Saline School Board Approves $47,600 in CARES Millage Requests

The Board of Education approved a plan to spend $47,600 from the Cultural Arts, Recreation, Enrichment and Senior Citizens (CARES) budget. The expenditure awas approved at the Nov. 8 meeting.

The board unanimously approved the the CARES Advisory Council's recommendation for this year's expenditure. The allocation includes:

• $8,650 for aquatic center enhancements. Parks and Rec applied for $12,100.
• $5,000 for Saline Area Youth Baseball and Softball dugout covers. The group applied for $10,000.
• $20,000 for drumline instrument replacement for the Saline Marching Band. The marching band received the entire amount requested.
• $3,000 for the Saline Fiddlers Hometown Concert in March. The request was for $5,000.
• $2,450 for storage upgrades. Community Education requested $2,700.
• $8,500 to help grow girls' lacrosse in the middle school. The Saline Women's Lacrosse Club received the entire amount requested.

The CARES Advisory Council did not recommend the Saline Area Soccer Association's request for $50,500 to develop soccer fields on Industrial Road or Evangelical Homes of Michigan's request for $56,900 for a therapy pool at the Redies Center.

In May 2009, voters passed the CARES Recreation Millage for 0.5 mills for 10 years. The millage provides annual funding for the , the Saline Area Schools pool, Saline Area Schools theater management and Community Education's recreation and enrichment program.

Each year, community groups are invited to apply for more than $150,000 in CARES grants made available for the purposes of enhancing the quality of life in the school district.

By law, the school district is not permitted to spend CARES millage money in the classroom.