Summers-Knoll, a private school for grades K-8, plans to move from its current location at 2015 Manchester Road in Ann Arbor, which housed 42 students. The new building at 2203 Platt will accommodate up to 144 students.

The move required the planning commission to grant a special exception use, allowing the office building to be converted into a school. After their deliberations, the commission voted unanimously to approve the special exception use, after some conditions were added. It was the only action item on the commission’s agenda, and no one spoke during public commentary at the meeting.

Summers-Knoll Special Exception Use

Theresa Angelini, of Ann Arbor-based Angelini & Associates Architects, serves as lead architect on the project and was on hand Tuesday night to help present the school’s proposal for relocation and answer questions. Joining her was Bethany Schultz, project manager for the school. Chris Cheng, a city planner with the city, gave the staff report.

Angelini and Schultz were the only ones who spoke during a public hearing for the project.

Summers-Knoll: Project Description

The building that the school plans to purchase is located on the east side of Platt, south of Washtenaw Avenue. The original structure was built in the 1940s as part of the Ira Wilson Dairy Company, and was later expanded. It is owned by the Gift of Life, and is in a district zoned for office use. The city’s zoning ordinance permits private schools as a use within the office zoning district, if granted a special exception use.

The school does not plan to make any substantial changes to the site or the building’s exterior, aside from adding a new bike rack and a sidewalk connecting the Platt Road sidewalk to the building’s southeast entrance.

Theresa Angelini of Angelini & Associates Architects spoke to planning commissioners at their May 17 meeting on behalf of Summers-Knoll School.

The school intends to initially have 4-6 classrooms with 14 students per room, and to eventually expand to 8 classrooms and a kindergarten. Additional areas would be designed for music, art, science, lunch and physical activities. School hours are proposed on weekdays from 8:45 a.m to 3:30 p.m., with the option of morning care from 7:30 a.m. and after-school care until 6 p.m.

Angelini told commissioners that the school was flourishing at its current location, a 3,100-square-foot facility located about a quarter-mile west of the Platt Road building, and was looking to expand. She presented several images detailing how the building would be used, although Angelini felt that a lot of the building’s value could not be captured by the pictures.

The photos don’t do the building justice, she said, noting that it resembles a cloister. Overall, she said, it has the appearance and academic character they desire.

She added that the building was also desirable because it’s located near a number of parks, a bus line and the Washtenaw County Meri Lou Murray Recreation Center.

Summers-Knoll: Square Footage

Angelini corrected some figures previously provided to the commission that had listed the building’s available space at about 21,500 square feet. Angelini listed the available space at about 23,629 square feet, a number that includes the building’s two floors, a garage and some space in the building’s attic.

Accuracy for this figure was important because the special exception use includes a provision that would allow the school to expand the facility by 10% in the future, without returning to the commission for approval.

Commissioners accepted Angelini’s figure of around 23,629 square feet. Consequently, an amendment was proposed that would allow for a 10% expansion in the future without requiring approval from the planning commission. An additional 10% would increase the square footage to 25,992 square feet, and commissioners decided to round up to allow for an expansion of up to 26,000 square feet.

Outcome: The amendment to change the square footage calculations for additional expansion passed unanimously.

Summers-Knoll: Play Area

One concern raised by the commissioners was the lack of a designated play area in the plans submitted by Summers-Knoll. Commissioner Jean Carlberg brought it up, worrying that an area to the north of the building, which has been identified by the school as a possible future purchase, would not be suitable for play equipment.

Angelini responded by saying that there were a number of other areas that could serve as play areas, including a plot of land located south of the building and three courtyards next to the building.

Regarding the purchase of the area to the north of the building – two parcels totaling 1.39 acres – Angelini said the school was looking at purchasing it, but not for use as a play area.

“Purchasing the northern area would be for mulch trails – we’re not trying to build on the wetlands and we don’t want to cut down trees,” she said. Angelini added that the school would be looking to put in fences to establish property boundaries.

Use of the nearby Washtenaw County Meri Lou Murray Recreation Center was also mentioned as an option for students.

Summers-Knoll: Traffic Concerns

The biggest issue discussed at Tuesday’s meeting was Summers-Knoll’s plan to have two-way traffic for the road that would run through the property and next to the school. A number of commissioners expressed concern over whether this would create a dangerous environment for students arriving and leaving school.

Angelini and Schultz felt the two-way traffic was acceptable because of the school’s unique nature.

Curb drop-offs are rare because most students are personally brought in by their parents, who often linger to socialize, Angelini said – that’s the culture of the school. She added that as the number of students grow, the leisurely drop-off scene they were used to may change and some training may be necessary.

Angelini also said previous traffic assessments have called for two-way traffic.

Future growth worried some of the commissioners.

“As an engineer, I have dealt with issues where growth turns things into a problem,” Evan Pratt said. “I have a hard time believing that five years from now, if you grow the way you want to, this won’t be a problem.”

Pratt added that the current plan calls for an overlap when it comes to drop-off areas and parking areas. He said that this mix usually does not work well, referencing the fact that a number of other schools in the area have avoided problems by separating the two areas.

Nevertheless, commissioners agreed that traffic, drop-off and parking decisions would be handled internally by the school.

Summers-Knoll: Signs, Walkways

Commissioner Wendy Woods asked how the school would go about acquiring signs for the new location. There could be traffic from people trying to avoid the intersection of Washtenaw Avenue and South Huron Parkway, she noted.

Wendy Rampson, the city’s planning manager, said the school could request signage from the city and if the request was deemed valid, signs would be installed.

The final issue that commissioners discussed was ensuring a suitable system of defined walkways around the school.

Commissioner Erica Briggs said the lack of a continuous sidewalk around the school was troubling. She pointed to the east side of the building where pedestrians would have to walk in the road unless a sidewalk was put in.

Angelini said a continuous sidewalk around the building would be difficult due to an area of land next to the north side of the building that drops off very quickly. However, she added that a sidewalk on the eastern side of the building could be added, and if the need for a continuous sidewalk presented itself, the school would be willing to look into it.

Commissioner Jean Carlberg also wanted to make sure that if there wasn’t a continuous sidewalk around the school, there were adequate walkways to each of the entrances.

A second amendment to the special exception use was then proposed, stating the school would add a continuous sidewalk along the east side of the school and ensure clearly defined walkways to all of the entrances.

Outcome: The sidewalk amendment passed unanimously.

Final outcome: Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the Summers-Knoll special exception use.

Several commissioners thanked the Summers-Knoll representatives for the contributions the school had made to the community. “The school has been real asset in neighborhood,” Carlberg said. “We commend you for that and wish you well in your new location.”

Reports from City Council, Staff

The meeting also included updates from city council and the planning manager.

Reports: City Council

Commissioner Tony Derezinski, who also represents Ward 2 on Ann Arbor city council, reported on the previous evening’s city council meeting. The report focused on budget deliberations and the city’s struggles with possible cuts to the fire and police departments.

There were strong differences of opinion when it came to figures on response times for firefighters, Derezinski said. “There are very strong feelings on both sides. We want to balance the budget but not sacrifice the ability to respond.” [For an analysis of that issue, see Chronicle coverage: "Public safety chief questions accuracy of media report"]

Derezinski said that no agreement had been reached yet on the budget, and the council meeting would continue on Monday, May 23.

[Ann Arbor’s city charter requires that the city council amend and adopt a city budget by its second meeting in May. If it fails to act, by default the unamended budget proposed in April by the city administrator is adopted. Rather than take a vote at its May 16 meeting, councilmembers instead chose to recess and continue the meeting the following week, on Monday, May 23. The decision to delay was prompted by uncertainty about revenue from the public parking system. The Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority and the city were poised to ratify a new agreement on parking revenue on May 2, but that agreement was put off when questions were raised about the DDA tax increment finance (TIF) capture. Based on actions taken at a special DDA meeting on Friday, May 20, it's likely the city council will extend its meeting again to May 31.]

Reports: Planning Manager

Planning manager Wendy Rampson updated the commissioners on several upcoming government meetings and events on the summer calendar.

Her report included a reminder of a May 25 meeting on public art murals in the city, looking for feedback from the community regarding a mural being proposed on the northern retaining wall on the east side of Huron Parkway. The meeting will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Huron Hills Golf Course, 3465 E. Huron River Drive. [For more details, see Chronicle coverage: "What's Next for Public Mural Program?"]

Present: Bonnie Bona, Erica Briggs, Jean Carlberg, Tony Derezinski, Diane Giannola, Eric Mahler, Evan Pratt, Wendy Woods.

Absent: Kirk Westphal.

Next regular meeting: Tuesday June 7, 2011 a 7 p.m. in the second-floor council chambers at city hall, 301 E. Huron St., Ann Arbor. [confirm date]

Robert Allen, interim superintendent of the Ann Arbor Public Schools, addresses the board of education at their April 20, 2011 meeting.

The proposed cuts would eliminate 70 teaching positions, and would likely lead to changes in the district that include larger class sizes, fewer elective options and new roles for teachers. Other proposals include eliminating busing for high school students, cutting salaries and benefits, and creating “shared” principal positions at four elementary schools. On the revenue side, the budget plan calls for expanding the district’s Schools of Choice program and increasing parking fees at Pioneer High School for University of Michigan football and basketball games.

Interim superintendent Robert Allen delivered the presentation, saying that this year’s budget preparations were the most difficult he’s had in his five years working with the district’s finances.

“Although we have made similar cuts, it is even more difficult to make them on the heels of the $18 million we reduced last year,” he said. “We tried to keep the cuts away from the classroom, but at some point that becomes impossible.”

Allen said the district’s structural deficit, which creates an annual hole of $6-7 million dollars, will not go away until it’s dealt with directly. ”We’ve been facing the structural deficit for about 10 years and we can’t address it by cutting,” he said. “We have to fix the structure.”

The deficit could grow even larger – by nearly $6 million – if voters don’t pass a special education millage renewal that’s on the May 3 ballot. At several points throughout the meeting, board members and AAPS staff urged the public to support the millage renewal.

Allen closed his introduction by saying that the district tried to make the cuts in an equitable manner, adding that everyone should maintain efforts to lobby state representatives to come up with a permanent fix for budget woes.

The budget update was an informational item at Wednesday’s meeting and will come back before the board as a briefing item next month before it can be approved.

Budget: Cuts to District Staff

The first area of reductions Allen touched on was district staff, including teachers, administrators and central office staff. These cuts total about $7.1 million:

• Eliminate 70 teaching positions within the district.
• Reduce or combine administrative positions through the reduction of an assistant principal position at each comprehensive high school (not including Skyline) and the sharing of principals at four elementary schools.
• Use Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) grant funds to cover the salary costs of one central office full-time employee.
• Reduce support staff and general support services.

Allen said these reductions will lead to a number of changes in the AAPS landscape, including larger class sizes, fewer elective options and new roles for teachers.

On the issue of class sizes, Allen estimated there would be an increase of about two to three students per classroom because of the reductions in teaching staff. Elimination of teaching positions accounts for the biggest cuts to the budget, totaling about $6.3 million.

These class size increases did not sit well with trustee Glenn Nelson, who said it would result in an increase in children with behavioral issues and teachers with less time for programming and other work.

“The truth is that Michigan is not a good place to be a kid these days,” Nelson said.

Elective classes with low enrollment were also examined, with Allen and his budget team looking for ways to combine classes for a more efficient use of teachers. Allen said these combinations could limit student options for scheduling these classes.

More reliance on split classrooms – when classes from two grades share one room – may also be necessary, according to Allen. The district had been moving away from split classrooms in recent years.

The proposal of shared principals drew concern from trustees on issues such as school leadership. Allen explained that the two pairs of elementary schools that will share principals will be Wines and Abbot, and Angell and Pittsfield. Of those schools, Pittsfield principal Carol Shakarian and Abbot principal Pam Sica will be reassigned within the district, leaving David DeYoung of Wines and Gary Court of Angell to split their time.

Trustee Susan Baskett asked what the criteria were for selecting principals. Interim deputy superintendent Lee Anne Dickinson-Kelley spoke on that, saying that while all four were valued members of the district, Court and DeYoung had experience managing larger buildings. She added that the district will still benefit from the leadership of Shakarian and Sica.

Baskett was also curious as to how schools would operate under the new system.

“What does a potential day look like?” she asked. “Will there be two offices? Are there models to adopt?”

Dickinson-Kelley said there were no models because each school is unique, but it would likely not be a 50-50 split, and would depend on each school’s situation. She added that the district will use its talents to support each school.

She also said that the district envisioned giving the title of Lead Teacher to “strong and well-matched” teachers who can take on additional responsibility when a principal is not present.

Allen also touched on why the district chose to recommend sharing principals over other possible solutions, such as closing schools.

“Some elementary schools have low enrollments, but there’s not a lot of excess capacity in other schools,” he said. “We’d have to move students from the closed schools and our buildings can’t accommodate the additional kids.”

Allen added that the Snyder administration has not finalized their budget for K-12 education, creating the possibility that the district will have more funds than anticipated. The shared principal system would be more easily reversed if additional funds are available, whereas the decision to close a school would be difficult to change.

The last area of staff reductions Allen discussed related to central office staff. Allen said the cost of one full-time employee will be transferred to funds provided by an IDEA grant, saving the district about $90,000.

Budget: Cuts to Operational Services

Allen then discussed reductions in the district’s operational budget, focusing on transportation and ways to make other aspects of the district’s operational services more efficient, saving more than $2 million:

• Eliminate all high school busing, seventh hour busing and middle school shuttles.
• Reduce legal fees and one human resources support position.
• Renegotiate the district’s gas contract.
• Reduce three operations and information technology positions, two of which will be reduced through attrition.

The elimination of all high school busing services was another issue that trustees viewed as possibly problematic.

Allen said the district has been looking at a number of alternatives, as well as some of the implications of these reductions. One focus of the district has been on conversations with the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority (AATA). Allen said that while there have been no talks about entering into a contract with AATA, they have discussed how bus schedules could be adjusted to align with high school bell schedules. Allen also said the district would be encouraging other methods of transportation, such as carpooling.

