Tag Archives: school budget

Ann Arbor community pushes state legislators on school funding issues

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2011-12 AAPS Budget Hearing

What: A public hearing on the 2011-12 Ann Arbor Public Schools budget is scheduled.
When: 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 25.
Where: Ann Arbor District Library, 343 S. Fifth Ave.
Details: Copies of the proposed budget are on file with the Secretary of the Board of Education and can be reviewed at the Balas Administration Building, 2555 S. State Street, Ann Arbor during regular business hours.

Download the proposed 2011-12 budget here.

Public Forum on Education

What: One of several regional education forums offering an opportunity for stakeholders to meet with Michigan Board of Education members, discuss education conditions, reform and budget proposals and the future direction of education in Michigan.
When: 4-7 p.m. Thursday, May 26.
Where: University of Michigan League Hussey Room, 911 N. University Ave.
Details: Full listings of regional forums an be found here. Participants are invited to make oral or written comments. Contact Marilyn Schneider, State Board of Education executive at  schneiderm@michigan.gov or State Board of Education President John Austin at jcaustin@umich.edu.

From AAPSNews Service

Ann Arbor school officials have given state lawmakers a laundry list of ideas for specific action to assist public schools and the way they are funded.

And they have made it clear how angry they are about the state proposal to shift $900 million from the School Aid Fund to higher education. The School Aid Fund has always been used solely for K-12 schools funding, but proposals this year would change that.

When Proposal A was passed in 1994, “we were assured there would be a continuing and reliable form of funding,” said Ann Arbor Trustee Andy Thomas during a roundtable discussion at special Board of Education meeting at Pioneer High School on May 6. “This is a gross violation of the public trust.”

During an interview Friday on Michigan Public Radio, Snyder said that the action is “constitutionally allowed” and that he is proposing the use of the School Aid Fund in this manner for at least the next two years. He also said “we’ll have to address that,” when talking about school districts that have already taken action to consolidate service and cap costs and are still struggling.

Trustee Christine Stead represented the school board at the roundtable at Pioneer High School in asking state officials to:

  • Address the structural deficit – in Ann Arbor’s case that represents about several million dollars each budget year. Retirement costs can only be addressed at the state level; the increase this year will cost the district $5 million. “We get handed a percentage that we can do nothing about,” noted Stead. “Something has to be done and it can only be done at the state level.”
  • Reduce budget cuts for districts that have demonstrated cost-effective resource management – Ann Arbor has capped health care costs and consolidated many services with the Washtenaw Intermediate School District including substitute teaching, busing, International Baccalaureate program, and software. It is also implementing performance-based teacher and administrator compensation, Stead said.
  • Allow local districts authority to levy local property taxes for schools – Districts have not been allowed to do that since the passage of Proposal A, which moved the state from a local property tax-based system of funding schools to a centralized State Aid Fund which distributes taxes back to local districts. Stead noted that Ann Arbor is a “donor district” meaning that Ann Arbor district residents pay more property tax money to the state than is returned to Ann Arbor Public Schools each year.
  • Revise rules for Sinking Fund dollars to give districts more flexibility in spending – Currently, rules allow Sinking Fund dollars to be used only for purchasing, completing, remodeling or repairing facilities, site acquisition of improvement and technology infrastructure.
  • Allocate any additional funding available to the School Aid Fund to offset proposed reductions – Stead said that money should come to public schools instead of being put in a state “rainy day” fund. “We are not able to raise tuition (as universities and colleges can),” she noted.
  • Implement performance-based funding and student count day adjustments for public charter schools – Stead said many charter schools encourage students attendance for student count days (allowing them to get state funding) and then send students back to their home public school districts which do not get compensated. “Please look at that, hold them accountable and help us out here,” she said.
  • Implement a value-based budgeting approach for school districts that make progress in closing the achievement gap and have high-performing students based on graduation rates and student testing scores.

State legislators representing the AAPS area including state Sen. Rebekah Warren and state Reps David Rutledge of the 54th District, Mark Ouimet of the 52nd District, Jeff Irwin of the 53rd District and Rick Olson of the 55th District all attended and took part in the discussion.

The Legislative Roundtable session was taped by CTN Channel 18 and is scheduled to be rebroadcast on Monday, May 16 at 10 p.m., Tuesday, May 17 at 1 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Wednesday, May 18 at noon.

Trustee Simone Lightfoot told parents and community members to continue the fight. “If we don’t do something different, we’re going to have structural changes,” she said. “Keep the letters coming, keep the e-mails coming, keep the protesting coming. We’ve got a lot of work to do.” Added board Vice President Susan Baskett:  “Make noise. We are in a dire strait here.”

The roundtable agenda included a budget history of Ann Arbor schools, what Gov. Rick Snyder’s budget and legislative action means for the district, a discussion of reforms and time for public comment.

Snyder has proposed decreasing state school spending by at least $470 per student, while the Senate plan would drop that to $340 per student and the House per-pupil decreases would range from $426 to $467. The final education budget must be worked out between legislative committees of both chambers and the governor.

Irwin and Rutledge voted against the state House measure that passed on May 5; Olson and Ouimet voted in favor of the cuts. Rutledge called the measure a “divide and conquer plan” and said it was a strategic decision. “I think it was by design – to pit you (K-12 public education and higher education) against each other,” he told Ann Arbor officials. “It is a betrayal of trust.”

Last month, Ann Arbor officials revealed cost-cutting measures to fill a $15.1 million budget deficit for next year, including the elimination of 70 teaching positions and the elimination of high school transportation. A proposal to combine the principals of four elementary schools was taken off the table by the board at its May 11 meeting after concerns were raised by elementary parents; officials said they would need to find the money elsewhere.

“We’re looking at overall increased class sizes,” noted Interim Superintendent Robert Allen. “We’re no longer able to keep the cuts out of the classroom.”

The district has cut $34.4 million from its general operating budget in the past five years. Allen said under Proposal A, 70 percent of revenue raised in the Ann Arbor community funnels through the state to other districts, yielding a reduction of $52 million in general fund dollars since 1994.

Brit Satchwell, an AAPS middle school math teacher and president of the Ann Arbor Education Association, the district’s teachers union, made an impassioned plea to state legislators. “We have no need to be pitted one interest against the other,” he said. “It’s time the legislature paid attention to us and got us out of this structural deficit.”

Steve Norton, an Ann Arbor parent and president of the Michigan Parents for Schools, called the state action raiding the School Aid Fund “shameful.”

“The funds for the School Aid Fund have not been adequate to fund K-12 education,” he said. “They have fallen for a decade. We have believed that prosperity must come before good schools rather than the other way around.”

Parent Scott Ellsworth, who teaches History at the University of Michigan, noted “a good school system is how we define ourselves as a society. Every great society … had a good, solid school system. That’s where it begins.” He encouraged state legislators to give local districts the power to raise money and the “tools to do the job.”

Olson said a May 16 state revenue estimating conference will put a more realistic face on tax revenue numbers and allow the state to move forward with final education budget decisions.

Note: Michigan Parents for Schools has an action alert up that allows residents from throughout Michigan to send messages to the governor, state senator and their state representative all in one step.  The alert and message form can be found here.

