Dear Families and Community,
I’m writing to update you about a career and technical education (CTE) millage that will appear on the ballot for residents of the Cheboygan-Otsego-Presque Isle Educational Service District (COPESD) on Tuesday, November 4, 2025.
If the measure receives majority voter support, the new property tax levy would collect funds for six years that would be used to establish and enhance vocational education programs and resources at all of the communities within the COPESD.
COPESD is one of 15 education service districts statewide without a CTE millage, and only four of the 10 school districts it serves have technical and vocational programs in place today. The millage proposal aims to create more equitable access for students and help meet the growing workforce demands in our region.
The proposed CTE millage would add one mill, which is equivalent to $1 for every $1,000 of taxable property value. COPESD’s current levy rate ranks as the fourth-lowest among the state’s education service districts.
The upcoming millage vote follows a 2024 survey conducted by COPESD that focused on vocational education in Cheboygan, Otsego, and Presque Isle Counties. Ninety-four percent of the 1,207 survey respondents agreed that COPESD’s plans to enhance and expand CTE opportunities were a good idea.
Additionally, 67% of respondents acknowledged a growing need for high school graduates to have CTE-related skills, while 69% of respondents indicated likely support for a potential tax increase of up to one mill to fund CTE program opportunities.
More information about the CTE millage, including answers to frequently asked questions, is available online at https://www.cteforcop.org. A contact form is available on the site to ask questions.
Thank you for your engagement on this important subject and for your consideration of the measure on the November ballot.
This millage through COPESD gives funding to Posen Schools to create a CTE program.
Your partner in education,
Michelle Wesner
Posen Consolidated School District
Superintendent/K-12 Principal