With local school boards, such as Saline, Chelsea, Milan and Dexter, passing resolutions in support and now with the Washtenaw Intermediate School District (WISD) Board of Education doing the same it’s looking more likely that a millage vote will be on the November ballot.
The ballot question is a 1 mill proposal that if passed would be for 10 years and would support Career Technical Education opportunities and learning experiences from preschool through high school graduation across Washtenaw County.
The WISD announced on June 25 that the WISD Board of Education unanimously adopted a resolution on June 24, “to place a Career Technical Education (CTE) millage proposal on the Tuesday, November 4, 2025, ballot.”
In the announcement, WISD Board President Diane Hockett said, “We have heard the call from our local school districts that students want more learning opportunities that set them up for the future, and that can be done through Career Technical Education. It is evident that students are demanding more courses that give them rigorous educational experiences and access to innovative, high-wage, and in-demand career pathways.”
The WISD Board said they received resolutions of support of placing a millage on the ballot from all nine constituent school districts in the ISD’s service area, as well as support from the Washtenaw Superintendents’ Association.
The WISD said over the last four years, “CTE enrollment in Washtenaw County has grown by 69 percent, even as overall student enrollment decreases. Additionally, hundreds of students are on CTE waitlists across the county.”
Here is the full ballot language:
“Shall Washtenaw Intermediate School District, Michigan, come under sections 681 to 690 of the Revised School Code, as amended, and establish an area career and technical education program, which is designed to encourage the operation of area career and technical education programs, if the annual property tax levied for this purpose is limited to 1 mill ($1.00 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation) for a period of 10 years, 2026 to 2035, inclusive; the estimate of the revenue the intermediate school district will collect if the millage is approved and levied in 2026 is approximately $25,020,000 from local property taxes authorized herein?”
“CTE programs bring learning to life through hands-on projects and real-world connections,” WISD Superintendent Naomi Norman said in the announcement. “By engaging students through applied and experiential learning, they can discover who they are and what brings them joy, all while earning stackable credentials in high school as they prepare for fulfilling college and career pathways.”
According to the WISD, “Washtenaw County public schools currently spend approximately $10.35 million each year on CTE programs using general fund dollars.”
The WISD said in its announcement that, “If approved by voters, the proposal would generate approximately $25 million which would be used to reimburse current CTE expenses, increase access to existing CTE programs, develop new future-forward CTE programs, and expand programming from PreK-12 grade.”
The WISD said the board of education’s resolution also coincides with the release of a new community report on Career Technical Education in Washtenaw County titled, “The Future Moves with Us.”
“The report is the culmination of several years of intensive research and collaboration with the University of Michigan Youth Policy Lab, local business and industry leaders, government and higher education partners, and the county’s public school districts,” the WISD said. “It outlines what CTE is and its impact, the collaborative community work since 2019, current barriers to CTE access, a collective vision for Washtenaw County students, and multiple ways to expand access to CTE, including local millage funding.”
In the announcement, Dr. Ryan Rowe, WISD’s Director of Career Technical Education, explained CTE’s importance and purpose.
“CTE helps students understand their purpose, know their passion, and unleash their potential from preschool through high school graduation. It equips students to chart their own path towards establishing an informed and inspired post-secondary plan,” Rowe said. “Expanding access to CTE countywide will change lives not just for students, but for families and our entire community.”
To read the full ballot proposal language, click here. To learn more about CTE in Washtenaw County CTE, visit www.washtenawcte.org. For more information or to ask questions, contact Washtenaw ISD using Let’s Talk.
Photo of CTE students doing a construction project in Dexter. photo by Lonnie Huhman
8123 Main St Suite 200 Dexter, MI 48130