2011-12 budget cuts shared, May 6 roundtable with legislators planned

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2nd AAPS budget forum is Thursday

What: A second budget forum on the 2011-12 Ann Arbor Public Schools budget
When: 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 28
Where: Skyline High School Commons Area. Skyline is located on North Maple Road north of the M-14 interchange.
Who: Members of the public are invited to attend the session, which includes a presentation from AAPS administrators and round-table discussions among attendees to generate discussion and ideas for budget savings
Details: Visit the school district’s website to download a PDF of the 2011-12 Proposed AAPS Budget Plan

Below: Board to host roundtable session with legislators on May 6

From AAPSNews Service

Note: This story originally published a May 5 date for the legislative meeting listed at the bottom of this story. The meeting will be on Friday, May 6.

Long-term changes to public school funding must be made at the state level to allow local districts to continue to operate in a healthy manner, Ann Arbor Public Schools Interim Superintendent Robert Allen said this week.

Allen warned this week that unless legislators in Lansing change the way schools are funded, the problem will persist year after year.

“You can’t cut your way of a structural deficit,” said Allen, who serves as the district’s operations and finance chief – a position he will return to on July 1 when new Superintendent Patricia Green takes the helm. “You’re going to cut your school district to a point where it won’t be attractive to the community.”

Allen encouraged the community to get involved with the state funding issue during the first of two budget sessions on Monday night. He also explained that the Ann Arbor district faces a $15 million deficit going into the 2011-12 year that begins on July 1 and he laid out a plan to save $14.4 million.

The district is searching for another $683,000 in cuts or new revenues and those attending the budget forums are being asked for their ideas. The Ann Arbor Board of Education must adopt a balanced budget by June 30.

Allen noted that the proposed savings do not include the impact from the May 3 special education millage renewal election, which represents $5.8 million to Ann Arbor. A loss of this countywide initiative would create a larger deficit, as more dollars would be taken out of local General Fund for these mandated services.

“If everyone of us does not vote ‘yes’ on May 3, we are in a much more drastic situation,” noted Amy Pachera, a parent and member of the county millage committee, who spoke to the group Monday night.

The district’s budget plan would reduce 79 positions including: 70 teaching posts, three paraprofessional positions and one support position at central office and moving one administrative post to IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) grant funding. It would also reduce and combine four administration positions, moving one principal over Abbot and Wines elementary schools and another over Angell and Pittsfield elementaries.

The proposed plan includes a total of $7.1 million in reductions from instructional support services, $2.142 from operational expenses, $1.6 million savings in wages and benefits already negotiated and $1.275 in other districtwide expenses. It also projects $1.3 million in new revenue from 170 new students  in the district’s Schools of Choice program and from increased public parking fees at Pioneer High School on football Saturdays.

“With the structural deficit, we will find ourselves, year after year facing greater reductions,” Interim Deputy Superintendent for Instruction Lee Ann Dickinson-Kelley told parents. “If funding changes in the state of Michigan, some of the proposals in front of you can change or be done differently. At this point in time, that is not the case. We’re trying to balance the budget as best as we know to do.”

The Ann Arbor Public Schools has cut $34 million from its operating budget in five years, including $18 million in the present fiscal year. Some of the lost staffing positions have been covered without layoffs in the past due to retirements; the district has lost 262 positions over the five-year period, Allen said.

“Eighty-five percent of our costs are in people,” he explained. “We’ve been able to achieve most of this through attrition. That gets harder and harder every year.”

About 100 members of the community and school officials who facilitated small group discussions attended Monday’s session. Another budget forum is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 28 at Skyline High School.

From the small group breakouts came suggestions that the district involve more parents in discussion of elementary school principal pairings and that Ann Arbor look to other districts that have done creative things with less. There were also concerns about cuts to high school bus service and how it would impact low-income families who are not close to a public bus line or have no carpooling options. Concerns were also raised about proposed changes to noon-hour supervision, about the number of teaching positions proposed for reduction and that cuts might impact the desirability of the district.

Suggestions for more revenue included more corporate sponsorships, creating a standardized list of supplies and equipment to save money, better marketing of good things in the district, better customer service training for employees and privatizing some positions to alleviate rising retirements costs. It was also suggested that assistant middle school principals be shared, that the district’s Schools of Choice options be further expanded and that additional partnerships with universities be pursued. More distance learning was also suggested.

One parent noted that the district needed to consider more “open education” settings, saying that there is a demand in the community at elementary and middle school levels for programs such as those at Ann Arbor Open @ Mack and Community High School.

Dickinson-Kelley addressed the proposed pairing of principals, saying that the sharing of principals will be challenging, but noting that the district would increase office support and have a pool of teachers for greater flexibility at the schools.

“I am enormously proud of our schools … our teaching staff and our administrative staff” as the district works through the process, she said, adding that the current school funding climate “is going to require that we care for each other, because those resources are pretty tight.”

Two Ann Arbor school advocacy groups are also sending e-mail blasts relating to the school funding problem. Michigan Parents for Schools has an action alert up that allows residents from throughout Michigan to send messages to the governor, state senator and their state representative all in one step.  The alert and message form can be found here.

The Ann Arbor PTO Council Advocacy Committee is also alerting parents about school funding, asking them to pass out fliers, make calls and contact legislators to let Lansing hear from local parents on funding issues.

Editor’s Note: Once comments are compiled from the budget forums, they will be put up on the school district website www.a2schools.org. Watch the main home page for updates.

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Board to host roundtable session with legislators

A session about state school funding with The Ann Arbor Board of Education and area legislators is scheduled for Thursday, May 5 Friday, May 6  from 5:30-7 p.m. at the Pioneer High School cafeteria.

The sessions will include a history of AAPS budget, Gov. Rick Snyder’s budget implications, ideas for reform and public commentary. The event will be telecast on CTN Education Channel 18.

Public comment time will be limited, so those wishing to speak are asked to sign up in advance at 734-994-2232.

2 community forums scheduled to present proposed budget

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Two community forums are scheduled to present the proposed 2011-12 Ann Arbor Public Schools budget.

Both sessions begin at 6:30 p.m. and are scheduled for Monday, April 25  in the Pioneer High School Cafeteria Annex and on Thursday, April 28 in the Skyline High School commons area. Pioneer is at the corner of Main Street and Stadium Blvd. and Skyline is on Maple Road just north of the M-14 interchange.

The sessions will address:

  • How will the State of Michigan’s budget proposals impact the district?
  • What has the district done in the past years to address the state shortfall in public education?
  • The impacts of the countywide Special Education Millage Renewal Election scheduled for May 3, 2011.

School Bells: Ed Foundation hosts budget sessions April 15

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AAPS Educational Foundation logoAnn Arbor Public Schools Educational Foundation is hosting a 2011-12 budget presentation by Interim Superintendent Robert Allen from 7:30-8:30 a.m. and again from noon to 1 p.m. on Friday, April 15.

Both sessions will be at the Ann Arbor Preschool & Family Center, 2775 Boardwalk, Ann Arbor, located north of Eisenhower. For more information or to RSVP call 734-994-1969 or e-mail:  bstoelt@aapsef.org.

Volunteers sought for April 13 seedling planting day at Tappan

Volunteers are sought to help make the annual Agrarian Adventure Seedling Planting Day a day to remember for students. This year’s event will be Wednesday, April 13 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Tappan Garden, located behind Tappan Middle School, 2251 E. Stadium Blvd. (Rain date will be April 18.)

