INDIAN RIVER - Officials in 10 school districts in the Cheboygan-Otsego-Presque Isle Educational Service District were breathing a sigh of relief this morning, their strained budgets saved from further cuts as voters overwhelmingly approved the .6426-mill renewal at the polls Tuesday.

The levy, expected to generated $1.9 million districtwide, passed 5,096-yes to 2,218-no, as a total of 7,314 votes were cast.

In Otsego County, the vote was 2,143-yes to 973-no; in Cheboygan County, 2,143-yes to 1,068-no; and Presque Isle, 540-yes to 177-no.

In Otsego County, Gaylord Community Schools officials said passage of the millage was necessary to prevent the cutting of nearly $600,000 in general fund expenses. Likewise, officials at Johannesburg-Lewiston Area Schools and Vanderbilt Area School had lobbied for passage, preserving their budgets.

The special education millage funds services mandated by state law. Had the millage failed, districts would have had to tap into their general funds to provide those services and been forced to cut elsewhere in the budget.

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