School Levy Headed For June Ballot

Voters in the Ann Arbor School District will face a millage election June 11 for 11.66 milis or possibly more. Although no formal action was taken, the majority of the Board of Education members last night agreed to put the money issue on the June ballot, along with the election of school board members, rather than try to put it on special election ballot April 2 or May 2. Exactly what will be on the June 11 ballot is uncertain. Alternative millage proposals will be discussed at the Board's Feb. 7 briefing session and pinned down with a vote Feb. 14. Proposals being considered include: an 11.66 mili levy to replace the 11.66 milis which expired Dec. 31; a 1-mill levy for operation of the Ann Arbor Public Library; an additional 3-mill levy for operational expanses; and a bond proposal of $600,000 to $700,000 to repair buildings. Board of Education members discussed a variety of combinations of the millage and bonding proposals. Board President Ted Heusel said the consensus appeared to be in favor of asking voters for the 11.66 milis in June and possibly going again to voters in August for additional millage if the district needs it. Supt. R. Bruce McPherson and Trustee Cecil Warner said they would prefer to ask for the 11.66 milis plus a 1mill levy for the library in June and possibly go to voters in August for additional millage. Trustee Charles Good suggested the board ask for the 1-mill levy for the library in April, 11.66 milis or 10.844 milis (the 11.66 milis minus the cost of operating the library this year) in June and additional millage in August. Calling it a hyper-straight forward proach. Good said voters could indícate in April if they want the library to remain part of the school district's budget or opérate on its own budget. Concerned about the budgetcuts the library has had to absorb during the last several years, Good said the district has taken funds from the library to balance its budget. -"The public deserves a library of the quality they've had. We're shortchanging a lot of people," he added. . The Library Advisory Committee and the Ad Hoc Finance Committee of the Board of Education have recommended the library be funded separately but maintain its ties with the school district. Only 47 of Michigan's some 360 school ' districts include the local library as part of the district's operating budget. It is ' thought if a f uil state funding plan for , schools based on an equal number of professionals per student is adopted by the state legislature, those districts which support their libraries would suffer. If Ann Arbor District voters do not support the 11.66 milis in June, the district would lose about $8,362,000 from its operating budget for the 1973-74 school year, Trustee Cecil Warner told the other board members. "We're operating on approximately $26 million now. If we lost $8 million, our budget would be $18 milüon. That's how urgent it is that we at. least get 11.66 milis", Warner added. With the 11.66 milis, the district has been operating at 32.55 milis. "Political reality" was considered when boards members decided not to seek a place on the April 2 city election. "It's not in the best interests of the two governments for us to compete," Warner said. City voters already are scheduled to vote on a 2.5-mill proposal to support an expanded public transportation system. (CONT'D. ON NEXT PAGE)