“We can accommodate most anybody,” said organizer April Schmidt, the Agrarian Adventure Farm-to-School coordinator. Volunteers do not have to have children attending Tappan to participate and no special gardening skills are needed.

Tappan teachers were invited to bring their students out for the day of planting, and about five teachers plan to participate. “The students will come out with their teachers and will do a variety of planting in the seed trays, spread compost and get the gardens ready for the season,” Schmidt explained.

Volunteers are needed for 1- to 2-hour slots (or longer) during the event, as well as before 8 a.m. to set up and after 3 p.m. to clean up, said Schmidt. Help is needed with everything from greeting and directing tasks, to helping students plant in the greenhouse and help to get outdoor beds ready for planting. For a full list of tasks and volunteers needed for the event, visit www.agrarianadventure.org.

Help is also needed before the April 13 event to fix the sides of raised bed in the greenhouse and to be part of the garden’s summer watering schedule starting in May.

E-mail Schmidt at farmtoschool@agrarianadventure.org to volunteer. A Volunteer Information Session is scheduled from 6-7 p.m. on Sunday, April 10 at the Tappan Garden, but Schmidt said volunteers may contact her until the day before the event.

Some of the seedlings from the event will be distributed to other Ann Arbor Public Schools that have school gardens. Anyone from AAPS schools wishing to share in the seedling distribution should e-mail Schmidt at farmtoschool@agrarianadventure.org. Most of the seedlings will be vegetables.

WISD board names superintendent finalists, schedules sessions

Two leaders of intermediate school districts are finalists for the superintendency at the Washtenaw Intermediate School District.

Thomas Goodney, deputy superintendent/chief of staff for the Educational Service Center of Central Ohio and Scott A. Menzel,  superintendent of the Livingston Educational Service Agency were selected as finalists from a field of six by the WISD Board of Education.

The new superintendent will succeed William C. Miller who retired in December.

Tom Goodney

WISD finalist Thomas Goodney

Scott Menzel

WISD finalist Scott Menzel

Both finalists have been invited back to the district for second interviews.  Goodney will be in the district on Wednesday, April 13 and Menzel on Thursday, April 14. Community forums will be conducted on both days from 4:15-5:15 p.m. and the WISD board will do final interviews from 6-7 p.m. All sessions are scheduced at the WISD Teaching and Learning Center, 1819 S. Wagner Road, Scio Township. A WISD team will visit the finalists’ school districts during the week of April 18.

Goodney is in his sixth year in his current post in Columbus, Ohio. He received his bachelor’s degree in mass communications at Northern Michigan University, his master’s degree in speech at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and his doctorate in educational leadership, also at Miami University.

Menzel is in his fourth year as LESA superintendent in Howell.  He received his bachelor’s degree in religion from Vanguard University in Costa Mesa, Calif., his master’s degree in philosophy and social policy from The American University in Washington, D.C. and is completing work on his doctorate at Eastern Michigan University.

Early College Alliance co-hosts information night April 12

The Early College Alliance @ EMU and the Eastern Michigan University School of Engineering Technology host an information night from 6-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 12, in EMU’s Sill Hall, Room 002. (Click here for a PDF download of Sill Hall location on the main EMU campus.)

The ECA&EMU is a public, early/middle college program gives students an opportunity to earn college credits while still in high school and offers strong, academically focused students a chance to enroll in advanced, college-level coursework. Ann Arbor is a partner in the program, as are the districts of Chelsea, Lincoln, Milan, Whitmore Lake, Willow Run and Ypsilanti. The program is being coordinated through the Washtenaw Intermediate School District. Students attending the program receive their high school diplomas from their home school district.

Tuesday’s event will describe the many programs and opportunities the School of Engineering Technology offers. Faculty members will be available for questions and answers followed by a tour of the many laboratories. Light refreshments will be served. Details on Tuesday’s event: Philip Rufe, 734-487-2040 or e-mail to prufe@emich.edu.

Students who live in Washtenaw County or a county contiguous to Washtenaw County and are currently in the ninth or 10th grade in any public school district, charter, or home school, are eligible to enroll in ECA@EMU for the 2011-12 academic year.  Details: www.earlycollegealliance.org or call (734) 487-4290.

Ann Arbor schools face $15-21 million budget deficit for 2011-12

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Related stories:
Washtenaw voters consider special education millage on May 3
Schools of Choice plan would invite other Washtenaw students for 2011-12
View the presentation from Interim Superintendent Robert Allen

From AAPSNews Service

Heading into the 2011-12 budget season, the Ann Arbor Public Schools faces a $15.1 million deficit based on projected funding cuts and increased retirement costs from the state and a $21 million deficit if a countywide special education millage does not pass in May.

Ann Arbor Interim Superintendent Robert Allen

Ann Arbor Interim Superintendent Robert Allen

In the coming weeks, Interim Superintendent Robert Allen and his staff will share a draft budget plan that will detail proposed budget reductions. The district is estimating General Fund expenditures of $195 million for the coming year but expects revenue of only $180 million.

This is the second year the district has faced a similar financial dilemma, but this year has the added burden of the proposed state use of the K-12 School Aid Fund to fund higher education institutions.

“That’s what’s creating this problem for us in K-12,” Allen said. “We don’t have a local option. You can’t tie K-12 into higher ed. It’s a totally different playing field.” Allen said colleges and universities have the option of increasing tuition when faced with a deficit – whereas K-12 districts do not.

Under a state budget proposal from Gov. Rick Snyder, Ann Arbor faces a $700 per pupil hit: a straight $300 cut to aid, a $170 funding cut from last year that will not be restored and another $230 in increased pension costs to the district.

This $15 million expected deficit for Ann Arbor assumes that the May 3 countywide Special Education millage renewal will be approved by voters. If it does not pass, Allen said, the Ann Arbor Public Schools must continue to fund mandated special education services, taking the $5.8 million from the district’s General Fund and pushing the expected budget deficit to $21 million.

Included in the $15 million projected deficit, the district is anticipating an annual expenditure of 8 percent in health benefits over the next three years and a retirement rate increase from 20.66 to 24.46 percent for the 2011-12 year. A portion of state retirement costs are pushed down to local school districts from the state and are not controlled locally.

“They are expected to continue to escalate,” Allen said. As more district employees enter the retirement system and employee numbers and salaries are reduced, less is contributed to the system and costs rise. “That’s where the imbalance comes in,” he explained.

Actions at the local level

Allen shared the stark numbers the district has faced in recent years: The district has cut $34.4 million since the 2006-07 school year.

Eighty percent of the Ann Arbor district’s general operating costs are instruction and support, 10 percent are operation and maintenance, 3 percent are transportation, and the remaining 7 percent are for central administration and other costs.

Last year, the district cut $18.6 million from the General Fund budget by restructuring programs and reducing some positions because of state-level retirement incentives which prompted some early retirements. The district also moved its bus service to a countywide consortium, placed a cap on health care over several years and negotiated cost reductions with its collective bargaining units. The district also opened up limited schools of choice for out-of-district residents and plans to continue to offer this in the coming year to gain students and additional per pupil revenue from the state.

