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.

As first reported by The Chronicle, the board of trustees two-day retreat at the Westin Book Cadillac hotel in Detroit cost a total of $9,910.70, including dinner at the hotel’s 24grille restaurant and $5,887.43 in hotel charges. WCC’s paper The Washtenaw Voice later reported that the dinner bill included $573 worth of wine.

Whitworth said the cost of the meal was higher than anticipated due to the fact that he missed a detail on the menu that 24grille faxed him before the retreat. Specifically, he didn’t read the fine print stating that the restaurant would charge $100 per person for the meal, not including tax and gratuity. Whitworth said he expected to pay about $2,000 and was shocked when he saw the bill.

Whitworth said he wanted to assert his culpability in response to a May 26 AnnArbor.com article, which was based on a press release issued by Lonnie Scott, a Democratic candidate for the 54th District state representative seat. Scott criticized fellow candidate and WCC board of trustees treasurer David Rutledge for attending the retreat dinner, calling the $4,023.87 bill excessive and a waste of taxpayer money.

The board has also received criticism for spending an extravagant amount on a dinner just before its members voted to increase WCC’s tuition by nearly 10% – or $7 per credit hour.

During Wednesday’s briefing, Whitworth stressed that Rutledge and the other board members are in no way responsible for the cost of the meal and were not aware of the expense at the time of the retreat. He called blaming the trustees “wholly and totally inappropriate.”

“I thought it was very, very unfortunate that Lonnie Scott would somehow think David Rutledge was responsible,” Whitworth said. “I want to take full responsibility.”

Whitworth also emphasized that the dinner was business-oriented. He said it’s important to isolate the trustees away from their other obligations once a year for the retreat so that they can concentrate on important matters pertaining to the college. He also defended the tuition increase, saying that it was necessary to maintain the quality of the college’s vocational and technical programs. He noted that the college will lose about $3.5 million in local tax revenue this year and therefore needs to raise tuition rates.

Whitworth said that in order to remedy his mistake, he has personally reimbursed the college for the dinner with a $4,024 check. He said he wasn’t pressured by the board of trustees in any way, and the reimbursement was entirely his idea.

“This is my error,” Whitworth said. “If you’re going to be responsible, there ought to be a consequence.”

The Chronicle initially reported the dinner and other expenses in the context of covering the March 5-6 retreat, where the trustees and staff discussed the possibility of opening a satellite campus in Ann Arbor – possibly in partnership with the Ann Arbor District Library. Other topics included financial updates, a discussion about tuition increases, a briefing on student demographic data, curriculum changes, and building projects.

Following the retreat, The Chronicle submitted a Freedom of Information Act request for expenses related to the two-day event. In addition to the $4,023 dinner tab, the college paid $5,887.43 in hotel charges that included individual guest charges, catering and Internet charges. [.pdf file of receipts from Westin Book Cadillac, in response to a FOIA request]

About the writer: Helen Nevius is a freelance writer for The Ann Arbor Chronicle.

Andy Thomas, being sworn-in as the newest trustee of the Ann Arbor Public Schools board of education at its May 12 meeting. (Photos by the writer.)

Thomas replaces long-time member Randy Friedman, who resigned in April.  The selection of Thomas to the board during last Wednesday’s meeting marks the third change in board membership in the past six months. Thomas’ current term will end at the end of the year, and he – along with trustees Simone Lightfoot, Christine Stead, Deb Mexicotte, and Susan Baskett – will need to be re-elected in November to remain on the board.

Also at the meeting, the district’s achievement gap between white and minority students was addressed from multiple perspectives. The proposed Washtenaw Intermediate School District budget was reviewed, and the board was briefed on the district’s finances, sinking fund summer projects, policy updates, and human resources.

Andy Thomas Selected as New Board Trustee

After presentations were made by five candidates at its meeting on Wednesday, Andy Thomas was selected, seated, and sworn-in as the newest trustee of the district’s seven-member board.