According to Allen, 4,700 students in the district are eligible for busing, and about one third of those students use the service.

Allen also said they have discussed the plan with the Washtenaw Intermediate School District (WISD). [In June 2010, the AAPS board voted to contract with the WISD to provide the district’s busing services, which resulted in the district laying off its entire transportation staff. See Chronicle coverage of the decision at the board's June 23, 2010 meeting.]

Allen said he and other administrators will be bringing this plan to the community to gain more information.

“We know the numbers but don’t know who those students are,” he said. “We’re always open to good suggestions and we have the expertise to make adjustments.”

The two positions that will be eliminated due to attrition consist of one retiring employee who will not be replaced and one vacant position that will not be filled.

Budget: Cuts in Wages and Benefits

Allen briefly mentioned the $2.6 million in savings the district will see from the proposed cuts to employees salaries and benefits:

• ¾ of the year pay step freeze.
• Renegotiate health care benefits and perform dependent care audit.
• Reduce supplemental pay.

Budget: Cuts in District-Wide Budgets

Allen also outlined remaining reductions to other budgets in the district, totaling $1.275 million:

• Reduce department budgets by 7%.
• Reduce noon-hour supervision at elementary and middle schools.
• Reduce transfers to building budgets, trusts and agency accounts.
• Reduce transfers to athletic departments.

These areas of cuts all held the theme of the district needing to tighten its belt, according to Allen. The reductions in noon-hour supervisors was something he felt could be made up for by solid building leadership. Trustee Irene Patalan also felt this was an opportunity for schools to brainstorm cost-effective methods of noon-hour supervising.

The reductions in transfers to building budgets, trusts and agency accounts would lessen the amount and frequency of  transfers for purchases that require funds to be moved from one account to another, such as a music department needing money to purchase band uniforms.

Allen said the final cuts to the athletic departments will be in the form of reducing services such as transportation to events, opting to look for outside funding to fill those needs.

Budget: Revenue Options

The last methods Allen mentioned for combating the deficit were options for raising revenue, which would total about $1.3 million:

• Enact a targeted Schools of Choice (SOC) program.
• Increase parking fees during University of Michigan football and basketball games.

The board had discussed an SOC program at previous meetings, deciding to open up 190 spots in a number of grades for students outside of the district wishing to enroll in the AAPS. [See Chronicle coverage of this decision at the board's March 30, 2011 meeting.] The window for application opened on April 15 and runs until May 15. The district hopes it raises about $1.2 million.

The increases for parking fees would see the price to park a car in the Pioneer High School parking lot jump $5 – from $35 to $40. Allen maintained that, despite the increase, they were not pricing themselves out of consideration.

Trustee Susan Baskett felt the $1.3 million that the district was projected to earn in revenue was on the low side. She asked if there were any other options to raise more funds.

Allen said that money raised from grants was not included in these figures, so it was possible that grants could provide more funds. He added that thanks to the establishment of a designated grant coordinator, the coming years should see more solid projections of income from grants.

The more than $14 million in savings will still leave a gap of about $683,000, something that Allen recommended covering from the district’s fund equity, leaving about $18.5 million in the FE account.

Trustee Simone Lightfoot expressed concern over using fund equity in this situation, a sentiment that Allen agreed with, saying that the district usually tries to protect it.

After Allen’s presentation, trustees expressed their appreciation for the work done by Allen and his administrative cabinet. They recognized that it was a difficult process and commended the effort to keep cuts away from students, as much as possible.

Allen closed his presentation by reminding the board that this budget proposal did not account for the additional $6 million the district would have to cut if voters fail to pass the special education renewal millage on May 3. He encouraged the public to vote for the millage, saying that these cuts have already gone deep.

Trustee Glenn Nelson took the opportunity to express disappointment at the state of K-12 education funding, framing the issue in terms of how Michigan families have fared over the last 10 years.

“From 2002 to 2012, per capita income in the state rose 25% – these are official state projections,” he said. “Our foundation allowance in 2012 will be the same as in 2002.”

Nelson said this showed what the priorities of Michigan’s leaders were, and he hoped that others who did value the children would continue to fight for their fair share.

Public Commentary

Every board meeting includes an opportunity for members of the public to address the board.

Public comment: Future of the District

The meeting started with performances by the Tappan Middle School girls flute quartet, the Tappan boys clarinet quartet and the Slauson Middle School boys choir ensemble.

Tappan Middle School boys clarinet quartet.

The Slauson ensemble was led by Cherry Westerman, who stayed after the performances to open the meeting’s public commentary session.

Westerman expressed concern over the cuts the district has had to make over the last seven years. She said she hoped parents who may not see how the cuts directly affect a school and its students will know that there is an impact.

“Those who are in the building, we feel it (the cuts) everyday,” she said.

She thanked the board for their responsible financial management, helping to make the impact of the cuts less severe.

She closed her comments by encouraging the public to educate and involve themselves in what is going on, to help the AAPS continue its service.

Public Comment: Northside Elementary Teacher Let Go

The public commentary session was highlighted by parents speaking in defense of Diane Baker, a first-year fourth grade teacher at Northside Elementary School who is being let go at the end of the year.

Jack Edelstein spoke to the board during time set aside for public commentary.

Carlene Colvin-Garcia and Jack Edelstein, parents of students in Baker’s class, both spoke in her defense. They felt that, while she may have gotten off to a slow start earlier in the year, she recovered and had been doing an exemplary job in a difficult classroom.

Both parents had heard that Baker, who the board later identified as being on probation, was going to be let go before the end of the school year, making for what they felt would be a very turbulent end to the school year. They both implored the board to reconsider the firing, and to at least let her finish the school year.

The board addressed this issue while voting on their action items at the end of the meeting, voting unanimously to not renew Baker’s contract after this school year.

Trustee Susan Baskett addressed the parent’s concerns by saying that, despite what they had heard, Baker would be finishing out the school year. She added that a school administrator has taken care of all the documents substantiating that Baker had not performed to expectations.

Public Comment: Rising Scholars

Stephanie Abalos, a parent with children in the district, also spoke during the public commentary session, touching on a proposal that would make cuts to the district’s Rising Scholars program. She claimed that the students enrolled in the program, including one of her children, had made significant commitments – to deprive them of this would be unfair. She also felt this program would help to close the achievement gap, questioning the board’s commitment to that initiative. [The board had recently discussed the achievement gap at their April 13, 2011 study session.]

Board president Deb Mexicotte addressed this issue later during the items from the board section of the meeting, saying that the information presented on the Rising Scholars proposal was premature and would likely undergo significant vetting before a final version is made public.

Public Comment: Haisley Elementary School Parking Lot

Tam Perry and Christie Schichtel addressed the board on the issue of a planned alteration and expansion of the parking lot at Haisley Elementary School. Perry is a parent of a Haisley student and organizes a “walking school bus” to the school. She’s also teaching a course at the University of Michigan’s School of Social Work, cross-listed in the College of Architecture & Urban Planning, on community organizing [S.W. 651/UP651— Planning for Organizational and Community Change]. Schichtel is a student in the class, which has considered the Haisley parking lot as a case study.

Perry thanked the district for holding a third public meeting on the topic of the parking lot expansion. She noted several aspects of the meeting that could have been improved.

[That meeting, which The Chronicle attended, was held at the school on April 12. At the meeting, Randy Trent, AAPS executive director of physical properties, presented two variants of revisions to the lot – one would expand the surface area of the lot, and the other would not. Neither of those alternatives would appreciably increase the number of parking spaces available from the current number of 70. The district had begun its engagement with the public by citing a state requirement that the number of parking spaces be increased and had presented plans at previous meetings with up to 120 spaces; however, the information about the state requirement proved to be inaccurate. Staff of the school who were present at the April 12 meeting, and some parents, indicated a strong preference for additional parking. Some nearby residents and other parents questioned the need or desirability of additional parking spaces, especially if it meant trading parking spaces for green open space.]

Perry noted that two of the alternatives had been projected on a screen, while a third alternative, developed by a parent at the school – Norm Cox, of the Greenway Collaborative – was presented only on an easel. There’d been no opportunity to get up close to the on-screen alternatives and mark on them, she said. She said it’s important to make clear whether the purpose of a meeting is just to provide information to the public or to get input.

Perry suggested that when dealing with controversial issues like the Haisley parking lot expansion, the district should balance the need for leadership against the usefulness of getting input. A school newsletter was sent out, she said, that included the statement that the state required an increase in the number of parking spaces, but that proved to be inaccurate. A balanced fact sheet about the parking lot should have been made available, she said.

The district should have also displayed more balance, Perry said, with respect to allowing access to the school property to gather information on traffic patterns. On the one hand, they’d allowed a member of the PTO access to the roof, she said, to document vehicle movements. But when a parent of a Haisley student [Norm Cox] had attempted to document the traffic patterns photographically, the school administration had called the police, even though he was not standing on school property.

For more information on the topic – including a time-lapse video of the Haisley parking lot showing activity in the course of one full day – Perry encouraged the board to visit the Greenway Collaborative’s website.

Christie Schichtel shows the board an illustration of the evolution of humans into bicyclists.

Schichtel told the board she had attended the April 12 meeting. She suggested that promoting behavioral change to reduce demand on the parking lot at Haisley could benefit from some community-organizing tools from the UM course. [One parent at the April 12 meeting had flatly stated that she would simply not get up early to walk her child to school or park on a side street and walk that distance – she let everyone know she'd be parking in the parking lot and taking her kid into the building from there.]

Schichtel suggested aligning those efforts with the Safe Routes to School program, which includes “walking school buses” – groups of children walking to school led by an adult. Parents should be invited to “choose safety,” she said.

Schichtel suggested that this choice for safety be supported by asking parents to make a year-long pledge to commit to choosing safety. She showed members an illustration of a human evolving into a bicyclist as an example of the kind of messages that could be used to help normalize behavior. She also suggested that some strategy of reminding parents of the desired drop-off zone behavior would be useful – people forget, she said.

Public Comment: Vote to Recall Gov.  Snyder

Ann Arbor resident Thomas Partridge spoke last during the public commentary portion of the meeting. Partridge asked for the board’s support in an effort he was leading to recall Gov. Rick Snyder. He also encouraged the public to support the May 3 special education millage renewal.

Association Reports

At each meeting, the board invites reports from six associations: the Youth Senate, the Ann Arbor Parent Advisory Committee on Special Education (AAPAC), the Parent-Teacher-Organization Council (PTOC), the Black Parents Student Support Group (BPSSG), the Ann Arbor Administrators Association (AAAA), and the Ann Arbor Education Association (AAEA). At the April 21 meeting, the board heard reports from the PTO Council and AAPAC.

PTO Council

Amy Pachera briefly addressed the board on behalf of the PTO Council, updating the trustees on the May 16 officer training they’ll be holding for PTO officers. The session costs $25 plus $10 to take the materials home. She also expressed the PTOC’s support for the special education renewal millage.

AAPAC

Linda Rouse spoke for the Ann Arbor Parent Advisory Council, reporting on AAPAC’s desire to keep students with their peers during transitions from elementary to middle school. She also thanked Sandra Bromley, the AAPS Student Intervention and Support Services assistant director, and Elaine Brown, SISS assistant superintendent, for their contributions to AAPAC and SISS.

Rouse closed by giving AAPAC’s full support for the special education renewal millage, saying that the millage is needed to keep up with a growing demand for services.

“State and federal funding has not kept pace, so this millage is needed,” she said.

Board Committee Reports

The board has two standing committees. The planning committee consists of: Christine Stead (chair), Susan Baskett, and Irene Patalan; the performance committee consists of: Glenn Nelson (chair), Simone Lightfoot, and Andy Thomas. Board president Deb Mexicotte sits on neither committee.

Performance Committee

Glenn Nelson updated trustees on the April 19 meeting of the performance committee, discussing purchase of Northwest Education Association software for student and teacher assessment. Nelson said that the performance committee recognizes the value that this software would provide, laying out three options for purchase:

• Purchase the software for all AAPS students in grades K-2 and for students in grades 3-8 at Mitchell elementary and Scarlett middle schools, costing $61,100.
• Purchase the software for all AAPS students in grades K-5 and for students in grades 6-8 at Mitchell elementary and Scarlett middle schools, costing $109,000.
• Purchase the software for all AAPS students in grades K-8, and new computers for all elementary and middle schools other than Mitchell and Scarlett, costing about $3.7 million.

The necessary cost of updating computers was an issue for Nelson.

“We can’t afford decent technical equipment – never gonna make it (the lost opportunity for progress) up,” he said. Nelson gave the committee’s endorsement for a second-tier purchase, with the understanding that budget issues could keep them from moving to the third tier.

Nelson also shared the committee’s disappointment that the enactment of a balanced calendar was pushed back a year, contending that the district needs to be proactive instead of reactive. [A balanced calendar features a shorter summer break, and includes optional intersessions – one or two-week long academic or enrichment activities held during breaks in regular instruction. It was discussed in detail at the board's Dec. 8, 2010 meeting.]

He closed his remarks by expressing the committee’s support for the special education millage renewal, urging the public to vote yes on May 3.

Planning Committee

Trustee Christine Stead delivered a report on the April 14 planning committee meeting, discussing reports they heard from Liz Margolis, AAPS director of communications, Chris Barry, AAPS grant coordinator, and Annette Ferguson, the district’s director of business partnerships. Stead said they were happy to hear about structures being put in place to allow anyone to contribute to writing grants. Stead added that Barry had told them about $3 million of grants she will be pursuing.

According to Stead, some of these grants require the receiving group to be a 501(c)3 organization. Stead encouraged the board to look into earning this distinction. The topic was added to the board’s next executive committee meeting.

Stead had comments similar to Nelson on the topics of the NWEA software and the balanced calendar, expressing regret that the former was out of the district’s price range and that the latter was being pushed back.