“We’ve consolidated, we’ve outsourced, we’ve asked for concessions, we’ve put caps on health care,” Allen said. “We have deliberately tried to keep things away from the classrooms.”

But now, he added, “we’re looking at everything. As we’re required to do more and more cuts, we will have to go deeper and deeper which will end up impacting the quality of education.”

Allen said the district would look at multiple ways to attack the 2011-12 deficit:

  • Continue collaborating with local universities, the Washtenaw Intermediate School District and other area ISDs and local districts on programs ad partnerships.
  • Expand private giving to the school district through donations and grants and through groups such as the AAPS Educational Foundation, school PTOs and booster clubs.
  • Continue to make expense reductions.
  • Lobby the state for a change in the way schools are funded. This could involve increasing local control over school funding or changing the funding or retirement costs (controlled at the state level, but partially funded by individual districts.)
  • Focus on increasing student enrollment. The district now has an estimated 1,274 K-12 students living in the district who attend non-AAPS schools. The district would see an additional $903,600 in additional revenue with 100 new enrollments. The district will have an expected 190 seats open for the 2011-12 school year in grades kindergarten, first and sixth grade and selected seats in grades two through five.

Allen also stressed that each fund in the district has specific uses and that only the district’s General Fund can be used for operating expenses including salaries, benefits, utilities, supplies and equipment. Other funds and their restrictions and allowed uses include:

  • Grant Funds are restricted by the grantor, such as Title I, IDEA, and Career & Tech Ed.
  • Bond Funds are restricted by the voters to fund capital projects such as construction, technology and bus purchases.
  • Debt Services Fund is restricted by law to pay debt service on bonds sold by the district.
  • Sinking Fund is restricted by state law to fund capital projects including land acquisition and remodeling and repair of current facilities through contracted sources.
  • Special Revenue Funds are restricted for specific purposes such as food service and the district’s Community Education and Recreation Department.

Actions at the state level

In 1994 Michiganders voted on a state funding model for schools – Proposal A, which shifted the responsibility of funding the K-12 system from local property taxes to the state. It also limited a local district’s ability to levy local school operating millages.

Last year, when the legislature shifted $208 million from the School Aid Fund to the General Fund for community colleges it was designed to be a one-time transfer being used under a tight deadline and extreme circumstances, according to officials from Save our Schools, a Lansing-based coalition of education groups.

This year, Gov. Snyder has proposed to shift $900 million of those resources from K-12 to universities and community colleges. The transfer will result in a minimum $470 per pupil cut for every district, according to information from SOS.

The cuts will be on top of the increase in state mandated costs for retirement, which will cost schools another $230 per pupil. Adding these numbers together, there is an effective $700 per pupil cut, SOS said.

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2011-12 Ann Arbor Public Schools budget process timeline

•    January-March 2011 – Revenue  and Expenditure projections
•    Jan. 24-March 18, 2011 – Budget Planning by department and level
•    Jan. 24-March 18, 2011 – Meeting with bargaining units regarding budget planning
•    March, 2011 – Input-gathering forums (Staff, Parents, Community)
•    March 1-25, 2011 – Development of Draft Budget Plan
•    March, 2011 – Meeting with Instructional Council regarding Draft Budget Plan
•    April, 2011 – Briefing to Board of Education on Draft Budget Plan
•    April, 2011 – Meetings with Staff, PTOC, AAPAC, BPSSG
•    May 11, 2011 – Briefing and approval on Budget Resolution and Notice
•    calling for a Public Hearing
•    May 19, 2011  – Publish Notice for a Public Hearing
•    May 25, 2011 – First Briefing & Public Hearing on Proposed Budget
•    June 11, 2007 – First Briefing of Millage Resolution
•    June 8, 2011 – Second Briefing and adoption of Millage Resolution; approval of the General Appropriations Act

Budget-millage information meeting March 21 at Pioneer

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The Ann Arbor Public Schools will host a budget/millage information session on Monday, March 21 from 6:30 – 8 p.m. at the Pioneer High School Cafeteria Annex, 601 W. Stadium Blvd.

Information to be discussed includes the following topics:

  • How will the State of Michigan’s budget proposals impact the Ann Arbor Public Schools?
  • What has the district done in the past years to address the state shortfall in public education funding?
  • What are the impacts of the countywide Special Education Millage on May 3?

Interim Superintendent Robert Allen will present information and answers to these questions as the Ann Arbor Public Schools staff prepares to present the 2011-12 budget to the Board of Education.

A special Budget Edition of the AAPSNews is planned for Monday, March 28.

Budget and millage rates approved, consolidated busing considered

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The Ann Arbor Board of Education adopted the district’s 2010-11 budget on June 9 for the fiscal year starting July 1. The $183 million package trims $20 million in operating expenses.

Although the budget includes staff cuts, it is unclear how many employees will be called back in the fall. Much depends on how many staff members choose to retire before the start of the school year.. Also an unknown factor is how much in per-pupil funding the state Legislature will approve for 2010-11; that represents the bulk of the district’s funding.

The district reached a tentative agreement with teachers on June 14 (see related story); details of this are expected to be made public when the contract is ratified. A total of 191 teachers have received layoff notices.

A new state law offers retiring school employees an incentive; according to information presented to the board, the district is expecting about 90 employees to retire and another 30 to file for retirement extensions.

Also impacting the budget will be revenues anticipated from Schools of Choice, which allows students from other Washtenaw County districts to attend school in selected grades in Ann Arbor. The district received 94 applications for openings and Superintendent Todd Roberts told the board the district is inquiring into reopening a second window for applications in August to fill additional openings.

Millage rates approved

School district millage rates for 2010-11, which are not subject to a Headlee rollback, were also approved on Wednesday night. A mill is the amount charged to property owners for every $1,000 of assessed property value. School property taxes are paid to the state and redistributed to public school districts based on the school aid formula on a per-pupil basis.

The millage rate levied on homestead property in the Ann Arbor district will be 4.5344 mills, a 0.1200 increase from the prior year. Non-homestead millage will be restored to 18 mills from 17.9694 in the current year. Debt service from the bond projects is set at 2.1226 mills and the Sinking Fund at 1 mill.

District interested in consolidated busing

In addition to budget approval on June 9, the school board approved a resolution of interest for a consolidated countywide transportation plan through the Washtenaw Intermediate School District.

Five districts have shown an interest in the plan including Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Willow Run, Whitmore Lake and Lincoln Consolidated, representing half of the county’s 10 public school districts. Ann Arbor is the largest district. The next step would be to sign an agreement with the WISD.

Under the terms of plan, districts would lay off transportation employees who could then apply for jobs at the WISD. The consolidated plan would save money by optimizing bus routes and consolidating office and dispatch services, WIDS officials have said.

The consolidated program would begin this fall. Officials have said routes would remain mostly the same for general education students but would change for special education students.

Ann Arbor school officials received preliminary information in April comparing privatizing transportation services versus participating in a countywide transportation consolidation plan and heard further information at a special meeting in June. The district has sought and obtained bids for privatizing bus service.

Superintendent lays out plan for 2010-11 budget year

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Dear Ann Arbor Public Schools Staff and Families:

On Wednesday evening, March 24, our administrative team brought the first briefing of a proposed budget plan for the 2010-11 fiscal year that begins July 1 to the Board of Education. We are publishing details about this proposal here for our parents and community to review as well.

