WISD millage passes county wide

Washtenaw County voters showed their support for public education when a majority of Washtenaw Intermediate School District (WISD) constituents voted to pass a bond proposal to renovate and rebuild High Point School, which serves students with severe disabilities from across Washtenaw County, on August 6.

The vote means that more than $53 million will be generated to ensure High Point meets the needs of students with the most significant special education needs, both now and into the future. WISD Superintendent, Dr. Scott Menzel, said the election is affirming of the community’s commitment to all students.

“The students throughout Washtenaw County who receive special education services at High Point School are the winners,” Menzel said. “We are grateful to our community for recognizing that our most vulnerable students deserve a high-quality learning environment just like the rest of their peers. I would like to thank the voters on behalf of our High Point community who will benefit from a school that meets their needs and enhances their quality of life and education.”

The bond issue for .37 mills on the August 6 ballot easily passed by a 55.85% to 44.15% margin countywide, although Manchester area voters did not support the initiative as well as the rest of the county.

The $53 million raised by the bond over a 10-year period will finance renovation and reconstruction at High Point School, located near the intersection of Wagner and Scio Church Roads. The facility, originally built as a vocational school for mildly disabled students, now hosts some of the county’s most vulnerable and medically fragile students ages 3-26 and no longer suits the needs of this student population.

County-wide, the unofficial totals at press time were 15,595 YES and 12,329 NO, with all precincts reporting. Overall, the election had just a 9.66% voter turnout; likely because this was the only county-wide issue on the ballot. Other than the WISD bond proposal, Whitmore Lake Schools and Chelsea Library each had a single issue on the ballot.

Locally, all of the Manchester area townships turned down the issue. Bridgewater reported 39 YES and 78 NO votes; Freedom Township voters had 54 YES and 93 NO ballots; Manchester 187 YES, 219 NO; and Sharon Township had 80 YES votes vs. 137 NO. A total of 68.31% Manchesterites voted against the issue, with 31.69% voting for it.

For more about the WISD bond and High Point, click here.

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.