Career Technical Education Millage

Career Technical Education, or CTE, is an educational approach where students learn by doing, combining traditional, rigorous academic concepts with practical and technical skills. Through CTE, students explore their interests and skills and then eventually match them to high-wage, high-skill, in-demand career pathways, such as:

• Healthcare;
• Engineering;
• Robotics;
• Entrepreneurship;
• Construction Trades;
• Cybersecurity;
• Computer Programming;
• Aviation and Aerospace;
• Business, Finance, and Marketing;
• Agriscience; and more.

In Washtenaw County, CTE programs are a PreK-12 launchpad for discovery, where learning is active, industry-connected, and designed to inspire the next generation of professionals. CTE gives students the chance to explore their purpose, passions, and potential through hands-on experiences, real world opportunities, and pathways that lead to college and career success. 

Washtenaw Intermediate School District
Area Career and Technical Education Proposal 

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?

What does this ballot language mean? Click here to read a breakdown of the ballot language.

What is being proposed? 

• A 1.0 mill proposal to support operational costs to provide Career Technical Education (CTE) learning experiences from preschool through high school graduation. The millage would expire after 10 years. If approved, the CTE millage would be used by Washtenaw ISD to reimburse all local public school districts for existing CTE expenses and also develop new countywide CTE learning opportunities. 

Why is this on the ballot?

• CTE programs in Michigan are not fully funded through state and federal sources. State and federal funding provides approximately 28% of the funds needed for state-approved CTE programs. WISD has used state grant funds to help local school districts add new programs in the past five years, and these funds are no longer available. In Michigan, 41 Intermediate School Districts, or 73%, have a millage to support CTE programs.

• If the CTE millage is not approved, existing CTE programs in Washtenaw County would be underfunded by $10.35 million and school districts would need to continue using general operating funds to cover this shortfall.

• Over the last four years, CTE enrollment in Washtenaw County has grown by 69%, even as overall student enrollment decreases. Additionally, hundreds of students are on CTE waitlists across the county.

• Today in Washtenaw County, student demand for CTE programs exceeds the number of available spots. With student demand at an all-time high, a CTE millage would allow schools to meet that demand by expanding access in existing pathways and creating new CTE programs aligned with high-demand industries.

• Based on data from the University of Michigan Youth Policy Lab, Washtenaw students have access to fewer CTE programs compared to their peers across the state. Access is even more limited for Black and Hispanic students, students who are economically disadvantaged, and students in smaller districts. A CTE millage would allow schools to remove barriers to access for new and existing programs.

How do other Michigan counties fund CTE programs?

• 41 Michigan ISDs, or 73% statewide, have a CTE or vocational millage. Total funds vary because the tax rate is levied on the value of the real estate in the area. ISD CTE millages range from 0.6 mills to 4.2 mills.

How would millage dollars be used?

• Funds generated by the CTE Millage would primarily support operational costs such as CTE instructors, teaching assistants and career readiness coaches, new CTE program development and expansion of existing in-demand programs, student transportation, PreK-12 career awareness and exploration, state-of-the-art technology and equipment, learning facilities, and more.

What would the millage cost?

• For every $100,000 in taxable home value, the cost is $100 annually, or $8.33 per month.

Who can vote on this proposal?

• Registered voters who are residents of WISD's constituent districts can vote on the CTE millage proposal. WISD's constituent districts are: Ann Arbor Public Schools, Chelsea School District, Dexter Community Schools, Lincoln Consolidated Schools, Manchester Community Schools, Milan Area Schools, Saline Area Schools, Whitmore Lake Public Schools, and Ypsilanti Community Schools.

How can I vote?

• You can vote in person at your polling location on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. You can also vote early in person or by absentee ballot.