Board Candidate: Presentations

Before Thomas was chosen, board president Deb Mexicotte reviewed the trustee selection process, reminding candidates they would each have five minutes to speak to the board about who they are, and what they would bring to the board. Then, Mexicotte explained, the board would vote, and whoever was selected would be seated, sworn-in, and enjoy full voting privileges. Candidates made presentations in the following order, chosen at random: James Corey, Noah Hurwitz, Victoria Haviland, Jack Panitch, and Andy Thomas.

Corey reviewed his history as an AAPS student, and as a teacher, coach, and dean. He named two events – the Columbine massacre, and September 11 – as making him realize how lucky he is to be an American, and how much he wanted to give back to his community. Highlighting his interest in using technology to improve education, Corey noted that he is among the 30% of Ann Arbor residents who do not have children, but he still cares about high-quality education. As the district’s opportunities, he listed improving communication, involving the community, celebrating diversity, and making decisions more quickly. Corey acknowledged that he does not have a “magic pill,” but wants to be part of making the decisions.

Hurwitz touted his strong commitment to education, and noted that he had also run for the board in 2003 “to give back to the community.” He mentioned fighting for his adopted son to be given opportunities throughout his schooling, while working as a substitute teacher in virtually every school in the district. Also a former AAPS student, Hurwitz described himself now as a lawyer with an emphasis on education law. Due to the current challenges, he argued, he would “work to promote an understanding of the board’s decisions in the community.”

Haviland began her presentation by describing a visit she made to an AAPS classroom the previous week. She described her experience as a teacher and teacher educator as having led her to the “national forefront” of work in designing equitable instruction, including publishing in peer-reviewed journals, and working on a book on the topic. Haviland argued that teachers would appreciate a board member having had a life in education, and that her connections to the University of Michigan, as well as her expertise in equity issues would be assets to the district.

Panitch began by noting humorously that his wife thought he needed his head examined for applying for a board seat for the third time this school year. Saying he has learned something each time around, Panitch described his motivation for wanting to serve on the board as having a stake in maintaining excellence for all, being inspired by the trustees’ selfless service, and feeling a “calling to serve.” Panitch pointed out that, while he is proud to currently wear the mantle of stay-at-home dad, he has 19 years of experience as a tax attorney, with experience in negotiation, litigation, and advising. He also described himself as a “confident, talented guy, but also a team player.” Noting that “nobody can replace Randy Friedman,” Panitch closed with, “Tonight, Ann Arbor may seem like a house divided, but we’ll put it all back together and move on.”

Thomas was the last to address the board, and reveled in the freedom of Wednesday’s presentation topic. He pointed out that the last two times he applied, candidates were asked to present on a very specific topic, but that tonight he would simply speak about “what makes me tick, and why I’ll be an asset to the board.” Thomas pointed to his 25 years as a health care administrator as good practice for working with ongoing declines in revenue. He also mentioned some of his firsthand experience with the district – he has a son at Tappan, and has worked with the AAPS Educational Foundation. In addition to canoeing and playing the viola, Thomas called his work with the Karen Thomas Memorial Fund as one of his greatest passions. The fund, which Thomas began to honor his wife, who died of breast cancer, encourages the reading of classic literature by at-risk elementary students.

As for why he wanted to join the board, just when he is really enjoying retirement, Thomas stated simply, “I feel it is my duty.” In this unprecedented time, he said, the AAPS is at a tipping point, and his experience with budget cuts and cost containment, as well as his commitment to equity and excellence, makes him the ideal candidate. If chosen, Thomas said the board could expect him to be a straightforward, independent thinker without a predetermined agenda, someone who is not afraid to admit when he is wrong, and someone who would push the board to make data-driven decisions. In closing, of serving on the board, he said, “I would consider it an honor.”