Superintendent’s Report

Interim superintendent Robert Allen’s report was highlighted by the announcement that the Pioneer High School music department had been named the national Grammy signature school, honoring the best school in the country for commitment to music education. This is the second time Pioneer has won the award, with the last time coming in 2006.

[Allen will continue to serve as interim until the arrival of Patricia Green, who's been hired as the district's next superintendent – she'll start her tenure at AAPS in July. Green's contract with the district was finalized on March 30.]

SISS Technology Purchases

Elaine Brown, Student Intervention and Support Services assistant superintendent, was on hand to give the first briefing on proposed purchases for special education in the district. SISS administrators had presented on these purchases during the March 2 regular meeting of the AAPS board of education, and Brown was looking to answer some of the questions trustees had. [See Chronicle coverage: "AAPS Preps to Push for Special Ed Tax"]

“We made every effort to address the curriculum and instructional needs of students,” Brown said. “This is the appropriate technology needed for all students to grasp the curriculum.”

One of the board’s biggest questions was how much the technology would cost to maintain over the years. The initial funding for the purchases would come from funds distributed by the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), funds that had to be used by June 30 or they would be lost.

Brown provided the board with information detailing each item they were looking to purchase, discussing the three biggest items: The Kurzweil 3000 software and components, the Promethean Interactive Touch Boards, and the Tap It Mobility touch screen computers. These three items total $179,000 and would be covered by ARRA funds.

As far as yearly costs for the items, Brown said the upkeep would total $10,000, which could come from an IDEA grant.

“This is the perfect time to do this,” she said. “We’ll never see these funds again.”

Brown added that SISS would host open houses for teachers, administrators and the community to foster familiarity with the new technology.

Outcome: This was a first briefing item and will come back before the board for approval at their next meeting.

Grant Awards

Linda Doernte, director of the district’s purchasing and business support services department, announced $4.6 million in grants received by the district. These grants came from ARRA funds, Title I, II and III initiatives, Head Start initiatives and the Ann Arbor Educational Foundation, which gave $283,000.

Pioneer High School Performing Arts Upgrade

Randy Trent, AAPS executive director of physical properties, reported on the bids they awarded for upgrades to Pioneer High School’s performing arts facilities. Improvements include a new orchestra shell, lighting and sound system equipment, and flooring on the stage.

Trent reported that all the bids came in just under the predetermined budget of $695,000.

The discussion about bid awards led trustee Simone Lightfoot to express disappointment due to the lack of bids for Historically Underutilized Business program members (HUB). Trent said that while they have worked extensively with HUB businesses in the past, there were just no HUB bidders for this project. Lightfoot requested a document detailing the work they’ve done with HUB members, as well as how others can get involved.

Easement Request

Trent closed the meeting’s presentations by reiterating the easement request from Mark and Elizabeth Perry for access to property at Forsythe Middle School – the request was previously brought up during the board’s March 30 meeting. The granting of an easement to install a drain line was added to the consent agenda. [.pdf file of easement contract]

Outcome: The board unanimously passed the consent agenda, which included the easement request, upgrades to Pioneer’s performing arts facilities and previous meeting minutes.

Items for Agenda Planning

Trustees Christine Stead and Susan Baskett both had items for the board to address. Stead promoted the scheduling of a legislative roundtable to help educate representatives on how to promote K-12 funding.

Baskett also asked for a summary on the progress of the Haisley parking lot situation, an issue that was going to be dealt with at the next meeting of the planning committee, according to Stead.

Items from the Board

The biggest issue that members of the board promoted was the May 3 election – the special education millage is on the ballot for renewal. Trustees encouraged the public to support the initiative at the ballot box.

Present: President Deb Mexicotte, vice president Susan Baskett, secretary Andy Thomas, treasurer Irene Patalan, and trustees Glenn Nelson, Simone Lightfoot, and Christine Stead. Also present were Robert Allen, interim superintendent of AAPS; Liz Margolis, AAPS director of communications, and Randy Trent, AAPS executive director of physical properties.

Next regular meeting: Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at 7 p.m. in the fourth floor conference room of the Ann Arbor District Library, 343 S. Fifth Ave. [confirm date]

About the writer: Eric Anderson is an intern for The Ann Arbor Chronicle. Jennifer Coffman, who usually covers AAPS board meetings for The Chronicle, is taking a maternity break. Chronicle editor Dave Askins contributed to this report.

The session included a presentation from Glenn Singleton, a facilitator for the Pacific Educational Group (PEG). PEG was hired by AAPS in 2003 to assist in the district’s efforts to close the achievement gap – a disparity in academic performance between minority students and other students.

Singleton, who led a majority of the discussion, criticized the board on a number of points, contending that a lack of continuity in leadership has impeded progress in closing the gap. He also said the board has not shown full support for closing the achievement gap, resulting in uncertainty for principals, administrators and other building leaders as to the board’s commitment to solving the problem.

Interim superintendent Robert Allen was on hand and provided background on the district’s involvement with PEG. Allen said that Singleton was touching base with the district and visiting AAPS schools. Singleton was doing walkthroughs to evaluate the district’s progress on closing the achievement gap using techniques suggested by PEG.

“At this point we can have a meaningful evaluation of where we are with the equity work and what we’ll need to do to achieve our goals,” Allen said. The study session focused on lack of board support, failures in leadership structure and the need for “courageous conversations.”

Lack of Board Support

Singleton opened his remarks by touching on the perceived lack of support the board has shown for closing the achievement gap. According to Singleton, the issue stemmed from trustees’ disagreements about how well the district’s plan is working, and uncertainty expressed by other school leaders when it comes to enforcing and supporting equity issues.

Trustee Simone Lightfoot joined Singleton in contending that the progress made is not satisfactory and that the board has not paid enough attention to fashioning an effective strategy. “Even with the improvements, the gap is still huge and it’s not sufficient enough to say we’re moving there, not enough for me,” Lightfoot said. “We are clear on the strategic plan, but we don’t have an achievement gap plan.”

Singleton added that the district still faces teachers who blame the students for the predicament they are in. He said that teachers incorrectly attribute the poor performance of minority students to factors such as lack of family support, mobility issues and poverty. According to Singleton, these problems apply to some poor performing minority students, but they are not the cause of the poor performance.

Singleton said these inconsistencies and inaccuracies continue to make inequity a problem for the district. He added that there was uncertainty amongst school leaders about the board’s stance, causing some of them to lack confidence about engaging in equity work. “The fact that the system is still questioning whether the board is fully on board with this makes this a dilemma,” he said.

After hearing arguments by Singleton and Lightfoot, some members of the board spoke in defense of their efforts. Board president Deb Mexicotte spoke on what she felt had been a genuine effort by the board to confront the achievement gap. “We made policy changes, we placed resources, we looked at our hiring practices,” she said. “The board has demonstrated through a number of avenues that we are committed. We never said we maybe won’t do this work or will stop this work.”

Trustee Glenn Nelson also argued that the board has made a significant effort pursuing equity, pointing to the district’s longstanding relationship with PEG as evidence.

“My first reaction is that we have not pretended we know everything. We reached out to PEG because we know we don’t have all the answers,” he said. “I think continuing to search for how to get at this is an indication we’re serious about this.”

Trustee Christine Stead spoke last, referencing initiatives such as the district’s partnership with the University of Michigan and the commitment to innovation at Mitchell Elementary and Scarlett Middle School.

Nevertheless, Singleton pointed to this split between board members as troubling when school principals, administrators and building leaders look for a unified stance to follow. “This disagreement would give permission to those who watch you to wonder whether there is a plan and a commitment,” he said.

In his comments, trustee Andy Thomas found common ground between the two positions, comparing the district’s efforts at equity to a disorganized anthill.

“There are lots of people doing a lot of things with the best of intentions, but it’s almost like an organism that isn’t quite coordinated,” he said. “Some parts don’t know what other parts are doing.”

Singleton called this approach “random acts of equity.” “Those acts will measure up, but they don’t measure up in a system,” he said.

Failures in Structure

Singleton dedicated a large portion of his presentation to detailing the leadership structure that PEG promotes to combat disparities in academic performance. This structure includes a top-down style that he felt may be at odds with the culture of some district schools.

Before delving into discussion, Singleton mapped out the system of leadership that PEG promotes to deal with equity issues.

The system involves a dedicated team at the school board level that hands down programmatic decisions for school principals to implement. Schools also have a responsibility to foster environments that promote equity by developing teams of school leaders that work to shape a school’s culture. These teams deal with topics such as instruction and professional development.

PEG intended for these teams to grow in numbers and spread throughout the district, but according to Singleton, inconsistent messages from the board on support and accountability have led to an incomplete realization of the district’s equity goals. He added that, while the system is working in a number of schools in the Ann Arbor district, it is failing in more of them.

Trustee Thomas spoke to the issue of autonomy, discussing the unique environments cultivated by each school and school principal in the district. “At a school and principal level, many of these schools operate semi-autonomously,” he said. “There are commonalities, but basically, the principals have a lot of discretion on what goes on in the school.”

Mexicotte agreed, saying that the district had an entrepreneurial culture.

Singleton viewed this culture as problematic, arguing that, despite the autonomy and unique cultures of each school, black and brown students always seem to end up on the bottom. He added that, while he understood the benefits of autonomy in a district, sometimes a school’s culture is being shaped by members of the community instead of a school’s principal, creating a convoluted system of leadership.

Nelson noted that many schools employ school improvement or student achievement teams. But Singleton said those only serve to create, “overload and fragmentation,” because “those teams see equity as something different.”

“Courageous Conversations”

The uncertainty about how the board is approaching the achievement gap issue troubled board president Mexicotte.

“During our superintendent interviews, we talked about how in five years we wanted to see the achievement gap closed and I find it hard to think that someone has the impression we’re not in full support of the work,” she said. “If that’s still the case, maybe we need to take out a billboard.”

Singleton responded by referring to “courageous conversations,” a concept he outlined in a book he wrote with Curtis Linton, “Courageous Conversations About Race: A Field Guide for Achieving Equity in School.” The book focuses on what teachers need to know to effectively educate minority students and close achievement gaps.

The book also provides outlines for having meaningful conversations in order to deal with potentially uncomfortable areas of discussion, and to create authentic changes.

Mexicotte said the turnover on the board has led to continuity issues and board members not being fully informed on courageous conversations, an issue that resonated with other board members.

Singleton agreed, making the frequent turnover at the district’s superintendent and trustee positions one of his biggest points.

“I looked back to the first training I did in 2003,” he said. “I was invited to the district by a superintendent who wasn’t here when I got here.” [Rossi Ray-Taylor was AAPS superintendent from 1999 to 2003, when she resigned under pressure from the board and George Fornero was promoted to that job from deputy superintendent. Fornero left the district in 2006 and was replaced by Todd Roberts, who resigned last year.]

Incoming superintendent Pat Green will be the fourth one to work with PEG, a fact Singleton felt spoke to irregularity in the efforts.

“Everyone was connected (with the previous work), but everyone connected differently,” he said.

Trustees Simone Lightfoot and Susan Baskett felt that their perspectives on some board issues had been dismissed because of their race. Baskett added that the issue of having safe conversations about race has been absent from the board for some time. “We haven’t had a safe conversation in eight years and I don’t think it’s going to happen,” she said.

Board members also talked about a 2010 field trip at Dicken Elementary School which had been limited to African American students and generated criticism of Dicken principal Michael Madison. They took it as evidence that there needed to be more open conversations about the topic of race.

The board resolved to schedule a meeting or study session that would focus on the issue and allow for “courageous conversations” within the month to ensure that plans would be ready for the start of the 2011-12 school year.

Possible Solutions

After agreeing to make time for a meeting focused on conversations about race and equity, trustees laid out a number of other initiatives to pursue.

The biggest issue trustees tackled was the formation of a transformation plan, which would outline how the board would create a system of leadership that was unified, and had clear expectations and processes for holding schools accountable to those expectations.

Board president Mexicotte asked the board’s planning and performance committees to look into the issue, adding that she would like to be present for their discussions as a non-voting committee member to provide input and for her own understanding. She added that the board should either read or re-read Singleton’s book on courageous conversations, to be prepared for when the board focuses on the issue.

Mexicotte concluded by saying that while the board is usually not in charge of some of the measures that will need to be put forth, she still wants to look for ways to create policy that will support equity efforts.

Trustee Nelson added that board members should be aware that some of the measures they use to judge the achievement gap are imperfect – because they do not separate students who have been with the district for a number of years from those who had joined within the past couple months.

Trustees Lightfoot and Baskett also had their own goals relating to the board’s progress on closing the achievement gap.

Baskett wanted a report on which schools were making progress with PEG’s plan and which were not, saying that she asked for the same thing nearly a year ago but has yet to see anything.

Lightfoot requested documents that showed accountability by outlining where the district was in terms of an achievement gap, what the district’s goals were and how the district would be pursuing those goals.

Both Singleton and the board agreed that the transformation plan had to be aligned with the district’s strategic plan. The board also agreed that there would not be one “band-aid” for the district problems. Rather, solutions would have to be tailored to each school to address specific issues.

Interim superintendent Robert Allen was on hand to provide input. He spoke to the fact that AAPS had fallen behind on a plan PEG envisioned happening over a five-year period.

“We should talk about filling in the holes without taking four years to catch up to where the district should be,” he said.

Next regular meeting: Wednesday, April 20, 2011, at 7 p.m. in the fourth-floor conference room of the downtown Ann Arbor District Library, 343 S. Fifth Ave. [confirm date]

About the writer: Eric Anderson is an intern for The Ann Arbor Chronicle. Jennifer Coffman, who usually covers AAPS board meetings for The Chronicle, is taking a maternity break.

Patricia Green, incoming superintendent of the Ann Arbor Public Schools, spoke during the AAPS board's March 30 meeting. She starts her job in July. (Photo by the writer.)

Green was in town for a brief visit to meet with members of the administration and will start her tenure here in July. Noting that she hopes to make one more visit before then, Green stated her commitment to connecting with the district and encouraging members of the community to reach out.