At Thurston Elementary School, fifth-graders are responsible for running a student credit union branch, thanks to a community partnership with the MidWest Financial Credit Union. Here, students work as a team on promotional materials.

This proposed budget will be reviewed and considered by board members who must approve a balanced budget for our school district by the end of June.

As you know, these are difficult and uncertain financial times for The Ann Arbor Public Schools as well as other districts throughout Michigan. Of 300 school districts responding in a recent “Survey of Pain” by the Michigan School Business Officials:
• 86 percent of districts expect teacher and staff layoffs in 2010-11.
• 85 percent expect class sizes will continue to grow.
• 21 percent expect to close at least one school building in the coming year.

In our proposed document, we have taken into account not only changes in state funding that have already occurred in the current fiscal year (a loss of $398 per pupil), but the projected loss in per-pupil funding (a loss of $265 per pupil) along with increased salary, retirement and health care costs for the 2010-11 fiscal year.

Based on projections for 2010-11, we face an almost $20 million budget deficit. Projections for next year are dependent upon action taken at the state level, which could include changes in the state sales tax structure and rate, reforms to the state-run retirement system for school employees and the level of per-pupil funding which is the primary source of operational money for our school district.

Haisley Elementary students work on a World Language lesson in the school's media center.

We have also considered feedback and comments from people who attended the budget forums in the district in early 2010. I thank you for your participation and for being part of this process to help guide our district forward.

In developing our budget plan for 2010-11, we have focused on the following guiding principles and considerations:
• Aligning with the goals in the district’s strategic plan.
• Maintaining a focus on academic excellence and improving student achievement.
• Maintaining a variety of educational options and learning opportunities for students.
• Considering how to provide services and programs differently while reducing costs.
• Identifying new revenue options as well as cost savings.

To adhere to the principles and considerations identified above, our budget planning first targets cost savings in the non-instructional and administrative functions of the school district which account for approximately $35 million, or 17 percent of the school district’s total operating budget.

To reduce costs in these areas, we have looked at options to provide services differently, lower salary and benefit costs and to consolidate and share services with other school districts and the Washtenaw Intermediate School District. Our proposed plan represents an 18 percent reduction of costs in these functions.

The second area our budget planning targets is opportunities to increase revenue. The proposed budget plan identifies additional revenues of approximately $1.6 million.

Finally, our proposed budget plan includes cost savings in instruction. The basic instruction, pupil support and instructional support functions of our budget represent approximately $157 million, or 86 percent of the school district’s operating budget. To reduce costs in these areas, our goal has been not to eliminate programs for students, but to look at how to restructure some programs. We have also looked to lower salary and benefit costs for employees in these areas. Reductions in these areas include eliminating staff positions, however, it has been our goal to try and limit these reductions so that core academic programs and academic support programs for students are impacted as little as possible.

Our proposed plan represents 5.5 percent reduction of costs in these functions. An overview of the proposed budget plan is available. (View overview | download detailed PDF)

Two public meetings have been scheduled where we will discuss these plans with members of the community. We encourage you to come to one of these meetings to further participate in the process. Both will begin at 6:30 p.m.:
• Monday, April 12 at Pioneer High School Little Theater, 601 W. Stadium Blvd.
• Tuesday, April 13 at Huron High School Little Theater, 2727 Fuller.

Based on budget planning for the 2010-11 school year, the Board of Education will adopt a balanced budget for the next fiscal year. However, without increased revenues for school districts and cost containment reforms, our school district and districts throughout the state will continue to face difficult budget challenges for 2011-12 and beyond.

Anticipating continued challenges ahead, we will be engaging the Strategic Planning Team as well as the Action Teams this spring. Staff, students, parents and community members are invited to participate.

Skyline High School students collaborate on a physics lesson, learning to work with lasers.

We will examine educational programming and facility use at the elementary, middle and high school levels as well as student intervention and support services programming.

The goal of these teams will be to provide recommendations regarding both short- and long-term educational programming needs. This will allow our school district to continue providing outstanding educational opportunities for students based on the district’s funding and enrollment projections for the next five years.

The Strategic Planning Team will meet at the end of April to review and update the Action Teams which will start meeting in May.

The goal is to bring a recommendation to the Board of Education in November 2010.

If you are interested in the Strategic Planning Process please e-mail Liz Margolis or call her at 734-994-2236. More information on the Strategic Plan can be found online at: http://www.aaps.k12.mi.us/aaps.about/aaps_strategic_plan.

These are challenging times for our school district, community and state. It is my goal to continue working collaboratively with district staff, parents and our community to address the challenges we face in a thoughtful and considerate manner.

Thank you for the work you do and the support you provide for the students in our school district.

Sincerely,

Todd Roberts, Superintendent
The Ann Arbor Public Schools
2555 S. State St., Ann Arbor
Phone: 734-994-2230
E-mail: robertst@aaps.k12.mi.us

FAQs about the Ann Arbor Public Schools 2010-11 budget

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Q: Will AAPS close any schools next year?

A: The reductions proposed for the 2010/11 do not contain recommendations to close any AAPS schools. Time is needed to do a thorough and thoughtful assessment of programs and facility usage, which will start in May via the Strategic Planning Process. Closing an elementary school would save approximately $500,000. There are many considerations to assess as part of analyzing whether to close a school such as:
•    Impact on students and families
•    Redistricting implications
•    Additional transportation costs
•    Potential loss of enrollment due to the school closing

Q: Why is it important for a school district to have a fund equity account?

A: Fund equity (cash reserves) is the district’s savings account. There are actually three kinds of fund equity: reserved, designated and undesignated. Reserved and designated fund equity are used to cover expenses that have already been identified or will occur shortly after the fiscal year ends, but have not yet been paid. Undesignated fund equity is cash on hand not earmarked for specific expenses.

The State of Michigan does not pay the district on a monthly basis but we need funds for those months (July and August) to meet payroll. Fund equity allows the district not to have to borrow for two months of expenses. Fund equity covers this shortfall. Fund equity also covers unforeseen emergencies. The district can also earn revenue on the fund equity account. The Board of Education has required the district to maintain fund equity at 15 percent of the annual operating budget (approximately two months average expenses).

The anticipated amount the district will have in fund equity at the end of the 2009/2010 fiscal year is approximately $19 million. Approximately $7 million was used this year to offset the mid-year loss of state funding. Without fund equity drastic mid-year reductions would have been necessary.

Ann Arbor students work in the community as well as the classroom. Here, Eberwhite Elementary students come out on "Wood Chip Day" to keep the paths of nearby Eberwhite Woods walkable.

Q: Has AAPS considered any consolidation of services with other districts in the county?

A: Yes, AAPS has consolidated a number of services. The district:
• participates in the countywide substitute program.
• provides maintenance services for the Washtenaw Intermediate School District.
• supports and is working on the countywide transportation services consolidation plan.
•  is working with other county districts regarding alternative education programs.
• is working to provide administrative services for other districts in the county, including human resources and maintenance.
•  is in discussions with the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority to explore the use of AATA for some high school busing.

Q: Is AAPS still investigating privatizing bus drivers, custodians and maintenance services?