Board Candidates: Voting Process and Outcome

After the presentations, Mexicotte again reviewed the process that trustees would use to choose their new member. The voting would be done by paper ballot, she said, and would continue until a candidate received a simple majority, which is four votes. If no candidate achieved four votes in the first round of voting, she added, there would be more discussion, and another vote. If there was still not a majority at that time, trustees would put forth their top two votes, and the top three vote-getters would move on to another round. Mexicotte summarized the process as one that moves on by slowly eliminating those candidates with fewer votes. If there is a tie that cannot be broken after a short recess, she pointed out, she would cast the tie-breaking vote.

Before the voting began, trustees Glenn Nelson and Irene Patalan each thanked the candidates. Nelson encouraged them to stay involved in the schools no matter how the vote went, and Patalan said she was proud of and had learned from all the candidates.

Board treasurer Christine Stead participated in the meeting by speakerphone.

Via speakerphone, Christine Stead asked for clarification on how her vote would be received, since she would not be submitting a paper ballot. Board secretary Amy Osinkski suggested that Stead should give her vote first, since it would be verbal. Stead agreed.

Mexicotte then issued an invitation to vote: “Let us cast our first ballot.”

Board members voted on small, lavender slips of paper, which were then collected and read by Osinski. The votes were as follows: Stead voted for Panitch; Lightfoot and Baskett voted for Haviland; Mexicotte, Nelson, and Patalan voted for Thomas.

Osinski noted that no one had received the majority. Mexicotte opened the floor for discussion, but after a few moments of silence, quipped, ” … or a minute where trustees can collect their thoughts.”

Osinski then passed out pink slips for the second round of voting, which yielded the final decision. As with the last trustee selection that had put Stead on the board, it was the four board officers who voted in the winner – Mexicotte, Patalan, Stead, and Nelson voted for Thomas. Trustees Lightfoot and Baskett voted for Haviland.

Thomas joined the table, sitting down next to the trustee with the longest tenure on the board, Glenn Nelson, and was sworn-in by Osinski. Mexicotte joked, “If you have any questions, just ask Glenn,” and added, “Just kidding – by all means, if you need to ask a question, please do.”

Achievement Gap

Throughout the meeting, references were made to the district’s addressing of the achievement gap between white and minority students.

Dicken “Lunch Bunch” Program to be Reorganized

Near the beginning of Wednesday’s meeting, Mexicotte read a lengthy statement from the board regarding recent controversy surrounding a program at Dicken known as the “African-American Lunch Bunch.” The program was started this year “to provide support and peer mentoring for African-American students who are not achieving at grade level based on state test score results,” Mexicotte said. Following a field trip taken by the program’s participants a few weeks ago, the board has received many angry comments, many of which, Mexicotte said, have “not been civil, or tempered, or well-informed,” and which she said “illustrates just how far some have strayed from the presumption of good will on which the best communities rely.”

Mexicotte went on to admit that, after seeking a legal opinion, it was found that “the ‘Lunch Bunch’ program as it was structured does not comply with board [anti-discrimination] policy or the [Michigan] state constitution, Article 26.” [Article 26 addresses affirmative action programs. It states, in part: "The University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Wayne State University, and any other public college or university, community college, or school district shall not discriminate against, or grant preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education, or public contracting."]

Mexicotte stated that the program would be reorganized, and that “the administration and the board will also create, disseminate, and implement clear guidelines regarding compliance with the board’s anti-discrimination policy and state law to ensure that [Dicken principal Michael] Madison and all administrators and district employees understand and comply with all applicable policies and laws.”

Dicken “Lunch Bunch”: Public Commentary

One person offered public commentary on the “Lunch Bunch” – Ann O’Connell, an AAPS parent who has served on school PTOs and School Improvement Teams over the past 12 years. She expressed concern that district officials, as well as adults in the Dicken community, did not realize Dicken’s African-American “Lunch Bunch” program was “illegally segregating students by race.”

O’Connell noted that over the years she has been involved in the district, other district or school-based efforts have also have been found to be discriminatory for targeting students based on race or gender. On Wednesday, she urged the trustees, “in the strongest possible terms, to re-think and re-direct the district’s group-focused approach to … closing the achievement gap.”

