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By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief
CUSTER — Voters in the Mason County Eastern School District are being asked to approve a five-year .75 mill transportation millage on Nov. 5. If passed, the millage is expected to raise about $183,000 a year.
Superintendent Paul Shoup said the sinking fund millage is needed in order to maintain the school’s fleet of 10 buses.
If passed, property owners in the district will pay a total of 2 mills into two separate sinking funds, which includes a current 1.25 mill sinking fund for facility maintenance. Shoup explained that state law prohibits the district from using the current sinking funds for transportation as voters approved it for buildings. Both millages would expire in five years.
“Seven years ago the district paid off its infrastructure debt,” Shoup said. “At that time, the board of education made the decision to take the financial pressure off the taxpayers by not requesting any further bonds. We believe we have done a very good job being fiscally responsible with our buildings and equipment, but we need some additional help keeping up the bus fleet.”
Shoup said in the 2023-2024 school year, MCE spent $115,000 in transportation maintenance, repairs, and fuel.
“The funds generated from this millage would cover us for the next five years, knowing that costs will continue to increase,” Shoup said. The funds will also allow the district to replace older buses. “Moving forward, our goal is to get on a two-year rotation of purchasing new, or off lease buses, to ensure that our students have access to safe and reliable transportation at all times.”
Shoup said the district has had positive results the last few years purchasing recently leased buses rather than new. He said off-lease buses typically have 20,000 to 30,000 miles on them and cost about half of what a new bus would cost.
“Through this transportation millage, we will be able to keep up with maintenance and every two to three years purchase a replacement bus in the rotation.”
“Although our district is relatively small by most metrics, our transportation services cover a large geographical area, over 210 square miles, with bus routes servicing families in our district boundaries and beyond,” Shoup said. “Our school buses undergo significant wear and tear through the course of a given school year.”
Shoup said nine of the 10 buses are used in regular daily routes while the 10th, a handicap accessible bus, is used when needed.
“We try to use that 10th bus throughout the year for special occasions. It’s primary purchase is for transportation of a student with special transportation needs. ”
Shoup said sinking fund millages do not cover the cost of personnel. Those costs are funded through per-pupil funding received by the state based on Proposal A of 1994 which dedicates 2 percent of the state’s 6 percent sales tax toward school operational costs.
“This millage would allow us to keep the pressure off the general fund and assure that that money stays where it belongs, in the classroom,” Shoup said.
The .75 millage rate would cost a taxpayer with a home valued at $100,000 with a taxable valuation of $50,000, $37.50 a year or 10 cents a day. A home valued at $250,000 with a taxable valuation of $125,000 would cost $93.75 per year or 26 cents per day.
Ballot language:
Shall the limitation on the amount of taxes which may be assessed against all property in Mason County Eastern District, Mason, Lake and Manistee Counties, Michigan, be increased by and the board of education be authorized to levy not to exceed 0.75 mill ($0.75 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation) for a period of 5 years, 2024 to 2028, inclusive, to create a sinking fund for the acquisition of student transportation vehicles; for the acquisition of parts, supplies, and equipment used for the maintenance of student transportation vehicles; for the acquisition of eligible trucks and vans used to carry parts, equipment, and personnel for or in the maintenance of school buildings; for the acquisition of parts, supplies, and equipment used to maintain such trucks and vans; and all for other purposes authorized by law; the estimate of the revenue the school district will collect if the millage is approved and levied in 2024 is approximately $183,188?
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