A: Yes, AAPS has completed a review of the RFPs for these services. AAPS is also working closely with employee groups representing these units to look for savings to equal what privatization could save the district. In addition, AAPS is working  with the Washtenaw Intermediate School District on the proposed transportation consolidation efforts. We expect a final decision to be made sometime late April. The district is also working with the WISD to create a consolidated transportation model for all 10 local school districts. It is estimated that districts could save 20-25 percent in costs.

Q. What is the new Humanities program at the elementary schools and will there be reductions to elementary music?
A: Elementary students will continue to receive the high quality “threshold” fine arts and physical education experience the district has been committed to over the years. All elementary students will continue to participate in 60 minutes of art and two periods a week of physical education, vocal music, media/information literacy and technology and instrumental music in the fifth grade. In addition to this experience, students will have a humanities class taught by special area teachers twice a week. Humanities will connect core curricular outcomes primarily in science and social studies with applications in art, music, PE and technology. Grade-level technology skills will be be embedded with information literacy and content learning. Students will continue to have access to media centers, check out books and have instruction from the media specialist during ILT. Fifth-grade vocal music may focus more on composition.

Q. What is the impact of proposed teaching job reduction at the high school level?
A. Changes are expected for some elective class offerings and classes may increase in size to an average of 30 students.

Q: Will 7th Hour at the high schools be eliminated?

A: No. There is no plan to eliminate seventh hour at the high schools for the 2010-11 school year. It offers a period for students who need credit recovery or support services. Administration also recognizes the importance of seventh hour to many students especially those who take yearlong language and music performance as their electives. Seventh hour offers another class period to explore the rich elective curriculum AAPS offers.

Eberwhite fifth-graders make blankets and scarves for families in need, using math knowledge to measure and plan and team-building skills to work together.

Q. What is the impact of the proposed teaching job reduction at the middle school level?
A. Fewer sections of some elective classes are expected. Along with the changes proposed at the Student Planning Centers (see below) some increases in class size are expected with an average class size of 28 students.

Q: Will middle school student planning centers be eliminated?

A: No, The middle school administrators worked hard to preserve the student planning centers. The schools were able to develop their own plan to continue to offer this support. Many will no longer use a certified teacher to staff the planning center but instead have a trained para-educator in place to work with students.

Q: Will high schools implement “pay-to-participate” for athletics and extra-curricular activities?

A: Yes, the plan is to institute  “pay-to-participate” for athletics. The current estimate will be around $150 for participation in after school athletic programs for the first sport and $50 for each additional sport. This would be in addition to any fees charged through the sport booster club to support the team. The fee would be collected by the school and deposited into the district budget to support AAPS athletics. No student would be denied participation in athletics because of an inability to pay. The middle schools will also institute a pay-to-participate fee for the athletic programs at $50 per school year, no matter how many sports a student wishes to play. A need-based assessment will be instituted at secondary schools ensuring access for all students.There will also be a fee to participate in non-athletic extra-curricular activities and a $50 maintenance fee for musical instrument rentals through the district.

Q: Will the district offer Schools of Choice?

A: Yes, the district is offering limited Schools of Choice in kindergarten (60 spaces), first grade (60 spaces) and sixth grade (50 spaces). Applications will be accepted April 1-30. Applications will be available at a2schools.org or by calling Student Accounting 734-994-2223.  Elementary schools with openings include: Abbot, Bryant, Carpenter, Dicken, Eberwhite, Lakewood, Logan, Northside, Pittsfield and Wines. Each middle school will have 10 open spaces. Students may continue their education in the AAPS for the duration of their K-12 education.  If the number of applicants exceeds openings, a random drawing system will be used to make a selection. A wait list will be maintained. Washtenaw County residents are eligible to apply.

Q: Will the district reduce Contract Services?

A: AAPS is always looking at ways to reduce contract services. The plan includes $300,000 in reductions in these services. However, many of these services are required especially pertaining to students with special needs. Approximately $172,000 in contract services from the general fund is used to fulfill mandatory Special Education needs and to maintain compliance with State and Federal law. This represents 20 percent of the total cost for these services, which are reimbursable from the state. Other contract services that have and are being examined for savings include maintenance agreements for work beyond the scope of staff such as heating and cooling units, pest control and technology services.

By the numbers: Ann Arbor Public Schools budget information

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Ann Arbor Public Schools Superintendent Todd Roberts presented a detailed analysis of his proposed budget to the Ann Arbor Board of Education on Wednesday, March 24. Click here to download a PDF page that offers details about this proposal.

Ann Arbor Public Schools budget scenarios

Following are possible effects to The Ann Arbor Public Schools budget, depending on action taken by the state legislature when adopting the School Aid Budget for 2010-11. These projections do not include planned or possible reductions as outlined in the proposed budget documents:
No additional state cuts  (as proposed in the Governor’s 2011 budget):
Projected revenue: $185.6 million
Projected expenditure: $200.37 million
Projected deficit: ($14.77 million)

Additional $200 per pupil cut:
Projected revenue:  $182.31 million
Projected expenditure: $200.37 million
Projected deficit: ($18.06 million)

Additional $300 per pupil cut:
Projected revenue: $180.7 million
Projected expenditure: $200.37 million
Projected deficit: ($19.67 million)

School Bells: Community budget meetings slated for April

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A series of two community budget meetings have been scheduled to discuss the proposed 2010-11 budget for The Ann Arbor Public Schools. Members of the community are invited to attend these meetings. The new fiscal year begins July 1 for the district. The Ann Arbor Board of Education must adopt a balanced budget by June 30, 2010.
• What: Discussions  about The Ann Arbor Public Schools 2010-11 budget proposals.
• Meetings are scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at these locations:
Monday, April 12 at Pioneer High School’s Little Theater, 601 W. Stadium Blvd.
Tuesday, April 13 at Huron High School’s Little Theater, 2727 Fuller.

PTO invites residents to advocate for schools

The Ann Arbor Public Schools PTO  Council has formed an Advocacy Committee to educate legislators and the public about the severity of the current school funding situation. Interested parents, community members and staff can become part of the effort. Contact Donna Lasinski at lasinski@mac.com or call her at 734-997-7265. Visit the PTO online: www.aaps.k12.mi.us/ptoc.home.

Survey results assist district as it prepares 2010-11 budget

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From AAPSNews Service

More than 800 people participated in surveys conducted in January by The Ann Arbor Public Schools, according to reports published by the district this month.

Surveys took place online and as part of four budget workshop forums to give members of the public a way to provide feedback as school officials prepare a fiscal year budget for 2010-11.

Officials are looking to cut an estimated $20 million from the upcoming fiscal year budget which begins on July 1. They sought feedback from the public to help direct the budget process.

School district administration is expected to present a proposed budget to The Ann Arbor Board of Education in late March.

Surveys showed that:
• A majority surveyed supported some level of pay-to-play for sports and other extracurricular activities;
• Many are concerned with the number of schools the district operates;
• Some suggested consolidation of elementary schools and encouraged the use of Ann Arbor Transportation Authority by students and increasing walk zones.
• Forty percent of respondents focused comments on the number of school administrators.
• About 40 percent suggested leasing schools to outside groups to increase revenue and 30 percent suggested opening up the district for schools of choice.

Survey results can be found on the district Web page. PDFs can be read or downloaded under the “District Budget” section.

School Bells: Budget feedback report Feb. 17

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The Ann Arbor Board of Education is scheduled to hear a report Wednesday, Feb. 17 from school administrators, wrapping up information gleaned from recent community budget meetings. The meetings, held in January around the district, were scheduled to gather suggestions from members of the public about ways to trim expenses or increase revenue in the district. An online survey also gathered feedback from the public.

The information is expected to be used as the school administration puts together a recommended budget for the district’s fiscal year starting July 1. A recommended budget will be brought to the board on March 24; it must adopt a formal budget in June.

Some of the areas suggested by school officials are negotiated staff wage reductions, privatizing custodial and transportation services, consolidating busing operations with other Washtenaw school districts, making changes with alternative high school programs at Stone School and Roberto Clemente Center and charging participation fees for athletics. Also considered are the elimination of teaching and administrative posts and looking at alternative approaches to things such as media center services, as the district works on a budget shortfall estimated at $21 million heading into the new fiscal year that begins July 1.

Healthy schools program hosts two open houses

The University of Michigan Regional Alliance for Healthy Schools is hosting two open houses at Ann Arbor schools that have in-school health clinics.

The open houses will be:
• Tuesday, Feb. 16 from 1-3 p.m. at Scarlett Middle School, 3300 Lorraine Street.
• Wednesday, Feb. 17 from 9 a.mm. to 2 p.m. at Stone High School, 2800 Stone School Road.

The open houses are to celebrate February as School Based Health Center Month. The Regional Alliance for Healthy Schools has school-based health centers providing services to six Ann Arbor Public Schools as well as buildings in the Ypsilanti and Willow Run districts. The Ann Arbor schools include Stone High School, Scarlett Middle School and Bryant, Carpenter, Mitchell and Pittsfield elementary schools.

Westfield-Sleeman Track and Lillie Gym Names OK’d

Longtime boys track coach Don Sleeman was honored this month by having his name added to the track at Pioneer High School track and the Tappan Middle School gymnasium was named after gym teacher Rob Lillie.

The track will now be dubbed Westfield-Sleeman Outdoor Track and the gymnasium Lillie Gym. The track is named both for Sleeman and longtime girls track coach Bryan Westfield. Westfield’s name was added to the track in June; the names of Sleeman and Lillie were added by the school board this month.

All three have served the district for more than 40 years.

The board accepts nominations to name facilities, or portions of facilities, after employees with extraordinary service.

Allen Elementary gets grant to create butterfly garden

The Allen Elementary School community plans to create a butterfly garden in its nature area, using funds from the grant it recently received from the Wildflower Association of Michigan and Hal and Jean Glassen Memorial Foundation. The expanded nature area will enable the Allen students to have a close-up opportunity to see butterflies, songbirds and other creatures that use the plants for food or shelter.

This spring, in addition to the school’s annual cleanup day, the Allen Parent Council will organize a planting day.

The council organizes twice-yearly cleanup days. At these events, volunteers including students, parents and staff maintain the existing nature area by removing invasive species, planting native plants and shrubs and spreading wood chips. The Ann Arbor Public Schools demonstrates its support by supplying wood chips and disposing of waste material after each work day.

Maintaining and enhancing the nature area helps Allen to remain certified as a Michigan Green School. In the past, Allen students, parents and teachers have helped plant seeds at the wet meadows in Buhr Park, which adjoins the Allen property. The school is also in close proximity to County Farm Park, operated by Washtenaw County. Together, these sites provide a diverse habitat and corridor for native plants and butterflies.

For more information, contact Joan Brush of the Allen PTO at 734-973-9161.

Donetta Brown honored for excellence

Huron High School office professional Donetta Brown received a Celebration of Excellence Award this month by the Ann Arbor Board of Education. She was nominated for Outstanding Customer Service by coworker Sharon Brown.

“Ms. Brown provided support to a peer who was suffering from a serious illness, treating her as if she were her own family,” the nomination read. “She has been a source of comfort and assistance that has gone above and beyond the “outstanding customer service” category. She has truly earned distinction as a loving hero.”

The awards are given throughout the school year and are sponsored by the Ann Arbor Board of Education and the Ann Arbor Public Schools PTO Council.

Skyline violinist to be featured at symphony

Skyline High School freshman Carmen Flesher will be the featured violin soloist with the Ypsilanti Symphony Orchestra on Sunday, Feb. 21 at 3:30 p.m. at Washtenaw Community College’s Towsley Auditorium. The 15-year-old musician will play Pablo de Sarasate’s “Carmen Fantasy.”

“I am totally thrilled and honored to perform with the orchestra. It’s a dream come true,” she said.

Flesher lives in Ann Arbor where she studies violin with Solomia Soroka. She started playing the violin at age 4 and over the last 10 years has played in several local ensembles and in symphony orchestras at Interlochen and Blue Lake – where she was one of the youngest members as well as a concert master of both. She plays regularly with a string quartet.

In addition to being a violinist, Flesher is a pianist and singer. A top academic student, she has received many honors including first place at both the Forsythe and Southeast Michigan Science Fairs last year. In 2008, she traveled to Japan as a student ambassador with the Hikone Exchange Program. She also plays soccer on the Michigan Jaguars premier team.

Tickets for the performance are available at the door or online. Cost: $10 for adults; $5 for seniors 65 and older; $25 for a familly of four or more. Details: 734-507-1451.

Schools raise money to help Haitians

A number of Ann Arbor schools have raised money for Haiti.

• The Forsythe Middle School community raised $2,440 and donated it to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund.

• The Lawton Elementary School Service Squad collected $1101.50 through the “Every Cent Counts” fundraiser. Money will be donated to the American Red Cross.

• Greta Barfield’s CI students at Huron High School exhibited collected donations during lunch hours in the cafeteria bringing in $475.

• Burns Park Elementary School students in Jewel Charlise Walters class hosted a fundraiser of stickers, pencils, pens, books and small toys raising $2,182.29 for Haitian relief. They donated $1,396 to The Red Cross which was matched by TCF Bank. The remainder, $786.29, was donated to Doctor without Borders.

• Thurston Elementary School students raised $739.59. Money was raised through a bake sale in Julie Vanderhoff’s third grade class, special donations from Margaret Goodly’s and Sherry Powers-Murphy’s classrooms and a school-wide coin drive orchestrated by the Thurston Student Council.

For a listing of more school districts accomplishments and achievements, visit a2schools.org and click on “This Week In The Ann Arbor Public Schools” under the publications section. Or view these individual entries:
• Most current week
• Feb. 1, 2010

Superintendent thanks community, sets 2010-11 budget timeline

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Todd RobertsCROPDear Ann Arbor Public Schools Community Members:

I want to thank those who attended the AAPS Budget Forums during the past few weeks. I was very pleased with the turnout at the meetings. I hope the meetings were helpful in providing you with information about our budget and possible options to address our projected budget deficit for the 2010-2011 school year.

These are difficult and uncertain financial times for our school district as well as districts throughout the state. The great interest our staff, students, parents and community members displayed at the forums regarding the issues and the input you provided on how we can best plan our budget gives me confidence that working together, we will address the financial challenges we face and continue to provide students with the outstanding educational opportunities that make our school district exceptional.