She argued for the retraining of district staff so they can clearly identify appropriate interventions. “What you have been doing, often with excellent intentions,” O’Connell asserted, “is illegal, it’s immoral, it’s insulting to both girls and to African-Americans to imply that they will not, can not, succeed in a fair educational system.”

“College and Career-Ready Review” Follow-Up Forum

Late in the meeting, Susan Baskett extended a “heartfelt thanks” to the Peace Neighborhood Center, the school board, the superintendent and his cabinet for participating in the College and Career Ready Review held on April 29, and for “working toward getting all of our kids college and career ready.” The Review was an opportunity for AAPS administration, the Board, and the community to come together to review and discuss achievement gap data.  She mentioned that the expectation was only that a few community leaders would attend, but over 85 people were there. Singling out her fellow trustees for a second round of thanks, Baskett said that she sees them, and herself, as bridges and inroads to different, specific communities within the wider district community.

Simone Lightfoot also addressed the review, saying she believed it was important for the district to “own our stuff.” She announced a follow-up forum to take place on May 27, so “we can answer the questions posed, listen, and acquire feedback.”

Fund Balance Considerations

Two of the first briefing items – the third quarter financial report, and the board’s annual review of the Washtenaw Intermediate School District budget – tied together an ongoing board discussion over the district’s fund balance and at what level it should be held. Also brought up was the need to begin working on a renewal of the special education millage that funds a large part of the WISD’s work, but will expire next year.

Fund Balance: Third Quarter Financial Report

Nancy Hoover, AAPS director of finance, and Robert Allen, AAPS deputy superintendent for operations, presented the third quarter financial report to the board.

Hoover noted that there were no major changes to the bottom line, though some revenues and corresponding expenditures were reclassified because they are now coming from the federal government instead of the state.  Trustee Glenn Nelson asked if anything had happened since the report was generated that the board would otherwise not hear about until the district’s audit. Hoover said, “No, this is the last change we have to make that we are aware of.”

Allen then took to the podium to lead the board through the budget trends evident so far this year, and to compare this year’s spending with that of the 2008-09 school year. He asserted, “We are pretty much on track to where we were last year at this time.”

Allen then pointed out another thing that has not changed: the projected deficit of $7.58 million. He reviewed the fund equity balance he had previously presented to the board, highlighting that the district has spent down $12 million of it over the past two years. Allen said even though the district had been “holding the line on expenditures, and buying only what is necessary,” it looked like the target of $2.7 million in mid-year budget reductions was not going to be reached; in fact, he said, “we’d be very happy to get to $1 million in reductions.”

Andy Thomas asked about the discrepancy between $2.7 million and $1 million: “In what areas were you not able to realize the savings you’d hoped for?” Allen pointed to overtime as a unmitigated cost, saying, “If you have to have coverage, you have to have it.”

Christine Stead asked several questions: 1) if there was a possibility of fund equity increasing, 2) what percent of the current budget is reflected in the current fund equity balance, and 3) if Allen could describe what would happen if the district spends down all of its fund equity and has to borrow money.

Allen answered that the major source of the district’s revenue is state aid, and that until the economy starts to rebound, he does not see fund equity increasing. The current fund equity balance, he continued, was 14.2% of the district’s budget at the end of last year, and will be around 11% or 12% at the end of this year. While reassuring the board and public that the district is preparing its budget for the worst-case scenario so that fund equity will be preserved, Allen briefly described how AAPS could borrow money from a state bond fund at a low interest rate if needed. He also pointed out that the interest expense would become another operating expense. Irene Patalan added that the rating the district gets from its auditor would affect its interest rates.

Both Nelson and Mexicotte offered support for the idea of maintaining a larger fund equity balance, in light of the current political climate. Nelson pointed out that this year there will be a major contested election at the state level, and that well-known correlations with election cycles have shown that good news in terms of state funding may hold until the election, but that major cuts often follow an election.