Wednesday’s meeting was highlighted by talk of how to deal with looming budget issues. The board discussed – then unanimously approved – a resolution opposing the transfer of some state School Aid Fund money, which has traditionally financed K-12 schools, to fund higher education instead. Trustee Andy Thomas called the proposed transfer “a rob-Peter-to-pay-Paul scenario, done in a very underhanded manner.”

Budget issues were also a key part of a report to the board by Brit Satchwell, president of the Ann Arbor Education Association, the teacher’s union. He said the union’s efforts are focused on educating the public about sacrifices the district would have to make to accommodate proposed cuts, keeping in mind concessions that have already been made.

Also during Wednesday’s meeting, the board voted to expand the district’s schools of choice program. They got an update about a partnership with the University of Michigan involving Mitchell Elementary and Scarlett Middle schools, and heard a report on efforts to reduce energy costs throughout the district.

Four people spoke during the time set aside for public commentary. Speakers expressed concern over the district’s scheduling of events in conflict with religious holidays, and objected to a proposed expansion of the parking lot at Haisley Elementary School.

Board Opposes Transfer of School Aid Fund

Trustees unanimously supported a resolution opposing the transfer of state School Aid Fund (SAF) money to institutions of higher education. A proposal being considered by the state legislature would divert some of the SAF funds, which are traditionally used to finance K-12 public schools.

The issue had been a rallying point at previous meetings, with trustees expressing their disbelief that the district’s surplus in SAF money could be lost due to the transfer of some of that money to community colleges and other higher education institutions.

The resolution, which has been circulating among public school boards in Michigan, was introduced and read by trustee Irene Patalan. [.pdf file of a draft resolution distributed by the Michigan Association of School Boards (MASB) and used by the AAPS board] The resolution cited several arguments against the transfer of funds. It noted that funding for public education has failed to keep up with rising costs, and pointed out that institutions of higher education can earn revenue through tuition increases, while K-12 districts can not.

The resolution also touched on how Proposal A, a 1994 statewide ballot initiative that shifted responsibility for K-12 funding to the state, was coupled with the understanding that these funds would be used solely for K-12 education.

Board members hoped that passing this resolution would help serve as a call to action.

“We recognize the need for (higher education) funding, but this is a rob-Peter-to-pay-Paul scenario, done in a very underhanded manner,” trustee Andy Thomas said.

Board president Deb Mexicotte agreed, adding that this transfer of funds would run contrary to what the public wanted the SAF to be used for.

“While we’re arguing the facts that the SAF was set aside and promised to K-12, this is also contrary to the will of the people as to how this money should be used, and how this is being used as an argument for an erosion of public education,” Mexicotte said. “I am in support of passing this resolution. We should speak out on this at every opportunity we get.”

Outcome: The board unanimously approved the resolution that opposes transferring state School Aid Fund money to fund higher education.

[For background on budget issues, see Chronicle coverage of the board's March 16, 2011 meeting, when interim superintendent Robert Allen gave the board an update on the district's budget.]

Association Reports

At each meeting, the board invites reports from six associations: the Youth Senate, the Ann Arbor Parent Advisory Committee on Special Education (AAPAC), the Parent-Teacher-Organization Council (PTOC), the Black Parents Student Support Group (BPSSG), the Ann Arbor Administrators Association (AAAA), and the Ann Arbor Education Association (AAEA), the teacher’s union.

On March 30, the board heard from the teacher’s union and the BPSSG.

Association Reports: Ann Arbor Education Association

Brit Satchwell, president of the Ann Arbor teacher’s union, echoed the same themes that the board expressed in opposing Gov. Rick Snyder’s proposals for reduced education funding. He updated the board on the AAEA’s efforts to fight those funding cuts.

Satchwell said the main thrust of the effort is to educate the public about the sacrifices the district would have to make to accommodate these cuts, keeping in mind the concessions that have already been made.

“We entered this year projecting a $7 million deficit, which was then upped to $15 million after the cuts from Snyder, and if the special education millage fails it will be $22 million,” Satchwell said, referring to a renewal of the 0.985-mill tax that is on the May 3, 2011 ballot. “The worse-case scenario for this year, plus the [$35 million] cuts of the last five years, would total to about one-third of an annual [city of] Ann Arbor budget, which is astounding.”

Satchwell closed by saying that the district would not be able to continue to cope with these cuts, adding that changes at the state level would be necessary for survival.

He argued that if the Michigan Association of School Administrators and the Michigan Association of School Boards could do at the state level what the local districts are doing, “we’d have a much better state and a brighter future,” Satchwell said. “If there is no success at that level, all our efforts here will be for naught.”

Association Reports: Black Parent Student Support Group

Brian Johnson delivered a report on behalf of the Black Parent Student Support Group. Johnson, a Pioneer High School graduate, told the board that the BPSSG would be making the closing of the achievement gap a top priority.

“We were battling the same issue when I graduated too many years ago,” he said. Johnson added that the organization appreciated the ongoing support of the board.

Schools of Choice Expansion

Jane Landefeld, the AAPS director of student accounting and administrative support, was on hand to discuss a schools of choice (SOC) proposal – board members had raised some questions about it at the previous board meeting, on March 16. Compared to the current school year, the proposal would open up 40 additional spaces for students outside the district – for a total of 190 openings – as a way of increasing enrollment and revenue. Trustees had questions about how the district would consider siblings of SOC students looking to enter the district in different grades or at a later time. [.pdf of schools of choice memorandum]

A year ago, AAPS opened 150 slots for its SOC program, but they were only able to attract 79 students. Administrators attributed this to the district’s limited number of slots in certain grades, which restricted the ability to bring in siblings of children who applied for the schools of choice program.

At Wednesday’s meeting, Landefeld said that state regulations allow siblings of a child enrolled in an SOC program to receive priority for admission. This extra consideration makes it easier for families who want to move all their children into the district, rather than just one child.

The window for applying for the SOC program is April 15 to May 15, with the district opening 60 seats in kindergarten, 60 seats in first grade and 50 seats in sixth grade classrooms. Twenty slots for grades 2-5 will also be opened, with each grade getting five openings.

Outcome: Board members unanimously approved additional schools of choice openings, as part of their action consent agenda, which also included a $5,000 gift from the Pioneer High School Booster Club for a fence near Holloway field, the minutes for the board’s March 16 regular meeting, and minor policy changes discussed at the board’s previous meeting.

Public Commentary: Scheduling, Haisley Parking Lot

Four people spoke during the March 30 meeting’s public commentary session, addressing two areas of concern: (1) scheduling events that conflict with religious holidays; and (2) the expansion of the parking lot at Haisley Elementary School.

Public Commentary: Scheduling Policy

Seth Goldstein, a junior at Skyline High School, and James Toy of Ann Arbor spoke about the district’s scheduling policy. Goldstein began by asking the board for help changing the date of an athletic event that conflicts with Yom Kippur, a Jewish holiday that this year begins at sunset on Friday, Oct. 7.

The district’s scheduling policy mandates that significant events such as athletic contests or major exams cannot coincide with holidays such as Yom Kippur. Goldstein said his family has been pursuing this since November.

“We should show an awareness of the importance of these policies to foster feelings of inclusion, not discrimination,” he said.

Toy, a well-known community activist, also spoke on the issue of discrimination, taking a broader view of the board’s efforts. He shared a story of his experience as a Chinese-American during World War II. Toy said he had to wear a sign around his neck every day that read “I am not a Jap” to avoid harassment. He went on to commend the board for their efforts to combat harassment and bullying, adding that he hoped they would continue to protect minorities in situations such as Goldstein’s.

“We need to work with each other as we labor for the human worth and dignity of all,” Toy said.

Public Commentary: Haisley Parking Lot

Theresa Schneider and Scott Sproat – two parents with children at Haisley Elementary School – spoke out against a proposal to expand the school’s parking lot. The expansion is intended to alleviate traffic problems.

Schneider and Sprote said that people such as Mary Anne Jaeger, Haisley’s principal, are framing this expansion as necessary in order to meet state requirements, when that is not the case, they said.

“Parking expansion is not a requirement. It is a convenient solution,” Schneider said. “We need to engage people about alternatives.”

Sprote added that Jaeger omitted items from the minutes of a March 21 meeting on the issue, such as not including a student who spoke in support of alternatives to expansion. Because of this, Sprote felt that someone else should take minutes at future meetings.

Both parents expressed their desire for a fact sheet detailing the situation, and their worry that there would be no vote on the issue.

Board Committee Reports

The board has two standing committees. The planning committee consists of Christine Stead (chair), Susan Baskett, and Irene Patalan. The performance committee consists of Glenn Nelson (chair), Simone Lightfoot, and Andy Thomas. Board president Deb Mexicotte is not a member of either committee.

Committee Reports: Performance Committee

All three of the trustees from the performance committee updated the board on items that they had discussed, including the district’s partnership with the University of Michigan, efforts to combat bullying and harassment, and updated policies for facility use.

Trustee Andy Thomas opened by discussing how the district is looking to grow the UM partnership, formerly known as the lab school, which involves Mitchell Elementary School and Scarlett Middle School. Thomas and the performance committee had been briefed on the project by Lee Anne Dickinson-Kelley, interim deputy superintendent for instructional services, and Mitchell Elementary School principle Kathy Scarnecchia.

Thomas reported that the district’s vision for the partnership would include a combined K-8 campus consisting of teachers, interns (the term for students from UM), AAPS students, parents and community members. There will be a continuation of some previously held initiatives, such as the Mighty Mustang math program and the Scarlett Math Assessment project. The partnership would be launched for the 2011-12 school year.

Teachers in both schools will be given the option of transferring if they are not interested in the partnership. Teachers who choose to stay will be asked to affirm that they are committed to the new approach, which includes employing culturally relevant teaching methods, partnering with families, and examining their own practices. Thomas said that an overwhelming majority had expressed interest in being a part of the new set-up, with a large pool of teachers in other schools eager to participate as well.

In addition, Thomas said that a balanced schedule is being considered for use during the 2012-13 school year. The specifics of a balanced schedule are yet to be determined, but the general structure would consist of an extended school year that includes intersessions, which are additional opportunities to take elective courses. A cost analysis will also be done, as well as a report on how the experience of a student at Scarlett or Mitchell will differ from students at other schools. [For additional background on this project, see Chronicle coverage of the AAPS board's Dec. 8, 2010 meeting.]

Thomas closed his portion of the presentation by stating the performance committee’s excitement for growing the UM partnership, giving it their endorsement.

Trustee Glenn Nelson was the next to present from the performance committee, talking about its focus on school climate – bullying and harassment. Some of the efforts he mentioned included district principals traveling to an anti-bullying conference to bring back effective techniques to address this problem, and an update on the progress of surveys being given to AAPS students regarding school climate.

Nelson added that Danny Brown, a youth coordinator from the Neutral Zone, was on hand at the performance committee meeting to give his input on effective ways to combat bullying through methods such as including elements of diversity in a student’s everyday curriculum.

Nelson concluded his update by praising the discussion they had, adding that they would continue to work on improving school climate. “We can look forward to more progress from surveys and our efforts,” he said.

Trustee Simone Lightfoot was the last member of the performance committee to make comments, giving a brief update on changes made to the district’s policy on facility use. Lightfoot said all the changes were being finalized and will be made public when that process is complete.

Committee Reports: Planning Committee

Trustee Christine Stead gave a brief report on behalf of the planning committee, which had also received a presentation on the UM partnership at Mitchell and Scarlett schools. Stead said she and other planning committee members were excited about the partnership and were looking to schedule community meetings to discuss a balanced schedule.

The planning committee was also visited by members of the community who are concerned about the Haisley parking lot expansion, she said. Stead reported that committee members – along with Randy Trent, AAPS executive director of physical properties – had discussed the issue at their meeting.

Interim Superintendent’s Report

Interim superintendent Robert Allen gave a report that focused on accomplishments by AAPS students. The update was highlighted by comments about the Bands in Review event, which had taken place on March 25-26. Allen said the performances were “wonderful as usual,” and he thanked the volunteers who helped make the event possible.

Allen also wished everyone a peaceful and restful spring break, which runs from the end of the school day on Friday, April 1 through Sunday, April 10.

Facilities Report: Energy, Forsythe Easement

Randy Trent, AAPS executive director of physical properties, delivered two reports to the board at Wednesday’s meeting: An update on the district’s energy and sustainability efforts, and a briefing on an easement request for property at Forsythe Middle School.

Facilities Reports: EASE Program

Trent began by updating the board on the district’s energy and sustainability efforts. The update centered on the Environmental Awareness and Sustainability Education (EASE) program.

The EASE program was approved in 2010 and will be slightly expanded this year. The goal is to reduce energy consumption at AAPS facilities by 4% per year over a four-year period. Reducing energy at that level would cut the district’s energy expenses by $324,000 per year.

Trent – assisted by Johnson Controls, which partnered with the district on this initiative – will be continuing to gather information about the district’s utilities usage. This information will be displayed on a soon-to-be-launched website and used to look for areas where costs can be reduced.

“We know every fan heater and fish tank – everything that’s plugged in,” Trent said.

To expand on these efforts, Trent said the district will now look to educate AAPS students about energy-conscious behaviors through a number of initiatives.

The new website, which will be available through the AAPS main website, will contain information collected by the EASE program. An educational booth will also be used, moving from school to school teaching students about the EASE program and a number of other sustainability measures.

Trustee Simone Lightfoot felt that educating students was a good idea, adding that students themselves could be consulted for insight about where costs could be cut.

Trent agreed, saying that there will be a phone number for people to call if they want to make suggestions, as well as a way to submit ideas online. Surveys will be provided to measure utility usage and awareness of the EASE program.

Trent said the efforts will not focus only on education. There will also be a report on how much money the district is saving thanks to these initiatives. Trent estimated the amount to be at least $324,000, continuing efforts of maintaining cost-effective utility service.

“To give you a perspective of where we are, when I started in 1984 we had a budget of $5.4 million,” he said. “We still have that today [despite increases in utility costs] and we’re looking to reduce it.”

