Dual Ballot Test for Kalamazoo County Schools

Kalamazoo County voters will face another critical referendum on May 5th, 2026, as they decide whether to renew a 1.5 mill special education levy that has been in place since 2015. This vote joins a hotly contested Portage trash referendum on the same ballot, but the stakes for the school districts are equally high.

The Special Education Millage Under Fire

The Kalamazoo Regional Education Service Agency (KRESA) millage renewal is going on the ballot in all nine school districts across Kalamazoo County. This levy provides essential funding for special education services that the state and federal governments cannot fully cover.

"We're talking about things that are federally mandated and what we have realized between the state and the federal funding, it's not enough to cover the cost," said KRESA Superintendent Dr. Dedrick Martin in a recent visit to Kalamazoo Public Schools trustees.

Dr. Martin emphasized that without this millage, school districts would be forced to cut into other programs or services to fund the special education requirements.

"And what we are asking for is 1.5 renewal, this is not an increase, this has been passed two other times before."

The request matches what was asked in 2015 when it was first approved and again in 2021 when it was renewed. It passed by large margins both times.

The Career Connect Campus Crisis

Amidst the millage debate, KRESA's Career Connect Campus is experiencing significant turmoil. More than six years after voters approved a $166 million property tax levy to fund this groundbreaking initiative, teachers there are still working without a contract.

"The struggle behind the scenes with not having a contract and not feeling like we can trust the administration because their actions are very different than what they tell us," said Career Connect Campus building trades instructor Ben Bierlein.

The situation has become so dire that some students cannot participate in hands-on learning due to recent staff defections.

Legal Fees Drain Taxpayer Funds

The contract negotiations have consumed substantial taxpayer resources. According to a Freedom of Information Act request filed by News Channel 3, KRESA has paid attorneys in excess of $167,000 of taxpayer funds by mid-February.

These funds went toward:

  • Representing the district in contract negotiations
  • Defending the district against unfair labor practice complaints filed by the teachers' union

"It really comes down to the grievance process," Dr. Martin said. "Having that ability to be able to make decisions as it relates to staffing is important and we want to preserve that."

The Union Disagrees

The Michigan Education Association (MEA), which represents the teaching staff at the Career Connect Campus, disagrees with KRESA's approach. They argue that the final decision on staffing should be made by a third-party arbiter, which is standard protocol in most districts statewide.

KRESA, however, maintains that preserving their ability to make staffing decisions is crucial to the success of the program.

"The salary, the benefits, the working conditions, I think those are all very favorable," Dr. Martin said. "I think we're kind of in agreement there. It's just that one sticking point."

What's at Stake

The Career Connect Campus brings students together from various schools to participate in specialized programs at centralized locations. This approach is designed to be more cost-efficient than operating these programs at individual schools.

"By taking the kids that might have been more needs, and by bringing them all together to the same location it generally does things in a more cost-efficient manner," Dr. Martin explained.

The campus focuses on specialized programs that serve students with unique educational needs, providing them with hands-on learning opportunities that traditional classrooms cannot offer.

The May 5th Ballot

Voters across Kalamazoo County will have to decide on May 5th whether to:

  • Renew the 1.5 mill special education levy for KRESA
  • Approve the Portage trash referendum

The KRESA millage renewal is particularly contentious because it touches on issues of equity, access to special education services, and the future of Career Connect Campus programming.

Dr. Martin is now urging public schools trustees to begin talking about the upcoming vote. His message is clear: the community needs to engage with this issue before it's too late.

What Happens Next

If Kalamazoo County voters reject the millage renewal, school districts would face difficult choices:

  • Cut into other programs and services to fund special education requirements
  • Reduce the scope of Career Connect Campus programming
  • Find alternative funding sources that may not exist

The decision on May 5th could reshape special education services across all nine school districts in Kalamazoo County for years to come.