On Tuesday, November 3, voters in our community will consider a renewal of the Cheboygan-Otsego-Presque Isle Educational Service District special education millage.
The proposal is not a new tax. Instead, it would renew an existing millage that has helped support special education services and programs for students in the Johannesburg-Lewiston Area Schools and throughout the region for 25 years..
If approved by voters, the renewal would continue to generate nearly $3 million in annual funding dedicated to mandated special education services and programs. Under Michigan law, school districts are required to provide these services to eligible students with disabilities, regardless of whether the millage is approved.
As such, this millage is a key funding source for the special education services we provide in the Johannesburg-Lewiston Area Schools, generating about $287,121 in revenue in the 2025-26 school year. This amounts to approximately $450 per student attending our schools.
Every dollar generated through the millage renewal would remain local and be distributed to school districts across the region—including here in Johannesburg-Lewiston. These funds help support services such as:
Specialized instructional support
Classroom and behavioral supports
Early intervention services
Equipment for students with disabilities
Specialized transportation
Transition programming and postsecondary supports
The renewal would be levied at a rate of 0.6231 mill, which equals approximately 62 cents annually for every $1,000 of taxable property value.
Community members are encouraged to learn more about the proposed special education millage renewal before election day. More information, including answers to frequently asked questions, is available at https://www.jlas.org/page/2026-millage-renewal.