To begin, the safety and security of our kids...it's paramount. One of the key purposes of all the work we do with our publishing's is to continue to work to show those that are in their younger years that they live in a community with supportive people who believe in them and their future. We don't spend all day, every day bragging about it, but...even in our slogan, "We Have a New Story to Tell" the idea is to work to help change the way we see ourselves as a community and how we are seen by surrounding communities. That belief begins with what kids hear and see, and in turn...learn to believe.
10 years ago, there was a request for a millage for safety and technology. With a millage request, the way it works is that it has to come from the Muskegon Area Intermediate School District to get on the ballot. The vote is coming up in May and absentee ballots are going out already. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE MILLAGE FROM THE MAISD. In the 10 years of the millage, the funds that the schools have been given have been spent on securing their buildings as well as providing the essential technology like Chromebooks or other digital devices that children need to keep up with modern learning. Some schools have added Resource Officers, others have used the security portion to upgrade doors, locks and camera systems. The individual districts are in control of how the funding is spent, the MAISD is the action organization to make the request for the vote.
In this renewal, there is no increase being asked for. In fact, it's a little lower ask. No increase at all to provide funding for security and technology for every student in the county, public or charter schools. If approved, the funding is allocated directly to the districts and spent in an earmarked fashion specifically on security and technology. There are disclosure pages on every school districts website to show you exactly where the funding goes, and why. It's in the numbers that so many try to create doubt and sway voters. It's not an increase, it's a lower renewal.
We welcomed Tom Livezey Superintendent of Oakridge and Steve Edwards of Reeths-Puffer in to talk about the use of and the need of this millage. We met in the Oakridge Media Center and the film crew of the MAISD took the video for us. Take a listen to the need as well as the facts and please consider the safety and future of our kids when you vote.
The need is real and the ask is lower than before. We've seen the scenes all over the country where the safety concerns lie. We all know that the risk is real and that the minimal we can invest in out kids is safety. We know too that as technology grows, and the way information is gathered, keeping kids "in the game" with the basic needs has to be taken care of. It takes a village it's said and this is where we work as one to help secure a better future for those who are coming up behind us and, at some point will be taking over. We are tending our roots by supporting our schools. We are assuring that the next generation is safe, educated and ready for tomorrow and that's what a community on the rise does.