Trent concluded by talking about how the many energy-friendly measures they could adopt would save the district money.

“The best energy is energy you don’t use,” he said. And that results in “more dollars to put toward the education of students.”

Facilities Reports: Forsythe Easement Request

Following his presentation on sustainability efforts, Trent – along with trustee Andy Thomas – gave a brief report on an easement request from a resident near Forsythe Middle School.

Mark and Elizabeth Perry live on Hillridge Boulevard, a property next to Forsythe, which is located at 1655 Newport Road. The Perrys are requesting that AAPS grant a temporary easement so that they can install and connect a drain line to an existing storm drain on the school’s property. An easement gives an individual or entity the right to use property that they don’t own.

In addition, the Perrys are asking for a permanent easement that would allow them to operate, maintain, repair or replace the drain line, if necessary. [.pdf file of easement request]

Trent and Thomas reported that the storm sewer near Forsythe occasionally has drainage difficulties, due to its surrounding topography.

The request will be back for more discussion and a vote at the next regular board meeting, on April 20.

Misc. Communications

Trustee Christine Stead had one update during the board’s agenda planning section, providing information on the work being done to organize a roundtable for state legislators. Stead said that some good ideas for how to combat the budget cuts proposed by Gov. Rick Snyder had been brainstormed, and the next step would be to find a date that would work for legislators to meet with school officials.

Wednesday’s meeting concluded with board members sharing their experiences at recent district events. Trustees lauded the performances at Bands in Review. They also expressed praise for the Neutral Zone‘s Wine, Word and Song event, Tappan Middle School’s performance of “Grease,” and the FIRST robotics district competition held at Skyline High School.

Present: President Deb Mexicotte, secretary Andy Thomas, treasurer Irene Patalan, and trustees Glenn Nelson, Simone Lightfoot and Christine Stead.

Absent: Vice president Susan Baskett.

Next regular meeting: Wednesday, April 20, 2011, at 7 p.m. in the fourth-floor conference room of the downtown Ann Arbor District Library, 343 S. Fifth Ave. [confirm date]

About the writer: Eric Anderson is an intern for The Ann Arbor Chronicle. Jennifer Coffman, who usually covers AAPS board meetings for The Chronicle, is taking a maternity break.

Allen told board members that the district faces a $15 million shortfall in the next fiscal year, which begins July 1. That figure assumes the special education millage, on the ballot for May 3, will be renewed. If voters don’t approve the millage renewal, the deficit could grow to nearly $21 million.

During the meeting, board members criticized Gov. Rick Snyder’s proposed state budget, which calls for cuts to K-12 education. They cautioned that his focus on business tax cuts would undermine the quality of public education in the state. “I don’t think most people want education ravaged in order to fund a huge business tax cut,” trustee Glenn Nelson said. “We need to shout this story from the rooftops.”

Allen will be giving an expanded report on the budget situation to the public from 6:30-8 p.m. on Monday, March 21 at the Pioneer High School cafeteria annex. The board also discussed setting up a time to meet with state legislators, to discuss their concerns about the state budget proposals.

Also during Wednesday’s meeting, board president Deb Mexicotte reported that the district is close to wrapping up contract negotiations with Patricia Green, the board’s choice to become the district’s next superintendent. She hoped to provide additional details soon, including a potential start date.

Budget Presentation

Interim superintendent Robert Allen started his budget presentation by describing how public school districts in Michigan are funded. The state controls revenues for local school districts in two ways. First, it collects taxes directly from residential and non-residential property owners – 6 mills each, annually – and pools that money into the state’s School Aid Fund (SAF), which also includes revenues from sales and income taxes, state lottery revenue and other sources. Out of this fund, the state pays local school districts a per-pupil allotment – a variable amount set by the state legislature that can increase or decrease each year.

In addition, state law controls the amount of taxes that school districts can levy directly – those that are not pooled into the SAF. Beyond the 6 mills that go into the SAF, for example, there’s an additional tax on non-residential property owners, but the state caps that tax at 18 mills. Both the funding from non-SAF local property taxes and from the total School Aid Fund are factored into an amount called the per-pupil “foundation allowance,” which varies by district. For Ann Arbor, the current per-pupil foundation allowance is $9,336, with roughly 16,440 students in the district.

These revenue sources, along with grants and private donations from groups like the Ann Arbor Public Schools Educational Foundation, are what the district relies on for everything from employee salaries to mandated special education programs. However, since 1995 the district’s per-pupil funding allocation has only risen once. And if Gov. Rick Snyder’s budget proposal is adopted, per-pupil funding would decrease by about $700.

Allen described in more detail how the many budget changes proposed by Snyder will have an impact on public education funding. For example, the state’s School Aid Fund, which has been dedicated solely to funding K-12 districts, would be combined with the state fund for community colleges and other public institutions for higher education. Allen said this was unfair – it would create a deficit in the School Aid Fund, which had a surplus before higher education was included.

“I don’t think those two are on the same playing field,” Allen said. “[Higher education institutions] have options to raise tuition, whereas school districts have very few options.”

These funding changes drew some questions from the board about the legality of changes to the School Aid Fund. “If these sources of revenue were specifically legislated to fund K-12 education, what authority does the state have to redirect that to higher education?” trustee Andy Thomas asked.

Allen was as uncertain as Thomas was, but trustee Christine Stead had some insight. Stead said that there have been mixed reactions in Lansing to the notion that the state can use these tactics – in light of the fact that communities and school districts are in dire economic straits. ”There may be a constitutional challenge to what has been proposed,” she said.

Another challenge Allen touched on in his presentation is the growing cost of the district’s pension plan. Local districts are being required to make higher contributions to the Michigan Public School Employees Retirement System (MPSERS), which is managed by the state but covers local district employees. Those contributions have grown to the point where the district is paying for at least 20% of an employee’s pension. ”This is the fastest-growing and largest burden for the district,” Allen said.

He characterized the pension issue as contributing to a structural deficit. The current pension system is a defined benefit plan. Having a defined benefit plan is troublesome, Allen said. With growing health insurance costs and fewer employees to support the plan, the district’s mandated contributions to the system are increasing.

Allen contrasted the defined benefit approach to a defined contribution plan, a system used by most for-profit organizations and which has more controllable costs. [In defined benefit plans, retirees receive a set amount per month during their retirement. In defined contribution plans, employers pay a set amount into the retirement plan while a person is employed. The most common of these defined contribution plans is the 401(k).]

All of these issues contribute to a budget shortfall that Allen estimates at about $15 million for the upcoming fiscal year, beginning July 1, 2011. This figure assumes that the upcoming special education millage renewal will pass. [See Chronicle coverage: "AAPS Preps for Special Ed Tax"] It did not take into account new information received by trustees who attended a legislative meeting in Lansing earlier that day, where they learned that estimated education cuts proposed by the Snyder administration may be conservative. About the $15 million shortfall, Allen said: ”This is a best-case scenario.”

Allen will be giving an expanded report on the budget situation to the public from 6:30-8 p.m. on Monday, March 21 at the Pioneer High School cafeteria annex.

Budget: Strategies

After detailing the hurdles the district will have to overcome, Allen laid out some of the ways they can combat the projected deficit.

He said one of the biggest priorities for AAPS is to lobby the state for more local control of funding, and for changes in the distribution of state funding for public education. These structural and fundamental changes are necessary because, as Allen said, currently the district is addressing the yearly shortfalls with “band-aid solutions.”

“We identify a shortfall and come up with ways to meet that,” he said. “That is not a long-term solution.”

Allen also suggested increasing student enrollment, consolidation or collaboration with other organizations, and private donations as other possible solutions to close the deficit. [For additional background on possible AAPS revenue strategies, see Chronicle coverage: "AAPS Mulls Options to Increase Revenues"]

Budget: Strategies – Private Donations

Trustee Christine Stead took the opportunity to discuss private donations, a solution she felt could be lucrative. “I believe there is an opportunity for significant donations to AAPS,” she said. “I’d like to really think about this private giving in a paradigm-shift kind of way.”

Stead pointed out that many businesses in the community want to see the district succeed because that would make them successful as well. If a significant partnership was sought, she said, a donation in the millions was possible.

Even with a significant donation, trustee Andy Thomas reminded the board that private giving alone would not be enough to close the budget gap.

“If we were to get a large donation of $1 million, that would roughly cover one-tenth of the increase in just pension contributions for just one year,” he said. “This is a very difficult problem.”

Budget: Strategies – School of Choice

Increasing student enrollment by opening a school of choice program was another idea that the board felt could have a significant impact on revenue. The program opens up additional spaces for students from outside the district to fill. The application process includes listing a student’s top four school choices, which the district uses to fill available slots. A lottery system is used for schools with more applicants than spaces, and those who are not initially selected are put on a waiting list.

The district used this strategy last year, hoping to enroll an additional 150 students. However, they were only able to attract 76 79 more. According to interim deputy superintendent Lee Ann Dickinson-Kelly, this was due to the district’s inability to bring in siblings of children who applied for the school of choice program. A number of students were lost because their family had other siblings looking to enter different grades, but there were no available openings.

To deal with this, the district is allowing for more flexibility in the amount of school of choice students it can enroll. The district will be opening 60 spaces in kindergarten and first grades for a total of 120. Twenty spaces will also be evenly distributed for second- through fifth-grade classrooms in the district, with each grade getting five openings.

While the district will be opening 140 spaces, they will allow up to 190 students to take advantage of the program. These extra 50 slots are included for increased flexibility, allowing families the opportunity to move all their children into the district without the limits they faced last year.

Liz Margolis, the district’s director of communications, said there will also be an increased effort on marketing the program, with advertisements running in area newspapers, flyers and other forms of publicity.

Dickinson-Kelly concluded the recommendation by proposing a window of April 15 to May 15 for families to sign up. The board will revisit the issue at its next meeting, on March 30.

Budget: Board Commentary on Snyder

The budget discussion led to criticism by some trustees of Gov. Rick Snyder’s view’s on public education funding.

Glenn Nelson opened the commentary, saying that the board can’t let the new budget proposals from the Snyder administration be framed as foregone conclusions. “Education in this budget has been put at the bottom of the priority list,” he said. “I don’t think most people want education ravaged in order to fund a huge business tax cut – we need to shout this story from the rooftops.”

Christine Stead followed Nelson’s point, and touched on the assumptions being made that Snyder’s commitment to tax cuts would create jobs. “The notion that job creation is the solution and that businesses will create jobs in Michigan is an assumption. If you look at Snyder, he didn’t do that,” Stead said, referencing Snyder’s tenure at the helm of the computer firm Gateway.

Stead continued by discussing the assumption that the jobs created would have well-paying salaries that can support a family, saying that this was unlikely to be true. She bemoaned the view that giving tax breaks to businesses would benefit Michigan, saying that business values and the mission of CEOs do not necessarily translate to a better community.

Board president Deb Mexicotte agreed with Stead and Nelson regarding Snyder’s budget priorities, as well as the poor state of public education funding over the past few decades.

“It is obvious to anyone who has been listening to the way this [budget] has been put together, and has been watching the drumbeat against public education for the last 30 years by the Republican party,” she said. “This isn’t new.”

Mexicotte added that, without opposition, the current trend against funding public education would continue.

Susan Baskett made the final argument for action, urging those who have supported education to show more than passive support, and saying that those who do not support education need to be identified and educated about the importance of public schools in the community.

“We have to stop being nice,” she said. “We know people will pay for what they value and we need to remind (legislators) of this. Who doesn’t value education? A business tax reduction over our children?”

Allen used the discussion on possible methods of closing the budget shortfall to segue into his presentation on the upcoming special education millage renewal. He re-emphasized a number of the points made during a presentation at the board’s regular meeting on March 2, given by representatives from AAPS Student Intervention and Support Services (SISS). From Chronicle coverage of that meeting:

By way of background, at its December 2010 board meeting, the Washtenaw Intermediate School District (WISD) voted to place before voters a renewal of an existing tax that supports special education in all school districts in Washtenaw County. It will appear on the ballot on May 3, 2011.

The funds collected through the millage support special ed services for students with physical, mental or emotional disabilities up to age 26.

First approved in 2004 at the rate of 1 mill, the six-year millage expired after the 2010 tax season. The proposed renewal of the special ed tax, at a rate of 0.985 mill, would extend another seven years – through 2017. A tax rate of 1 mill is equivalent to $1 for every $1,000 of a property’s taxable value. The millage appears on tax bills under the label WISD SPEC ED.

Allen expanded on the importance of this special education funding by detailing the district’s entire special education budget, totaling nearly $40 million. Much of this is covered through reimbursements from the state and federal government, though the district spent about $4 million in general fund dollars last year for special education. The special education millage provides about $6 million to cover remaining costs. Without the millage, that $6 million would need to come from the district’s general fund – adding to the projected deficit.

“This truly impacts the entire district,” Allen said.

Special Presentations

The meeting was opened with two presentations from students.

The Skyline Horn Trio, directed by Skyline High School’s band director, Jason Smith, opened the student presentations by performing for the board. Smith said he was very proud of the trio, as well as his entire music program, adding that the three musicians are “great individuals – they’re really very talented.”

After the performance, Larry Dishman, coordinator for the Hikone-Ann Arbor cultural exchange program, talked to the board about the program and introduced a group of middle school students who were at the meeting to report on their experiences.

The program gave students the opportunity to travel to Ann Arbor’s sister city of Hikone, Japan for about two weeks in late October and early November 2010, learning about Japanese culture and living with a host family. AAPS students and their families also hosted students from Japan for eight days, introducing them to an American way of life.

Dishman reported that he had been in contact with program representatives from Japan and he was happy to announce that they were not directly affected by the recent earthquake. “They are safe and sound,” he said. “Their only regret is that they aren’t getting as much information as we are.”

Students from the program then talked about different aspects of their experience. Topics included the classes they took prior to their trip to learn about the language and culture, as well as fundraising they did.

Trustee Glenn Nelson asked the group if there was anything they encountered that they did not expect. Students answered that they were surprised by some of the food they tried and by the affectionate style of interaction they saw – they had expected much more formality.

