McGuckin reacts to county school question approval

The superintendent of Pontiac Township High School District 90, Ryan McGuckin, is weighing in after this week’s county schools tax question was passed by voters in Livingston County.

The question asked if Livingston County school districts should be authorized to use revenues from the tax commonly referred to as the school facility sales tax at a rate of 1 percent for school resource officers and mental health professionals. This is in addition to school facility purposes.

Voters approved the measure with 3,354 “yes” votes to 2,023 “no” votes.

“We were lucky enough to have it in Livingston County already but expanding those programs to pay for things like a school resource officer and mental health is an option for different school districts moving forward,” stated Superintendent McGuckin on Thursday’s Route 24 Radio Forum show.

School officials say this is an expansion of use for existing funds rather than a new tax increase and schools have the ability to use 1 percent of the money for paying for school resource officers, guidance counselors, social workers and behavioral health specialists.

A “no” vote would have kept the funds restricted solely to school facility maintenance and improvement projects.

“I don’t think that we’re going to not continue to use that money to build our buildings that much better but it gives us options,” adds McGuckin.

Districts are audited annually to verify sales tax revenues are being used as approved.