The Oceana Intermediate School District (ISD) board approved dissolving June 12 and the Mason-Lake ISD board June 13 approved absorbing Oceana’s member school districts.

The change will not affect taxpayers in the Mason-Lake ISD school districts — Ludington, Mason County Central, Mason County Eastern, Pentwater, Ludington and Free Soil — but will raise taxes for Hart, Shelby and Walkerville residents by about 1.5 mills.

That tax increase will allow students in those districts to participate in local tech prep courses without their districts paying tuition.

The merger plan now moves to the Michigan Superintendent of Schools who will either accept or reject the plan. If the plan is accepted, it goes into effect on the July 1 following the decision.

The ISD boards had the option of putting the issue up for a vote of the affected people during the past year, but chose an option that did not include a public vote.

Source: Oceana's Herald-Journal, 6.20.12