On Nov. 4, 2025, Ypsilanti voters will have the opportunity to cast their vote on a new proposal. The Washtenaw Intermediate School District is proposing a millage for the Career Technical Education programs.
What is CTE?
The CTE programs are year-long studies on career education done in 11th or 12th grade. There are also exploratory programs in middle school to help students find what interests them. The programs cover many different areas, such as health sciences, culinary arts, automotive technology, marketing, computer programming, accounting and others. The full list can be found on the WISD website.
The purpose of these programs is to help students decide what they want to pursue as a career by getting hands-on experience in those fields.
Ashly Kryscynski, director of communications and public relations, emphasized the programs' student-first focus.
86% of high school graduates consider post-secondary education, like Eastern Michigan University, said Director of Career and Technical Education Ryan Rowe. The programs affirm what the students want to do for a career, Rowe said.
The programs also lead to industry-recognized credentials like certificates and licenses. Moreover, they help students go into postsecondary education with a focus and intent, instead of discovering they do not like a field of study after spending thousands of dollars on tuition and classes, Rowe said.
There are direct ties from the CTE programs to Eastern Michigan University’s areas of study. The health sciences programs link to a degree in nursing, while the business management program aligns with a marketing degree. Any CTE program can set up a student for a focused career track, Kryscynski said.
The current issues
Right now, CTE programs get money from the general fund, which contributes to many other things across the district. With so much competition for the funds, the CTE programs are being underfunded.
Currently, there are also disparities across the different communities. Students in smaller or economically disadvantaged districts and students of color have much more limited access to these programs, University of Michigan Youth Policy Lab research found. There are currently four consortiums: Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Whitmore Lake and the South and West Washtenaw consortium, which includes Chelsea, Dexter, Milan, Lincoln, Saline and Manchester. While Saline has 21 different CTE programs, Whitmore Lake only has four. Ypsilanti stands at five, while the average in the rest of the state is 30, the WISD website states.
While there has been a 69% increase in enrollment in the last four years, CTE does not have the funds to expand or the space to accommodate all the students who want to be involved in the programs, Rowe said.
What the millage would do
The purpose of the millage proposal is to directly fund the CTE programs. It would make it more centralized so that each community in Washtenaw County can have equal access to the programs. It would expand the programs so every student has more choices. It would also mean that there would be funds for marketing and outreach so more students could hear about the opportunities available to them.
The CTE programs in Washtenaw County are falling behind, and the millage would help the county catch up to others around the state, Rowe said.
Cost to taxpayers
A millage is a financial term used to describe property taxes. The millage is based on the taxable value of property, or about half of the property’s market value. The CTE millage would cost an annual $100 on every $100,000, or about $8.33 each month.
