Two Proposals Face City School District Voters

Voters in the Ann Arbor School District will go to the polls tomorrow and cast ballots on two proposals: Proposal One asks renewal for five I years of a three-mill tax operating leyy. Proposal Two would require three areas, annexed in 1966, to pay their share of the district's building debts. Approval of the first proposition would maintain the operating levy at its present level- there would be no increase 'f 'f ' - ' -' y .f s in school operation taxes. If the second proposal is approved at the polls, it would mean a slight decrease in the tax rate for most taxpayers and a nearly 3Ms-mill hike for the three affected areas of Frains Lake, Braun and Superior Townline Districts. If the renewal request is defeated, school officials anticípate the necessity of more budget cuts- similar, perhaps, to last year when $1.7 million was pared after voters rejected millage requests. School officials say: - Renewal of the three-mill levy, which expired last December, would maintain the present curtailed program. But, they add, it would not replace reductions in elementary art, music, physical education and the number of secondary school class periods which were cut after last June's millage failure. - If the schools do not continue to receive the three milis, a reduction in the anticipated operating income by almost $2 million would result. This, they say would mean further major reductions in school programs, further curtailment of courses and extracurricular activities, serious changes in the schedule for the school day, and other cutbacks. Proposition Two in the special school election concerns the three portions of the district that are paying taxes only for school buildings approved since 1966, the year these areas joined the district. These three areas presently are ing only for the construction Glague Junior High School, approved in 1969. They are not contributing to the remaining $31,329,000 of bonded indebtedness now being paid off by all other taxpayers of the district. Approval of the second proposal would mean that the three areas would pay their share of taxes for bonded indebtedness. So far, the only public opposition to the millage renewal request has come from the 200-member Black Parents Association. Other groups in favor of the renewal, not previously listed, include the Ann Arbor Citizens' Council, Mack 'Elementary School PTO Board, executive board of the Newport School PTO, and Northside School PTO, The Ann Arbor Chamber of Commerce's Board of Directors and the Huron High Student Council. All registered voters may vote, both property and non-property owners. Registered voters must be 21 years of age, a resident of Michigan for six months and a resident of the district for 30 days.