After the presentation, board president Deb Mexicotte expressed appreciation that the students had an enjoyable time, hoping that other students would be encouraged to sign up for the program.

Association Reports

At each meeting, the board invites reports from six associations: the Youth Senate, the Ann Arbor Parent Advisory Committee on Special Education (AAPAC), the Parent-Teacher-Organization Council (PTOC), the Black Parents Student Support Group (BPSSG), the Ann Arbor Administrators Association (AAAA), and the Ann Arbor Education Association (AAEA). At this meeting, the board heard from the Youth Senate, AAPAC, and the PTOC.

Association Reports: Youth Senate

Aoxue Tang, a junior from Pioneer High School, represented the Youth Senate by delivering the first report. Tang updated the board on the Youth Senate’s philanthropic projects focused on raising awareness about poverty through a series of presentations.

“Students have participated in varied service events and have decided to donate proceeds raised from the presentations to the Washtenaw Intermediate School District’s Education Project for Homeless Youth,” Tang said.

Tang also touched on the role of standardized testing, discussing recent developments that have made the Youth Senate question a test’s usefulness. The Michigan Merit Exam was the focus of this portion of the address, with Tang pointing out that, while the test does provide an opportunity to practice for the ACT, the revocation of the Michigan Promise scholarship makes the MME unnecessary.

Association Reports: AAPAC

Lauren Roland addressed the board on behalf of the Ann Arbor Parent Advisory Committee on Special Education. Roland began by reporting that her son, a fourth-grade student in AAPS with autism spectrum disorder, was doing very well, thanks to the structures and support in place from the district. This included her son’s participation in a field trip to see the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra, an event that required preparation due to the increase in sensory activity that would accompany the performance. Her son had a successful trip, she said, and according to one teacher, enjoyed the performance.

She also thanked board president Deb Mexicotte for attending an AAPAC meeting recently to discuss the upcoming special education millage renewal.

Roland closed her presentation by echoing the call for an Ann Arbor-based Young Adult Program (YAP), helping those with special needs transition into society. [The board heard a presentation about a possible YAP for Ann Arbor at their March 2, 2011 meeting.] AAPAC has been emphasizing this cause for months, and Roland reiterated that there is enough parent and community support to justify the creation of a program.

Association Reports: Parent-Teacher Organization Council

Martine Perreault delivered the final association report, on behalf of the Parent-Teacher Organization Council. Perreault opened by welcoming Patricia Green, the district’s next superintendent, before discussing the PTOC’s upcoming meetings.

Perreault highlighted the PTOC’s March 21 meeting, where effective fundraising strategies will be discussed. The meeting will start at 7 p.m. at the Balas Administration Building, 2555 S. State St. She added that the PTOC will be surveying district treasurers on their retail banking habits, hoping to glean the best practices.

Board Committee Reports

The board has two standing committees. The planning committee consists of Christine Stead (chair), Susan Baskett, and Irene Patalan. The performance committee consists of Glenn Nelson (chair), Simone Lightfoot, and Andy Thomas. Board president Deb Mexicotte sits on neither committee.

Committee Reports: Performance Committee

Nelson updated the board on the most recent meeting of the performance committee. He discussed the policy reviews they covered, as well as some of the strategies they discussed for increasing enrollment. He did not provide much detail about the numerous policy changes the committee was presented with at its March 14 meeting, saying generally that they discussed greater transparency and ease of use of district buildings.

Nelson added that he was impressed with how much impact the strategic plan was having with regards to providing a road map for the district and the board. The committee plans on continuing to review the policy changes.

Nelson also touched on the committee’s discussion about enrollment strategies, mentioning a number that were fleshed out during Robert Allen’s budget presentation [see above]. According to Nelson, administrators have suggested several good ideas, something he attributes to their familiarity with the subject matter.

“Administration people are the ones who live with these numbers,” he said. “They’re the experts.”

Committee Reports: Planning Committee

Stead reported on the planning committee’s meeting, touching on policy reviews, the upcoming special education millage renewal and the board’s continuing efforts to advocate for public education.

Stead, like Nelson, did not go into specifics about the policies that the committee reviewed. She said she was pleased to report that the committee would be following a suggestion from Baskett to require a hard copy of any documentation referenced during their review, which would result in a more efficient process.

With regards to special education, Stead had positive reports on some of the meetings she had been a part of to raise awareness about the upcoming millage, emphasizing its importance. “We want the community to be aware that this is an incredibly important millage for us,” she said. “It is one of the few things we can control at crucial at a time of massive cuts.”

Finally, Stead said there needs to be a commitment to educating legislators about the budget proposed by Gov. Rick Snyder’s administration, and its impact on school districts. “The budget proposal is packaged together so tight that it’s tough to break it apart into pieces,” she said, encouraging arming legislators with information on how to respond.

A strategy for response was also brought up later in the meeting, during the trustees’ closing remarks. Stead proposed inviting local representatives to a study session-type meeting to discuss funding issues.

The board decided to move forward with the idea by collecting information to present to the representatives and members of the public who attend, with the goal of educating the public on the issue and on where the legislators stand. Baskett added that taping or recording the session would help to increase awareness. A date for the session has not yet been set.

Interim Superintendent’s Report

Interim superintendent Robert Allen reported on several notable accomplishments in the district. Among those, he highlighted a partnership between the district and the Main Street Area Association that’s featuring local students’ artwork hung in the windows of downtown businesses. As part of that effort, a downtown art walk was held on March 13 – Allen said there was a large turnout of families for the event, which also included performances by the Pioneer High School choir. He added that the artwork will be on display until the end of March, and encouraged people to check it out.

Update on Superintendent Search

Board president Deb Mexicotte gave a brief update on the superintendent search. Mexicotte said the district has entered into negotiations with Patricia Green, the candidate selected by the board at their March 5 meeting. [See Chronicle coverage: "AAPS Superintendent Choice: Hard Decision"] According to Mexicotte, they were close to being able to bring a contract to the board for final review. At that point, she said, she would have more information about the contract and potential start dates.

Board Action

The only voting action the board took was to unanimously approve its consent agenda, which included the second-quarter financial report, delivered by Nancy Hoover – AAPS director of finance and interim chief financial officer – at the March 2 board meeting; board minutes from the March 2 and 5 meetings; and a gift of Shakespeare plays given by Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church.

A number of policy reviews came up later in the meeting for the board’s first briefing.

The board discussed the district’s policy on homeless students, elementary reclassification-retention, and local wellness. No changes were made, although the local wellness policy may have to be changed in the future due to legislation currently being proposed. This was the first hearing for the policies; no action will be taken by the board until the second briefing for these items at a future meeting.

Board Notes

The board concluded the meeting with general communications from trustees. The remarks were highlighted by trustee Andy Thomas discussing the district’s funding situation and announcing that the Ann Arbor Public Schools Educational Foundation has kicked off its 2011 fundraising campaign with the goal of raising $1 million.

Continuing on this topic, Thomas discussed a piece of legislation introduced by state Sen. Jack Brandenburg that would cap the amount of fund equity a district could accumulate. [The proposal is to cap a district's "rainy day" fund at 15% of its annual operating expenses.]

“This has to rank as the single dumbest idea I have heard anywhere,” Thomas said. “The districts that were responsible would get money taken away to be driven back down. The only explanation is that Brandenburg doesn’t understand the concept of fund equity. It’s not a rainy day fund. This is another opportunity to write to a senator to let them know what a bad idea this is.”

Present: President Deb Mexicotte, vice president Susan Baskett, secretary Andy Thomas, treasurer Irene Patalan, and trustees Glenn Nelson, Simone Lightfoot and Christine Stead.

Next regular meeting: Wednesday, March 30, 2011, at 7 p.m. in the fourth-floor conference room of the downtown Ann Arbor District Library, 343 S. Fifth Ave.

About the writer: Eric Anderson is an intern for The Ann Arbor Chronicle. Jennifer Coffman, who usually covers AAPS board meetings for The Chronicle, is taking a maternity break.

Green is currently the superintendent of schools at North Allegheny School District in Pennsylvania. She’s a career educator, with her own educational background including a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a doctorate in education policy, planning and administration. The AAPS website includes additional biographical material on Green. [See also Chronicle coverage of first round interviews with the candidates: "AAPS: Final Phase of Superintendent Search"]

Patricia Green answers questions at a community forum held at Pioneer High School on March 4, 2011.

The decision to enter into negotiations with Green was made after the board held second interviews with Green and Michael Muñoz last Saturday morning, which followed a community forum the night before. At the forum, held at Pioneer High School, both candidates answered questions submitted by many of the roughly 100 members of the public who attended. Several board members also attended the forum.

The board selected Green after lengthy deliberations, which included reports on reference calls, an extensive discussion of candidates’ strengths and weaknesses and a number of straw polls displaying support for both candidates.

The fact that straw votes by trustees at one point had five of the seven supporting Muñoz – before the board eventually decided on Green – indicated that the board’s consensus was reached only with a great deal of effort. Board members frequently expressed their satisfaction with both candidates.

“We have two excellent candidates,” board president Deb Mexicotte said. “This is good for the outcome but tough for making the decision.”

Other board members agreed, frequently prefacing their statements of support for one candidate by allowing that, ultimately, they would be fine with either choice.

This report describes how the board’s discussion on Saturday unfolded.

Initial Straw Poll: Green 4, Muñoz 3

Trustees began deliberations by taking a straw poll to see where the board stood, an unofficial process Mexicotte felt would “take the board’s temperature.” The poll was taken by having trustees write their choice on a piece of paper, collecting the votes and tallying the results. For the first straw poll, Green received four votes – from trustees Christine Stead, Irene Patalan and Andy Thomas, as well as Mexicotte. Muñoz received the remaining three – from trustees Glenn Nelson, Simone Lightfoot and Susan Baskett.

Impressions from Andy Thomas

Thomas was the first to speak, expressing his support for Green. He cited the reference calls he and Baskett had made on behalf of the board when site visits had to be canceled due to inclement weather. He and Baskett had reported on their findings at the beginning of the meeting.

AAPS board members Glenn Nelson, left, Andy Thomas chat before the start of the Friday evening superintendent candidate forum at Pioneer High.

Thomas presented the report explaining that he and Baskett tried to talk to four people from each candidate’s district: a school board member, an administrator in the district, an officer of a local union, and a parent or community member. He said both candidates received generally positive remarks.

Thomas said the responses received about Green praised her work ethic and problem-solving abilities, as well as her leadership. Thomas spoke with Green’s school board, asking if they would renew her contract if possible, to which a board member replied yes, but it would not be unanimous. The dissent, according to Thomas’ report, would likely have come from two fiscally conservative board members.

One endorsement that Thomas said was particularly striking was from a mother he spoke to who had a daughter attend school in Green’s district. The mother said she would like her daughter to emulate Green and view her as a role model.

These responses helped convince Thomas that Green was the candidate Ann Arbor needed.

“I was impressed with what I heard about Green relative to where her [previous] district was [when she arrived] and where she brought it,” Thomas said, emphasizing that Ann Arbor was good, but that it could be better.

Thomas also told his board colleagues about his experiences making calls to address a concern he had about Muñoz. Specifically, because Muñoz is his district’s chief academic officer, not the superintendent, Thomas wondered if Muñoz would be prepared for the position of superintendent.

The reviews Thomas heard about Muñoz were generally positive, although they were less detailed or specific, due to the large size of Muñoz’s district and the lack of visibility that comes with his current position, Thomas felt. In addition, Thomas said that board members he interviewed were not very familiar with him, because he was not superintendent.

“We went on this national search because we wanted someone who has demonstrated that they can do the job,” Thomas said.

Thomas continued his remarks by talking about the impression he had of Muñoz after Friday night’s community forum. Thomas felt that Muñoz had not performed well when answering questions about special education programs, whereas Green has had “direct, very positive experiences with special education programs,” Thomas said.

This poor public impression could be attributed to Muñoz’s style of operating and interacting with the public. During the reference calls, both Thomas and Baskett found that those who worked with Muñoz said he had a laid-back style of working.

“He doesn’t speak a lot, but when he does, it is very focused,” Thomas said. “Because of his quiet style, he is sometimes perceived as not passionate, but that’s not the case.”

Baskett agreed, saying that his quiet nature could be attributed to his counseling background. She added that people didn’t describe him as flashy, but rather as a humble person who served as an example for the saying “still waters run deep.”

Nevertheless, Thomas concluded his remarks by saying that he felt Green would be the best candidate.

Impressions from Glenn Nelson

Nelson was the next to speak, expressing his support for Muñoz and identifying his experience engaging with a diverse community as a significant strength.

Board member Glenn Nelson took notes at the Friday night public forum.

Muñoz comes from a district with nearly 32,000 students speaking 43 different languages. Of these students, 65% live at or near the poverty level and 49% of the students are minorities. He also has extensive experience connecting with members of his district, sharing stories at the community forum that included him going to door to door to inform community members about news in the district.

Nelson added that Muñoz had documented experience working at the middle school level, a critical period, in Nelson’s opinion. He finished by saying that he felt Muñoz would be more likely to stay with the district for a long period of time, and appeal to students not currently enrolled in the Ann Arbor.

Impressions from Irene Patalan

Patalan spoke briefly after Nelson. She had voted for Green in the straw poll, citing her level of experience as the deciding factor. Patalan mentioned hearing these concerns about Muñoz and his relative lack of experience in the feedback from those who attended the community forum.

[Comments from people who attended the Friday community forum were solicited on "impression sheets" and were photocopied and given to each board member to review].

“When I looked at the community feedback, I saw that I was kind of on the same wavelength as the community,” she said.

Impressions from Christine Stead

Stead continued the theme of supporting Green for her experience, highlighting Green’s leadership on the legislative front.

A Friday night forum attendee holds aloft a completed "impression sheet" on Patricia Green, to signal it was ready for collection.

