help.

Since 1975, federal law has required states to provide special education opportunities for children in public and charter school districts. Michigan law goes even further by extending that mandate to age 26. In Ottawa County, that work is coordinated through the Ottawa Area Intermediate School District (OAISD).

By law, services must be available to support all students—regardless of their specific needs—and these services must be funded. A certain amount of that funding has always been available from the federal government, but with recent cuts that funding is no longer assured. That is why voting for the millage proposals on May 6 is crucial.

The proposals ask voters for approval to continue the present millage, adjust it to reflect the reductions caused by certain tax laws, and add an additional .5 mils to ensure adequate funding for the next 20 years.

Without the passage of these proposals, the amount of funding needed for these mandated services would more than double next year, and that money would likely need to come from general school budgets to make up the difference. That means that all students could lose out.

Please check out the ballot language, explanation of the proposals, the schools affected, and other helpful information at the OASID website and then vote YES on May 6—and encourage all your friends and family to do the same!

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash