Trustees Air Deadlines For Bond, Tax Votes

I 1 VI " The final Bates for setting spring millage and bonding elections were discussed last night by the Board of Education. Business Manager George Balas informed the trustees that for a May 13 millage election - the which has been recommended by Supt. W. Westerman Jr. - the board must set the election within 10 days (by March 30). Next Wednesday is the last regular board meeting at which the election could be set. For a June 10 bonding election, Balas said that April 24 is the final date for approval by the trustees. A combined millage, bonding and candidates' election could also be held June 10. Trustee William C. Godfrey's year-around school proposal must be resolved, however, before a bonding electition is set. According to Godfrey, if the plan is implemented, a bonding election would not be necessary because the capacity of existing school building would be increased by one-third. Both the bonding and millage election dates will be discussed next week during the [regular board meeting. Budget Gets Attention Detailed discussion of the 1968-69 operating budget was the order of the day during the Board of Education's afternoon briefing session. Following a procedure agreed upon during a special working session Saturday, four trustees yesterday were given up to one-half hour of uninterrupted time each to question the mïnistration and give comments on the proposed budget. Last week, Supt. W. Scott Westerman Jr. presented a proposed operating budget of $17,095,825 to the trustees. This figure is an increase of about $1.6 million from the 1967-68 budget of $15,500,675. According to Westerman, m u c h of the increase will finance the operating costs of three new schools scheduled to open in September (Huron High, Scarlett Junior High and Green-Glacier Way Elementary). If the nearly $17.1 million budget is adopted with no changes, a millage package of nearly lOVi milis for operations will be submitted to school district voters in .May or June. The millage package would include a 4V2-mill renewal and nearly 6 additional milis. One additional mili (making a total of slightly more than 7 milis) would also be levied, however, according to Westerman. This mili was authorized last year but not levied. Thus, it would not have to be submitted again for v o t e r approval. If the package were approved, the 7-mill hike would mean a tax increase of about $7 per $1,000 of state equalized valuation. In terms of the average Ann Arbor homeowner, whose house has an equalized valuation of $10,000, this would mean a tax hike of about $70 per year, Westerman said. The 412-mill renewal would involve no tax increase over the 1967-68 bill tax. Detailed questioning by the rest of the trustees will continue Saturday morning, during a special working session. If a May 13 millage election is decided upon, the specific millage package must be set by March 30. Other Items In Brief In response to a question from Duane Cuthbertson, executive director of the Huron Valley Youth For Christ, School Board President Hazen J. Schumacher Jr. said that the board would probably make a decisión next week on the request of the Youth For Christ group and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes to form clubs at the high school. o o During the "Questions, Comments and Petitions" portion of the meeting, a woman in the audience asked what the schools were planning to do to meet the needs of perceptually handicapped children. Supt. W. Scott Westerman Jr. replied that the board and administration were very "concerned" about the problem, but that for the time being, the itinerant counselors who travel from school to school to counsel teachers on the subject would be retained, and no other new plans would be implemented at the present time. o o The Board of Education approved a contract for continuing membership in the Washtenaw Area Library System through Feb. 28, 1969. This system provides open access to all libraries in the county by all residents in the system area. o o Trustee Joseph T. A. Lee informed the board members that a state bill which would permit county intermedíate school districts to cali special bonding elections to finance various facilities will be reported out of committee tomorrow. o o Trustee Francés Felbeck said that she would present a brief report next week on the plans for the trip to Paris March 30 to April 7 of 102 students from Arin Arbor High School. The trip is being sponsored by the French department of the high school. Mrs. Felbeck is accompanying the group as the Board of Education representative. o o Lee and Supt. Westerman applauded a new organization at Pioneer High named "Youth for Education and Schools." Approximately 60 sophomores, juniors and seniors belong to the group, forraed after the defeat of the Jan. 8 bonding proposal. The group has two objectives: to consider passage of future bonding and millage proposals, and to raise funds to contribute to the school system's treasury.