This was consistent with Stead’s question during the board’s final interview with Green. When Stead asked about the importance of legislative advocacy for the district, Green mentioned background that included advising the state senate whip in Pennsylvania on issues regarding education. Green said she balanced her commitment to advocacy in the political realm with a commitment to what she felt education was really about.

“As a superintendent, the district is important,” Green said. “It’s not about Republicans or Democrats – the kids are important.”

Impressions from Simone Lightfoot

Lightfoot offered a different perspective, saying that Muñoz represented the type of non-traditional candidate the board wanted to consider.

“We wanted to include non-traditional candidates, and we’d be remiss to hold them accountable for being non-traditional,” she said.

For Lightfoot, Muñoz had experience with diverse cultures, while Green didn’t. Lightfoot felt Muñoz could cross spectrums to connect with people, and that he was a candidate who is not just more of the same.

In support of Muñoz, she cited the plan Muñoz had discussed for his first 100 days as a superintendent. Muñoz frequently referred to his entry plan during interviews and the community forum – it’s a plan that calls for meeting with staff and administrators, reviewing curriculum and a wide range of other measures. Lightfoot felt this effort meant that Muñoz would be hungry to improve the district, connect with the district and stay for a long time.

Lightfoot concluded her comments by mentioning that Muñoz would be the district’s first Latino superintendent, and having someone in this position would be very positive for Latino students.

Impressions from Deb Mexicotte

Mexicotte, the board president, identified herself as the fourth and final vote for Green, admitting that she had switched her vote in her head countless times and would likely switch again before a decision was made. Mexicotte’s reasoning included a number of arguments already mentioned, with an emphasis on the feedback she’d read from the impression sheets filled out by the audience at Friday’s community forum.

Mexicotte said that while each candidate took hits in certain areas from the community feedback, the criticisms of Muñoz touched on a number of issues relating to lack of experience, including concerns over budgeting experience and how his quiet demeanor would be perceived. In contrast, Green had been criticized for answers that were too general and for possibly lacking a commitment to diversity. But Green was frequently praised for her experience and track record, with one commenter saying that she had “a whole-community view.”

Mexicotte finished by saying the final interview with Green, as well as her district’s documented minority student achievement, helped Mexicotte to decide that Green was the entire package.

Impressions from Susan Baskett

Baskett was the last board member to share her views, expressing support for Muñoz. Baskett felt that she would enjoy working with Muñoz more, and that he would have an easier time connecting with communities, making progress after the transition go much quicker.

Susan Baskett took notes at the Friday night forum.

About his quiet demeanor, Baskett said that while Muñoz had started out on the quiet side, she felt that he had become more comfortable interacting with the board as the interview process has gone on.

Baskett added that the feedback from the community forum should be taken with a grain of salt – because attendees were not asked to rank the candidates, only to give positives and negatives.

Nelson agreed, saying that the crowd that attended the forum was not a random sample of Ann Arbor. He said he doubted that anyone was there representing students who have chosen not to attend school in AAPS.

Second Straw Poll: Green 2, Muñoz 5

The initial round of views expressed by board members brought them to another straw poll. After taking a few minutes to reflect, trustees voted again. The new poll showed a significant shift in support toward Muñoz, who received five votes to Green’s two – from trustees Patalan and Thomas.

Continued Board Discussion

Mexicotte and Stead, the two board members who changed their votes in favor of Muñoz, explained that they switched because they felt there were adequate structures in place to support Muñoz in the areas he was deficient. Stead pointed to the legislative presence that she and other board members have already created through advocacy and legislative breakfasts to inform local elected representatives. Mexicotte also felt that the administrative team in place was strong.

“Where he has been perceived as deficient, the stuff we have in place will scaffold him,” Mexicotte said.

Patalan and Thomas then defended Green, explaining why they did not change their votes.

Thomas spoke first, allowing that Muñoz’s entrance plan was impressive. However, Thomas felt compelled to comment on the assertions that Green was not committed to equity and diversity. He said that she had a track record of success when she worked at a school district in Prince George’s county in Maryland, a very diverse area, and he was surprised that point was made against her.

Patalan agreed with Thomas, saying she was glad that Green had spoken about her work in Prince George’s county. Patalan added that while Muñoz is a solid option, Green would provide immediate leadership, making for a smooth transition.

Third Straw Poll: Green 3, Muñoz 4

The discussion on the second straw poll led to another straw poll, still showing support for Muñoz, but only by a 4-3 margin. Mexicotte chose to switch her support back to Green, returning to her previous logic that Green represented the whole package of what they were looking for, adding that she wasn’t sure how much more the board could discuss the issue to get more of a consensus.

Baskett then spoke and shared in more detail some of the problems she had with Green. She said she was not comfortable with Green’s handling of issues of diversity, referring to a metaphor Green had used during interviews and at the community forum that included large crayons of different colors she had in her office to remind her to celebrate diversity. Baskett said she was committed to helping Green with these issues but “she is not where Muñoz is in carrying the issues of diversity.”

In response, Patalan said that if Green was lacking in something like dealing with issues of diversity, she would be more than committed to improving herself.

“A commitment and a desire to be well-rounded is there,” Patalan said.

Fourth Straw Poll: Green 3, Muñoz 4

A fourth straw poll was held with the same result, but with a twist: Stead and Mexicotte had both changed their votes.

Stead explained that she had decided to throw her support back to Green, because of the arguments made about the differences in experience. She added that she was starting to question the commitment by the district that would have to be made to support Muñoz if he is lacking in experience.

Bill Newman, left, and Alvin Johnson of the consulting firm Ray & Associates sort through audience-submitted questions at the Friday night forum.

Thomas accentuated this notion by pointing out that several senior members of the district’s administration could be close to retirement, creating a significant loss in people with “institutional history and knowledge regarding the district” and making for a more difficult learning curve.

Mexicotte said her change was motivated less by a preference for one candidate over the other, and more by a desire for board unity.

Nelson took the opportunity to jokingly identify Ray & Associates, the search firm hired by the district to help with the process, as the reason for the difficult decision.

“In case anyone is misinterpreting this, the people to blame are Ray & Associates,” he said. “They produced two super candidates.”

Fifth Straw Poll: Green 4, Muñoz 3

The continued discussion led to a final straw poll, with Mexicotte saying that she had come full circle and would be supporting Green. The final count was 4-3 in favor of Green, with board member votes distributed along the lines of the original straw poll. Green received votes from trustees Christine Stead, Irene Patalan and Andy Thomas, as well as president Deb Mexicotte. Muñoz received votes from trustees Glenn Nelson, Simone Lightfoot and Susan Baskett.

The Vote on Green: 6-1

With that, Nelson moved to nominate Green as their choice for the position of superintendent. The board voted 6-1 in favor of Green, with Baskett as the dissenting vote.

Details of the Offer

Discussion then moved to specifics about the contract the district would be offering. Trustees discussed a number of clauses that could be included in the contract, like the length of the contract and the salary of $245,000.

On the issue of the contract’s term, Mexicotte said a four-year contract had been brought up because it would send a message of longevity.

Stead addressed concerns that the salary was too high by saying that the $245,000 figure is about $1,000 less than the average superintendent’s salary in a university town.

In the end, the board agreed to make Green the offer of a four-year contract with an annual salary of $245,000. It will include the same health care package as other top AAPS administrators, a term life insurance policy at three times the salary, and fees and dues to join community organizations and up to four professional organizations. Green will also be offered three personal days per year, 12 sick days that could accrue up to 200 sick days, and 25 vacation days per year that do not accrue.

Finally, the board decided to offer Green the opportunity to present three competitive bids for moving expenses, with the understanding that the board will choose the lowest one.

Coda

In closing, Thomas commented on the process that was coming to an end after a long, detailed search.

“From the moment that we started, there has been a lot of criticism about the process. My observation is that we completed the process within the time frame; we were presented with a group of 12 candidates who were all qualified and had been properly vetted and we narrowed down to a group of six with which we had strong consensus. After public interviews, we were down to a group of three, then two. We did offer to the community to suggest questions. We had public forums where a significant number came. We did carefully consider public input. We came down to a choice between two extremely well-qualified candidates,” he said. “As tortuous and convoluted as this procedure was, it worked.”

Present: President Deb Mexicotte, vice president Susan Baskett, secretary Andy Thomas, treasurer Irene Patalan, and trustees Glenn Nelson, Simone Lightfoot, and Christine Stead.

Next regular meeting: Wednesday, March 16, 2011, 7 p.m., at the fourth-floor conference room of the downtown Ann Arbor District Library, 343 S. Fifth Ave.

About the writer: Eric Anderson is an intern for The Ann Arbor Chronicle.

At Wednesday’s regular meeting, the highlight was a presentation on the special education millage that will appear on the ballot on May 3, 2011. The proposed tax would renew an existing levy for the next seven years, and is projected to generate $14 million to support special education services in school districts across Washtenaw County. Of that amount, AAPS would be allocated around $5.7 million.

The special ed millage is not the same kind of proposal as the unsuccessful November 2009 ballot proposal – which was to levy a new, additional 2 mill tax to support general operations for districts countywide.

In addition to the presentation, the board heard its usual range of board and association reports during the meeting.

Special Education Presentation

By way of background, at its December 2010 board meeting, the Washtenaw Intermediate School District (WISD) voted to place before voters a renewal of an existing tax that supports special education in all school districts in Washtenaw County. It will appear on the ballot on May 3, 2011.

The funds collected through the millage support special ed services for students with physical, mental or emotional disabilities up to age 26.

First approved in 2004 at the rate of 1 mill, the six-year millage expired after the 2010 tax season. The proposed renewal of the special ed tax, at a rate of 0.985 mill, would extend another seven years – through 2017. A tax rate of 1 mill is equivalent to $1 for every $1,000 of a property’s taxable value. The millage appears on tax bills under the label WISD SPEC ED.

Countywide, the millage would generate around $14 million. According to WISD, the estimated distribution among school districts in the county would look like this:

Ann Arbor                 $5,767,020
Chelsea                      752,360
Dexter                       790,300
Lincoln                    1,464,120
Manchester                   281,540
Milan                        403,480
Saline                     1,349,460
Whitmore Lake                296,100
Willow Run                   542,640
Ypsilanti                  2,163,000
9 Public School Academies    189,980
Total                    $14,000,000

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Representatives from the AAPS Student Intervention and Support Services (SISS) were present at Wednesday’s meeting to update the AAPS board on the services currently being offered, their hopes for the future and to discuss the importance of the upcoming special education millage.

Special Ed: Addressing Areas of Disproportionality

Elaine Brown, assistant superintendent for SISS, began by discussing the efforts the district has made to address two areas the state had identified about two years ago as disproportional. These two areas were: (1) the disproportionate representation of specific learning disabilities and cognitive impairment; and (2) and disproportionate suspension and expulsion of students with disabilities. In a followup phone interview with The Chronicle, AAPS communications director Liz Margolis explained that “disproportional” in this context means that the state felt the district was identifying a higher number of male African American students as special education students than would be warranted based on their statistical representation in the district.

“Our mission is to ensure that every special needs student has access to, and progresses in, the general education curriculum,” Brown said, reading from the SISS mission statement at Wednesday’s meeting. “Each student with special needs will be provided appropriate supports, interventions, and strategies to afford she or he an opportunity to receive the highest quality education in the least restrictive environment.”

SISS addressed the disproportions by developing corrective action plans that focused on identifying early those students who may have academic or behavioral concerns, Brown said. The earlier identification was accomplished through an emphasis on communication between teachers, administrators and parents.

Special Ed: Corrective Action – Achievement Teams

The chief tool for increasing communication are the district’s achievement teams. Ruth Williams, the interim assistant superintendent of education, said that students with potential issues are targeted earlier through regular meetings of a school’s achievement team, which includes teachers and administrators.

After identifying students who may have potential behavioral or academic issues, teachers can use a range of solutions to attempt a remedy of the situation. These solutions, called interventions, can range from simple disciplinary tactics to regularly scheduled meetings with the student and the student’s parents.

“During these meetings, teachers discuss concerns about the student’s performance and the interventions they have tried,” Williams said. “We also invite the parents – it’s important to keep them informed about our concerns.”

This increased focus on early identification was accompanied by the creation of a database to document what efforts have been made with students, and the effectiveness of those efforts. Teachers can log information about what has and has not been effective while working with a student. This information can help other teachers make informed, data-driven decisions about the best way to deal with a student. Other than interventions, the database includes information such as a student’s test scores or discipline referrals.

“We are focused on success for all students,” Williams said. “We want to make child-centered, data-driven decisions with consistent implementation and team consensus.”

In the eyes of the state, these corrective action plans worked. As of Feb. 18, 2011, the Department of Education deemed the district to be back in compliance in the two problem areas. Brown did add that these corrective plans will help in the future as the state continues to monitor the district.

“We have to make sure we have procedures in place to ensure compliance,” Brown said. “As long as we stay up on our documentation and our compliance processes, we will be okay.”

Brown then moved to show how the district had documented its success by using achievement teams: The number of special education students identified by the district has declined. After achievement teams were implemented in 2008, there was a noticeable decrease in the number of special education students, dropping from 2,215 students in 2008 to 2,170 in 2009 and 2,094 in 2010.

This drop, Brown said, was due to earlier identification of students with potential problems, as well as providing proper support to those students.

Special Ed: Changes in Special Education Numbers

After addressing the trend of a declining special education population, Brown was quick to explain that the decreasing numbers did not mean that funding could decrease.

One segment of the district’s special education population that is increasing is the number of students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In 2010 there were 241 students with ASD, up from 154 in 2005. In addition, Brown said, supporting these students costs more, and that the trend seen in Ann Arbor is also being seen across the nation.

She added that the district was mandated to maintain their levels of funding, an issue that would be expanded on later in the discussion.

Special Ed: Technology Upgrades

Jeff Flynn, the assistive technology consultant for the district, updated the board on new technology that SISS had purchased with funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act – widely known as the federal stimulus bill. He also outlined a number of items that SISS was hoping to purchase, but that would have to be reviewed by the board.

Brown added that the role technology can play is immensely important.

“We need to ensure that we align our technology purchases with our curriculum and instruction,” she said. “Providing students with technology is one of the best ways to close the achievement gap.”

One of the larger purchases yet to be approved is the Kurzweil 3000, a server-based piece of software that can convert text to speech so students can be read to, along with writing and editing features. The district is currently using an earlier version of the software, and SISS is looking to purchase an updated version.

“We’re also exited about the software’s web-based licenses that allows students at home to access this support – we find that compelling and exciting,” Flynn said.

Flynn also introduced the board to the “Tap It” 42-inch touch screen monitors. These touch screens, if approved by the board, would be located at Skyline, Pioneer and Huron high schools, as well as Forsythe middle school and Haisley, Abbot, Wines and Logan elementary schools.

Trustee Susan Baskett asked why those schools were chosen to host the touch screens. Flynn replied that they were chosen because they had the groups of cognitively- and health-impaired students who would most benefit from the technology.

The touch screens can be positioned upright to be used for presentations or laid flat to be used as an interactive table for a group of students. Flynn said this technology is great for allowing autistic or cognitively impaired students to communicate with the computers.

Baskett raised concerns over the cost of some of these items, including the ongoing cost of maintenance that will come down the road.

Flynn and the other SISS representatives didn’t have specific figures for maintenance, but said they planned on bringing more specific figures to the next meeting when the board begins to review some of the larger purchases SISS is looking to make.

Special Ed: Helping Students Transition

Cassandra Benion, SISS assistant director, followed Brown by talking about how SISS helps special education students transition from a school setting to life after they graduate.

Benion started by summarizing how the district’s transition services help students enrolled in high school. She highlighted the Practical Assessment Exploration System (PAES), which has been in use for about a year. The PAES program is a research-based assessment that identifies a student’s interests, functional skills, aptitude for community-based employment and workplace strengths and weaknesses.

This program is used along with a number of events, hosted by SISS and other supporting organizations, that school officials believe address important areas of transition by outlining what services are available for special education students and their families.

Special Ed: Young Adult Programs

Benion also discussed the possibility of establishing a Young Adult Program for special needs students transitioning after high school.

YAPs serve special education students who need services after graduating high school. Students usually move into the program around the age of 20 and can be in the program until the age of 26.

Currently, YAP programs are hosted in Saline and in five other locations throughout the Washtenaw Intermediate School District.

Benion said the conversation about starting a YAP in Ann Arbor began about two years ago when parents were looking for an alternative to the program offered by WISD. She added that the WISD program is either near or at its capacity, while the YAP program in Saline offered more space and room for activities.

“Both programs have similar offerings with the exception of available space,” Benion said, adding that students in the Saline YAP are grouped into three tiers. The first tier includes students learning general life skills, the second has students learning about employment and the final tier prepares students for transitioning into society. The WISD program does not have these groups, and a program in Ann Arbor could offer local families a closer, more appealing setup, she said.

Board president Deb Mexicotte added that the parents comparing the programs in Saline and the WISD have found Saline’s program more appealing.

“I believe that many of the parents opted for that site based on evaluations of the WISD’s sites,” she said. “In looking at a range of choices, people are looking for sites like the Saline model.”

Benion said that the next step to be tackled would be finding a suitable location. Representatives from the SISS have visited sites, finding that school buildings provide the best venues. Saline’s program is housed in the former high school, and the WISD has programs at locations such as Eastern Michigan University and Washtenaw Community College.

Once a site is secured, Benion said that discussions can start about program details, such as what sorts of resources will be required.

Special Ed: Importance of the Special Education Millage

After the presentation, much of the trustees’ response centered on how important passage of the upcoming special education millage is, emphasizing that funding these initiatives is mandatory, and not doing so would require the funds to come from cuts elsewhere in the district.

Special Ed: Budget Breakdown

Trustee Glenn Nelson began by outlining the specific figures the district is dealing with and how much of an impact the millage would have. Brown had supplied a breakdown of the AAPS special education costs, which amounted to just over $37 million. Nelson added in other costs related to meeting federal guidelines, bringing the total to roughly $40 million.

Nelson then explained the extensive process of receiving reimbursement from federal and state levels of government. The district is reimbursed for portions of everything – from money spent on transportation to general costs, reducing the final cost.

“It’s important to use the net amount, not the gross amount, when thinking about costs,” he said.

In 2010, the district was left with $4 million to pay from the general fund after going through the reimbursement process. Nelson connected these figures to the impact of the upcoming vote in May to support special education.

“The millage will produce almost $6 million a year,” Nelson said. [Nelson's figure is roughly the amount that would be allocated just to AAPS – countywide, it would generate around $14 million.] “Without the millage, our costs would have been more like $10 million rather than $4 million, so that we would have $6 million less in the general fund for other purposes.”

Nelson went on to say that providing this support is mandatory, and funding for special education services could not decrease.

“This mandate that we must maintain the funding effort has a financial hammer,” he said. “If we don’t do that, we don’t get all the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) funds from the federal government. We wouldn’t be cutting expenditures, because we’d be cutting revenues too.”

Trustee Andy Thomas supported Nelson’s comments about the importance of the funding that would be provided by the millage.

“In the absence of the millage, there would be roughly $6 million, in addition to cuts that are accruing from changes in foundational allowance, that we would have to absorb, and it would have to come out of other programs,” Thomas said. ["Foundational allowance" refers to the per-pupil amounts that schools receive from the state School Aid Fund.] “There is kind of a false debate that the special education millage is more money being shoveled into the pot, increasing funding for general education students. By setting this aside, we have a way of meeting the need of the special education students.”

Trustee Christine Stead said that, even with the millage, there would still be remaining costs the district would have to cover, making the millage funds even more important.

“It’s difficult because, even if the millage passes, we’ll still have to make cuts somewhere to maintain our level of services,” she said.

She added that, over the next two years, the board would be hard-pressed to consider funding increases. With coming decreases in education funding from Gov. Rick Snyder’s budget proposal and the effect of declining property values on the millage, approving increases in funding will become difficult.

“This is the context we’re operating in,” Stead said. “We have to be realistic.”

Special Ed: Investing in the Future

Nelson concluded the discussion by emphasizing what this millage will mean to the district, calling the money “an investment.”

“The earlier you make the investments, the greater return you get,” he said. “This $6 million we’re thinking about putting into lives, it will save many times that later on. It’s an investment in the truest form of that word, and it’s time for us as a society to be making the investments rather than cutting them.”

Board Reports

The board has two standing committees. The planning committee consists of: Christine Stead (chair), Susan Baskett, and Irene Patalan. The performance committee consists of: Glenn Nelson (chair), Simone Lightfoot, and Andy Thomas. Board president Deb Mexicotte sits on neither committee.

Board Report: Performance Committee

Nelson updated the board on the March 1 meeting of the board’s performance committee. Nelson reported on the committee’s discussion regarding the possible purchase of Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) software, a new piece of testing and evaluation software.

He explained that the NWEA test could be given in all grades in reading, math, language usage and science. The tests are online and are adaptive, which means they are personalized to students based on their performance on initial questions. The NWEA tests can also be given up to three times per year, which he said make them much more useful for planning than the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) tests, which does not have as fast a turnaround time.

A presentation had been given by Andy Ingalls, executive director of instruction for the Chelsea school district, who attested to the quality of the product during the committee meeting.

Nelson also discussed how the testing data can be aggregated in different ways, grouping students based on performance and identifying the subject areas in which a student may be excelling or falling behind. These student performance measures also include measurements of entire classes, allowing for teachers to be judged on the growth of their students.

Thomas praised the student evaluation portion of the software, saying that having the baseline of a student’s abilities to work with so soon will prove to be very valuable.

Nelson concluded his report by giving the board a general idea of the costs that would be associated with the purchases. According to Nelson, the low end would include leasing 1,100 computers, the minimum they would need to be able to run the program, for $365,000 per year. The most expensive option would be the outright purchase of 3,300 computers for $3.7 million, a one-time cost.

Nelson acknowledged that this program will have to be compared against other priorities when the budget is being created this year, but said he felt it was a strong option.

“The benefits are so large that this may be the best use of our funds,” he said.

Lee Ann Dickinson-Kelley, AAPS deputy superintendent for instruction, added that there were other districts interested in the software, and by purchasing it together, a better deal could be reached.

Board Reports: Planning Committee

There was no report from the planning committee, as it had not met since the last board meeting. Stead, who reported from the committee to the board, did say that the committee’s future work will include trying to meet with Gov. Rick Snyder to discuss education funding in the context of economic development.

Association Reports

At each meeting, the board invites reports from six associations: the Youth Senate, the Ann Arbor Parent Advisory Committee on Special Education (AAPAC), the Parent-Teacher-Organization Council (PTOC), the Black Parents Student Support Group (BPSSG), the Ann Arbor Administrators Association (AAAA), and the Ann Arbor Education Association (AAEA). At Wednesday’s meeting, representatives from the Youth Senate and the Ann Arbor Parent Advisory Committee were on hand to present during the meeting’s association reports.

Association Reports: Youth Senate

Nikila Lakshmanan, a junior senator from Community High School, along with other local high school students, updated the board on the Youth Senate’s efforts. These included an upcoming job search convention they will be attending and work done by the Youth Activist Training and Networking – a group started by community high school students to empower youth interested in helping the community and volunteering.

In addition to summarizing the work of the Youth Senate, Lakshmanan invited the board and the public to join them in their volunteer efforts. The group usually meets every Friday at 6:15 p.m. at the downtown Youth Senate office – at 202 E. Huron St., #101 – before heading out to help feed the homeless with different sponsors. Lakshmanan said that volunteers talk with the homeless while helping set up and serve food.

Association Reports: AAPAC

The report from Ann Arbor Parent Advisory Committee was delivered by Melany Raubolt, the co-vice chair for AAPAC and the parent of an autistic student at Slauson Middle School. Raubolt praised everyone who has worked with AAPAC to enrich the lives of special needs students, adding that her son, an eighth-grade student at Slauson, was fully with his regular education peers and will be transitioning to Pioneer High School next year.

Raubolt also touched on the upcoming special education millage, expressing her organization’s support for the measure. She asked for community support in the formation of a Young Adult Program (YAP), a concept that was discussed during the presentation by the SISS on the district’s special education performance.

“This millage is a special education renewal, serving a critical function in our communities by empowering all students with the necessary tools required for individual success,” she said.

Superintendent’s Report

Lee Ann Dickinson-Kelley, AAPS deputy superintendent for instruction, gave the superintendent’s report in place of interim superintendent Robert Allen, who was away at a conference.

She noted a number of awards recently received by AAPS students, including awards in math, choir, chess, and athletics. In addition, she reported that students in one class at Pattengill did a service project instead of exchanging Valentine’s cards with each other this year.

Dickinson-Kelley also stated that Allen was a keynote speaker at a recent Ann Arbor Chamber of Commerce meeting, which resulted in chamber members making visits to two AAPS schools. She noted that the participants were very impressed with the schools they visited.

Dickinson-Kelley reported that National African-American Parent Involvement Day (NAAPID) had been a large success throughout the district. Finally, she encouraged all staff and community members to attend the forums and final interviews of the two remaining candidates for AAPS superintendent. [The forums and interviews were held later that week, on March 4-5, and resulted in the board decision to enter into negotiations with Patricia Green to be the next AAPS superintendent.]

Financial Report

Nancy Hoover, the district’s director of financial operations, provided the first briefing for the board during Wednesday’s meeting. Hoover’s brief report touched on grant money received by the district and how it was being used.

Currently, the district is able to cover some salaries of high school teachers with a $1.9 million grant from federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds. This allows the district to remove that expense from the general operating budget.

Trustees took the opportunity to make a point about how budget figures could look artificially low or high because of these funding shifts. Trustee Glenn Nelson warned against reading too much into coming figures.

“When we do the budget for the 2012 fiscal year with none of these grants, these high school salaries are going to come back in, and it will look like the general fund budget has increased,” he said. “This is purely an artifact of accounting, not a real increase.”

Trustee Andy Thomas echoed these sentiments.

“It’s important to realize that, in making comparisons from year to year, there are a number of adjustments such as this that need to be taken into account,” he said.

Pioneer Field Bid Update

Randy Trent, executive director of physical properties for the district, gave the board a special briefing on the progress of collecting bids for work on the Pioneer High School football dressing room and field.

The project includes building new dressing room facilities and putting in new turf for a practice field next to the school’s football stadium. Trent recommended selecting Granger Construction for the bid at a cost of just over $42.3 million. Trent said that past dealings with Granger have been positive.

The board took action on the proposal later in the meeting, voting unanimously to approve it as part of a consent agenda, which also included minutes and gift offers.

Public Commentary: Bullying

The meeting opened with public commentary from Christa Moran, a parent concerned about the presence of bullying in the district. Moran spoke about a bullying situation in which her son was forced out of AAPS by a student who she said was extorting money from him. In her description, the situation was addressed poorly by his school, and resulted in ongoing retribution bullying. Once her son became suicidal, she pulled him out of AAPS, and enrolled him in a local charter school where he is now thriving.

Moran spoke, she said, on behalf of students without a support system, and who don’t have anywhere else to go. She noted that bullying policies are inconsistently applied across schools, and urged all board members and administrators to take the issues of bullying and “predatory aggression” seriously. Moran suggested surveying parents and students regarding their experiences with bullying, instituting a bullying policy similar to the districtwide zero-tolerance policy toward weapons, and training student bystanders about how to deal with bullying episodes they witness.

Present: President Deb Mexicotte, vice president Susan Baskett, secretary Andy Thomas, treasurer Irene Patalan, and trustees Glenn Nelson, and Christine Stead.

Absent: Simone Lightfoot.

Next regular meeting: Wednesday, March 16, 2011, 7 p.m., at the fourth-floor conference room of the downtown Ann Arbor District Library, 343 S. Fifth Ave.

About the writer: Eric Anderson is an intern for The Ann Arbor Chronicle.