I want to share with you the next steps in our budget development process. Your input continues to be valuable as we lead up to the presentation of the 2010-11 draft budget plan on March 24.

We are currently reviewing the feedback and surveys collected at the four forums along with the feedback we have received online. A Study Session is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 17 to go over this information with the Board of Education. We will then post the information on the district Web site.

On March 24 the administration will present a draft budget plan to the Board of Education for a first briefing. The draft budget is planned for a second briefing at the April 15 Board of Education meeting. The district will host community meetings in late April to go over the approved plan.

In April the district will bring together the Strategic Planning team and individual action teams for the eight strategies in our Strategic Plan for a series of meetings. At these meetings the teams will review the plan and make modifications especially considering the expected on-going budget issues. Those of you who filled out the survey citing your interest in this process will be contacted prior to the first meeting.

In June the Board of Education will officially adopt the 2010-11 AAPS budget.

Thank you again for your involvement. I appreciate your participation and input.

If you have any questions please contact me.

Sincerely,
Todd Roberts, Ed.D
Superintendent
Ann Arbor Public Schools
2555 S. State St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
(734) 994-2230
robertst@aaps.k12.mi.us

Budget concerns make foundation more important than ever

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By Casey Hans
AAPSNews Service

With uncertainty over public school funding at the state level, The Ann Arbor Public Schools Educational Foundation will play an even more important role now, say the nonprofit’s director and top Ann Arbor school officials.

The foundation will continue to explore ways to best use donors’ money, putting new initiatives in front of students and keeping the district cutting edge, said Executive Director Wendy Correll.

“We’ve had great support from people in our community,” said Correll, who was hired to lead the nonprofit in 2006. “This is a time when we are going to need to do more for the schools. I feel confident in the work we’ve done in the last three years.”

Although the group cannot take on large areas such as staff funding, Correll said, the 501(c)(3) foundation can continue to help by contributing to the “margin of excellence” in the Ann Arbor Public Schools. She said that of the district’s approximately 16,500 students, 11,000 were impacted in some way by grants given out by the foundation last year. Grants were given both districtwide and individually to teachers, she said.

May fund more existing programs

Correll said the foundation often pilots programs out and, if they are successful, can make the programs a regular feature in classrooms.

“Going forward, we may need to consider funding existing programs that work well and benefit our students,” she added.

One of the many programs funded through the Ann Arbor Public Schools Educational Foundation.

One of the many programs funded through the Ann Arbor Public Schools Educational Foundation.


The foundation funds a number of “Initiatives for Excellence” each year, which are programs from a wish list that Ann Arbor school officials bring to the foundation board.

One such program is My Access. The web-based program provides feedback on grammar, punctuation and offers other writing help. It was piloted first at Scarlett Middle School and is now used districtwide. While emphasis has been placed on every fifth-grader having access to the program, students in grades four through 10 use it across the district. Last year, the foundation gave $25,000 toward the program, adding to the $50,000 given the prior year.

There are a number of funds set up for specific programs including a Disability Awareness Workshop Fund to raise awareness and sensitivity to disabilities. The workshop is presented to fourth-graders across the district. The Madeline Thompson Fund for Humanities was established to bring guest lecturers and arts and humanities programs to high schools.

Other grants are smaller, but still have a big impact. A program at Pittsfield Elementary School is being handled through the Karen Thomas Memorial Fund, an endowed fund named after parent Karen Thomas to improve literacy. Pittsfield Principal Carol Shekarian said a $3,000 grant request was written by three teachers in the second, third and fourth grades.

“This fund was set up so students could gain access to books and a love for reading,” Shekarian said, adding that students now have access to high-quality literature purchased with the grant. Each grade level used the money slightly differently. For example, second-graders have books that encourage them to “think deeply and ask questions” and some are being used to talk about real-life challenges, she said. Fourth-graders have some of the classics that have deeper plot levels.

Foundation funds more critical now

Grants such as these become even more important to classroom needs as the Ann Arbor Public Schools face a $21 million deficit going into the new fiscal year that begins on July 1. Superintendent Todd Roberts said during recent budget information meetings, that the AAPSEF is one of the few vehicles that can be used locally to help support the public school system. Under current law, local school districts cannot approach voters directly for operational money; that can only be done via a county’s intermediate school district.

The Washtenaw County Intermediate School District did just that, approaching voters last fall for an operating millage, which failed. The foundation took a proactive tack following the failure: It challenged residents of the Ann Arbor district to donate the amount of money they would have spent for the millage to the foundation. “The Millage did not pass. But you can still be part of the solution,” stated an advertisement put out by the foundation.

Correll said $10,000 in matching grant money was donated by resident Andy Thomas and the community met the challenge. “We raised just shy of $30,000″ from the effort, Correll said.

And fundraising for the foundation continues in other ways. Correll said payroll deduction for Ann Arbor Public Schools employees started two years ago. The foundation also gets allocations from the Washtenaw County United Way, collects online contributions, raises money from Celebration of Innovation and Excellence and golf outing fundraisers and receives contribution to their endowment fund at the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation.

Correll noted that even “small amounts of funding can create big impacts.”

As fundraising efforts continue into the spring and early summer, the foundation’s board of directors will begin considering a list of projects that AAPSEF will fund for the 2010-11 school year. Correll said the foundation must have dollars in hand by June 30, when the fiscal year ends, in order to fund selected projects.

The Ann Arbor Public Schools Educational Foundation is among about 5,000 such foundations across the country, put in place when funding was changed and centralized at the state level. Ann Arbor’s was established in 1991, building a program of teacher mini-grants and, since its inception, has distributed more than half a million dollars in grants to the district. Correll came on board in a part-time capacity three years ago to ramp up donations and grants. In 2007-08, the foundation gave out $70,000 in grants and program dollars, in 2008-09 it gave $95,000 and during the current school year is expected to give out between $120,000 and $140,000.

Solid schools, strong community

Robin Wax is a retired Ann Arbor teacher who served as a foundation board member for nine years and still serves on two committees of the board. She was on the board when it shifted to the organization it is today which goes after more substantial funding and invites key business and finance leaders to serve on its board.

“Everything has changed very, very dramatically in the last four to five years,” she said. “We want to enhance education and make sure we do programs that serve all students. We’re careful to be sure it’s spread out over schools and grade levels.”

Foundation board members include school officials (as ex-officio board members,) local attorneys, business professionals and other community leaders. Also sitting as ex-officio board members are two students from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business and the foundation is considering bringing on two Ann Arbor high school students this spring.

Wax said she is pleased to see many new people, including both parents and those without children in the district, taking an interest in serving on the board. She said the foundation and its mission remain critical, especially in this time of need.

“One of the things that makes Ann Arbor a special community is that we have very good schools, the University and great businesses with offices based in Ann Arbor,” she said. “In my view, the biggest thing that affects the health of a community is the public school system.”

Correll said the foundation works to keep a clean line between what it does and what is handled and funded through school PTOs. But looking forward, she would like to search out ways to work with other community groups such as service clubs, to coordinate even more programs and activities in the Ann Arbor schools. “I’d like us to all take a look at what we’re doing so that we can do more for the students,” she added.

For more details about the Ann Arbor Public Schools Educational Foundation, visit www.aapsef.org or call 734-994-1969 or email Wendy Correll.