The Allegan Area Educational Service Agency (AAESA) will ask Allegan Countyvoters  to restore funding levels that have been eroded because of the Headlee Amendment with three proposals on the Aug. 4 primary election ballot.

• Proposal I: Operating Millage. This proposal will restore 0.0262 mill to return to the voter approved amount of 0.14 mill. This millage supports local districts in Allegan County with AAESA consultants in math, science and literacy.

• Proposal II: Special Education. This proposal will restore 0.0448 mill to return to the voter approved amount of 3.05 mills. These funds flow to local school districts to assist in offsetting the district’s state mandated, unreimbursed special education costs.

• Proposal III: Career and Technical Education. This proposal will restore 0.0262 mill to return to the voter approved amount of 1.78 mills. These funds support the programs AAESA offers to at no charge to local districts (i.e. the Allegan Tech Center).

If all three proposals pass, the owner of a $100,000 home (taxable value $50,000) would see an annual tax increase of $4.86 a year, or 41 cents per month. That will generate $301,000 to support students in Allegan County.

“Taxpayers in Allegan County originally agreed to fund AAESA services at the level of 4.97 mills,” said AAESA Superintendent William Brown. “Because of the Headlee Amendment, we lose a little bit of that funding every year. These proposals will allow us to restore the agreed upon funding levels and continue to provide educational services to the students of the county.”

AAESA serves the local school districts of Allegan, Fennville, Glenn, Hopkins, Martin, Otsego, Plainwell and Wayland, as well as Innocademy and Outlook Academy.