That’s because newly elected officials try to get all the bad news out the way in their first few months in office, to position themselves best for re-election. Mexicotte concurred, saying that it’s possible that even if the state per-pupil funding is not reduced by $300 initially – as the worst-case scenario in the district’s proposed budget contemplates – larger cuts may come down the line, which is what happened this school year.

Allen closed by saying that “you have to build in a little extra” in case the student count or the foundation allowance is lower than anticipated. “What’s gotten lost,” he asserted, “is that we’ve always faced a structural deficit, and though we were able to do some things to lessen the impact, this problem is not fixed until the structural deficit is addressed, and it has yet to be addressed.”

Fund Balance: WISD Budget and Special Ed Millage Renewal

Christine Stead, who participated in the May 12 meeting via phone, had prepared a review of the WISD budget, after she and Nelson had met with WISD staff in April. However, “because of the awkward nature of presenting by speakerphone,” Nelson said he would make the presentation.

He began by pointing out that state law requires the budget of each intermediate school district to be reviewed by its constituent districts annually, which he described as “a good mandated function.” He explained that the board needed to respond to WISD with any recommendations by June 1, and that WISD is required to consider the board’s input in approving its final budget.

After giving a general overview of WISD’s proposed budget and fund balance, Nelson zeroed in on the special education fund, saying “it’s really important to understand as a preview of what’s coming” in terms of the district’s future budgets. Explaining that WISD’s general fund revenues are declining alongside declining property values, he noted that next year, WISD’s fund balance will drop from $26.7 million in 2009 to only $3.6 million. Nelson described $3.6 million as “very close to the zero axis.” “Their fund balance will be gone after this year,” he cautioned.

In addition, Nelson pointed out, a portion of the most recent special education millage will expire after next year, requiring major cuts in WISD’s payments to AAPS for special education services in 2012. Nelson expressed concern that cuts would then need to be made in the general fund to make up for the lack of funding for mandated special education services, saying, “The implications are huge for the entire student body.”

In discussing the 2011-12 budget, AndyThomas asked about the potential impact of a failed renewal of the special education millage. Nelson suggested that AAPS should be prepared to expect a 8-9% $8-9 million reduction in special education funding if the millage were passed at the same rate as it currently exists, and a 12-14% $12-14 million reduction if it fails completely. He added that this would be in addition to an increase in employer retirement system contributions, higher yearly costs in general, and likely another decrease in the foundation allowance from the state. About the impending millage renewal, Nelson said, “I’m not sure if … I’m confident, but we do have to make the case and make it well.”

Superintendent Todd Roberts added that if the millage rate were to be increased, it’s possible that WISD funding of AAPS special education services could remain reimbursed at 82%, as it is now.

Stead emphasized the importance of maintaining fund equity in light of these upcoming issues, and offered, “We have to continue to be creative, but we may run out of creative ideas.” She then reminded the board that at this time, “our obligation is to review the budget and make suggested changes.” Deb Mexicotte pointed out that the board has sent comments in the past, and reminded everyone that any decisions about a new millage would need to be made countywide.

Nelson pointed out that state law says a millage could only be called in May, August, or November, but that the current millage had been passed as part of a special election held in September of 2004. He then added that, “The discussion of dates is in its infancy now.”

Consent Agenda: Transportation Item Removed

There was no discussion of the items on the consent agenda, which included the spring grant awards presented at the last regular meeting, as well as four sets of minutes.

A proposal to consolidate busing services with other districts across the county, which had come to the board as a first briefing item at its last meeting, had also been listed on Wednesday’s agenda as a second briefing and consent agenda item. However, on Wednesday, before the meeting, the proposal was pulled off the agenda.

When queried by The Chronicle, board president Deb Mexicotte said simply that the item was not ready for review. In the board packet, superintendent Todd Roberts wrote that, “Dave Comsa [AAPS assistant superintendent for human resources and legal services] and the legal counsel for the WISD are working on the language for the resolution that the board will adopt if the board approves moving forward with joining the county-wide consolidation of transportation.”

