Trustees Have Reason For Tax Vote Pessimism

ANN'ARBCm Boá-d of I Education members are conI fronted with a tough deciI sion that has plagued school ■ boards of the past: Do you I seek the tax millage you are I convinced the schools need, I or do you try for the maxiI mum program you believe to I be attainable? Supt. Scott Westerman, in I whom the board has a lot of I confidence, has made a tenI tative recommendation for a I school operating millage reI quest on the June ballot totaling 7.05 milis. In hard dollars that's about $7 for every $1,000 of assessed valuation. Only a little more than half of that amount represents a tax increase. The other 3.37 milis is a renewal of existing levies. A majority of the Board of Education believes that the 7-mill package has no chance of success in June, and at least two members favor a ballot proposal limited to the renewal of the expiring 3.37 milis. Their reasoning is that it is better to keep what you have than to run the risk - a pretty big one as they see it - of losing all and having to make serious cutbacks in the school program. THE NEWS believes these board members have correctly assessed the temper of the voters. The pressures to find another source .of school funds other than property taxes are mounting, although, ironically, at the same time there is pressure to impose new demands on state school aid in the form of parochiaid. Until there is some property tax relief, voters are going to resist new millage proposals. There will be pressure on the school administration and Board of Education by the teachers' association and others to go for the higher millage, but they must consider the risk of losing the renewal tax, too. The tax increase and the renewal can't be voted upon separately. And each time the board is forced by a defeat at the polls to return with the same or a reduced request, it seems to créate ill-will toward the schools. # WESTERMAN has made a good case for the importance of gaining approval on the June 9 ballot for bonding to build a fifth junior high school, and then there may be another bonding program for a third senior high school before year's end. Although these are not millage issues j and bond proposals usually have less trouble at the polls, the school district lost two bonding elections last year by decisive margins. These are some of the considerations that have led the school trustees to take .a hard look at what is proposed for the June election. They have good reason for their pessimism.