If the WISD transportation consolidation does not come to fruition, or AAPS decides not to join the effort, the district would have until the end of the school year to decide on privatization of transportation services, whether or not a contract is reached with current AAPS transportation employees.

Outcome: The consent agenda, without the transportation consolidation item, was unanimously approved by trustees Nelson, Mexicotte, Lightfoot, Patalan, Stead, Baskett, and Thomas.

Action Items

The board took direct action on two items Wednesday night, approving a resolution for a public hearing on the 2010-11 budget, as well as agreeing to support the state’s second attempt at winning a grant through the Race to the Top federal education initiative.

Action Item: Budget Hearing

Deb Mexicotte explained that, by law, the board needs to hold a public hearing on the annual budget each year.

Glenn Nelson read the notice of public hearing, which states that the hearing will be part of the next regular board meeting on May 26, and that copies of the proposed budget can be retrieved from the AAPS board office for public review. The notice also states that the “property tax millage rate proposed to be levied to support the proposed budget will be the subject of this hearing.” He then read the resolution calling for the hearing. A memo from Robert Allen, AAPS deputy superintendent for operations, details that the first briefing and public hearing on the proposed budget, as well as the first briefing on the millage resolution, will take place on May 26, but that the final approval of the 2010-11 budget, as well as the millage resolution, will not take place until June 9.

Outcome: The resolution calling for the budget hearing was moved by Nelson, seconded by Patalan, and unanimously approved by trustees Nelson, Mexicotte, Lightfoot, Patalan, Stead, Baskett, and Thomas.

Action Item: Race to the Top Commitment

Roberts introduced a resolution seeking board support of a second Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between AAPS and the Michigan Department of Education regarding Michigan’s application to round two of the federal Race to the Top (RTTT) grant competition. He noted that the MOU “walks through various areas that state and local school districts would be responsible for,” but that would only go into effect if the state is awarded RTTT funding.

Michigan applied for round one of funding in January, and was denied. However, in order to make the state more competitive, state legislators passed a flurry of legislation during the application process that local school districts are now responsible for upholding, even without having won the additional RTTT funding.

Roberts drew the board’s attention to page five of the MOU, which begins the outline of the scope of work, and mentioned that this MOU is structured similarly to the one from round one. He also mentioned an example of something that is currently being put in place as a result of the RTTT legislation: a countywide data system to support instruction.

Baskett asked if there were any major changes, as the MOU did not look that different from last time. Roberts answered that the language in section D of the state reform plan, an element called “Great Teachers and Leaders,” was loosened regarding the use of teacher evaluations, and gave more power to teacher bargaining units in terms of determining teacher evaluations. Roberts noted as well that the Ann Arbor Education Association, the local teacher’s union, did sign off on this MOU, whereas they had not agreed to the MOU in round one of the application.

Baskett also asked if Roberts was able to see the actual application this time around. During round one, the application was still being written when districts were asked to sign MOUs in its support. Roberts acknowledged that, this time, he had been given the opportunity, but had not read all of the 500 pages. He did confirm, though, that the opt-out language is the same. That is, he said, AAPS can opt out of the arrangement “if it’s costing us more than we’re getting or it’s not working for us.”

Lightfoot again registered her distaste of RTTT, saying that while she would again support this MOU, “it is with a frustration at the public policy process.” She noted that she did not want to cut off the possible resources that could be brought to the district if Michigan is selected a winner this time around. Roberts agreed that, with or without the funding, the five pieces of new legislation would impose requirements on the districts: “It is that Catch-22.”

Mexicotte read the “Resolved” section of the resolution supporting the MOU, which states that AAPS will support the MOU, but that it can “withdraw … without penalty” if it is determined that it is not in the district’s interest to participate in the state’s reform plan.

Outcome: The resolution in support of the MOU between AAPS and the Michigan Department of Education was unanimously approved by trustees Nelson, Mexicotte, Lightfoot, Patalan, Stead, Baskett, and Thomas.

Sinking Fund Improvements

Also brought before the board for a first briefing were four bids for facilities improvements to be funded from the 2010 sinking fund. Randy Trent, AAPS executive director of physical properties, presented the bid award recommendations to the board for asphalt paving, roof replacements, ADA site improvements, and an energy conservation program.

During the discussion, Glenn Nelson noted that the sinking fund was a millage passed by the community, which funds improvements so that AAPS does not need to use money out of the general fund. Nelson also thanked the community for the passing the millage, pointing out its importance to the preservation of general fund money for instructional services. Trent confirmed that costs that have historically been paid for by the capital needs fund (which takes money out of the general fund) are now covered by the sinking funds.

Sinking Fund: Asphalt Paving

This summer, parking lots will be repaired at Angell, Carpenter, Clague, Scarlett, Slauson, Tappan, and Thurston, according to Trent. The biggest of these projects, he said, was Thurston, which will be redone completely to separate buses, cars, and pedestrians better. Trent put up a slide with a drawing showing how Thurston will look when completed – the main difference will be that a second loop will be created to separate buses from cars. In the new design, which he called a “safer and streamlined approach,” the handicapped parking will be moved, and pedestrians will not have to cross any traffic.

Regarding the paving projects, Trent also mentioned that bids received by the district were 25% lower than anticipated. All the recommended companies have been hired by the district before, and have great references, he said. After reviewing eight bids, Trent recommended the following contracts for board approval: ABC Paving ($145,200), Cadillac Asphalt ($214,937), Nagle Paving ($93,170), and T&M Asphalt ($23,190).

Sinking Fund: Roof Replacements

Trent stated that this summer, roofs will be repaired at Pioneer, Forsythe, Slauson, Mitchell, Clague, Northside, and Huron. Seven companies bid on the work, and two were chosen as recommended contractors. Trent added that these bids contain more inspections, double the warranty, and more insulation than previous ones, and expressed that working with Firestone as the approved supply vendor had gone well. He recommended that the board approve two contracts for roofing to: Advance Roofing ($1,062,848), and Royal West Roofing ($87,300).

Sinking Fund: ADA Site Improvements

This summer, Trent said, site improvements to bring facilities in line with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) will be made at Allen, Haisley, Scarlett, Stone, and the transportation building. Three companies submitted bids for the work, and Trent recommended one of them be given the contract: GM & Sons ($73,800).

Thomas asked for confirmation that each building is bid out as a separate project, rather than all the work of one type being consolidated in a multi-site bid. Trent confirmed that each site was bid independently, and that the bid awards he is recommending are to the lowest qualified bidder on each individual project. This is why, he pointed out, the paving and roofing bids are spread out among more than one contractor. In the case of the ADA improvements, Trent said, GM & Sons came in as the lowest bid for each of the five buildings needing work, which is why it was the only recommended contractor in that category.

Sinking Fund: Energy Conservation Program

Trent referenced a $400,000 budget reduction for “energy savings” listed in the district’s proposed 2010-11 budget as impetus for hiring a company to help AAPS streamline its energy usage. He explained that the district’s legal counsel recommended bidding out the service. Five bids were received, and three companies were interviewed.

Trent then explained how the interview committee came to the unanimous decision to recommend Johnson Controls Inc. (JCI) over the other top contender, Energy Education Inc. (EEI). He reviewed several points: JCI has already done successful energy reduction work in the district; with JCI, AAPS is not penalized for saving more than targeted (EEI charges a higher fee if the district hits a certain savings mark); and JCI “has a nice addition of a student involvement piece.”

Describing JCI’s proposal as a “top-down effort” that starts with the superintendent and works through the whole district, Trent said that over 10 years, “the possible savings [reaped by implementing JCI's program] could go up to $12 million.” He also noted that, “Every dollar we are not spending on a utility can be put into a classroom.”

Trent recommended awarding a four-year contract to JCI, in the amount of $273,193 annually.

Sinking Fund: Historically Underutilized Businesses

Throughout the bid presentations ran a conversation between board members and Trent regarding the hiring of historically underutilized businesses (HUBs) for work in the district. HUBs are businesses that are minority or woman-owned. At the beginning of the discussion, Lightfoot asked  Trent to note the HUB status of any of the contractors he was recommending.

In the first bid description, when Trent noted that none of the recommended paving contractors were HUBs, Lightfoot jumped on it: “I keep asking that question, and I’m getting no’s. I’m looking forward to getting some yeses.” In the next bid description regarding roofers, Baskett echoed Lightfoot’s concerns, pointing out that “there has been a desire among some members of the board to foster relationships with HUBs.” She asked Trent if he had provided any incentives or encouragement to HUBs to apply, and whether the district has gotten any feedback from HUBs about why the district’s attempts to foster relationships with them “have not gone anywhere.”

Trent pointed out that reporting HUB status on the bids is optional, and that some businesses simply choose not to self-identify as HUBs, even though they are, such as GM & Sons, the minority-owned business recommended as the contractor for ADA improvements. He also pointed out that there is no official policy in place to recruit HUBs, but that he has coordinated networking events, and sent out RFPs to minority-owned businesses. Trent concluded, “We can’t make them bid.”

Baskett conceded that, while few of the current contractors being recommended have HUB status, those companies could always subcontract with HUBs. Trent confirmed that this could happen, such as with the Thurston project, where the main contractor could subcontract certain aspects of the project, such as lighting or landscaping. He also suggested that he could send letters to the HUBs who have worked for the district in the past to get their feedback. Patalan added that the planning committee will look at this issue, and consult with the district’s legal counsel.

Policy Updates

Both the policy and planning committees of the board have been engaged in ongoing review of board policies. At Wednesday’s meeting, 12 policies – 5550, 4020, 4050, 4100, 4400, 4500, 4600, 5120, 5130, 6140, 3000, and 3050 – were presented at first briefing. Most parts of these policies were either submitted for re-authorization as is, with no changes needed, or with only minor wording changes meant to bring the policy in line with current district practice, procedures, or department names. [.pdf file of revised policies]

The more extensive proposed policy changes were as follows:

• In 5550.R.01, Chronic Health Conditions, ADA language was added;
• In 4040, Anti-Harassment of Employees, “electronically transmitted acts” added;
• In 4050.R.01, Family & Medical Leave Act, military family leave added and defined;
• In 4050.R.03, Personnel Files, long-term storage of files, and disposition of files upon employee’s death addressed;
• In 4050.R.06, Employee Background Checks, fingerprinting and background check processes updated, and language added about fingerprinting results expiration date;
• In 4100.R.01 & R.02, Hiring Procedures, application and reporting processes updated; and
• In 4500.R.01, Safety, Injuries, and Emergencies, language added to be sure student health information is appropriately disseminated, and sign-in requirement added.

In addition, three of the policies were newly drafted:

• Policy 5120, Middle School Attendance, “articulates attendance guidelines … and provide for problem-solving with parents/guardians when attendance is inconsistent and/or detracting from school success;”
• Policy 5130, Middle School Retention, “provides a protocol for administration, faculty, and families when grade retention is under consideration in grades 6-8;” and
• Policy 6140, Homework, establishes guidelines for teachers, families, and students regarding the purpose, nature, and expected time commitment of homework.

Both Baskett and Patalan submitted charts summarizing the proposed policy changes their committees were suggesting. Baskett added, “We believe the chart is very clear, but we’re open to any questions … or feedback.” She highlighted the homework policy for parents in the community to note.

Patalan also thanked board secretary Amy Osinski, who, she said, “has her eyes focused on policy, and does a good job.”

There was no discussion on any policy items, which will come back before the board as second briefing items for approval.

Human Resource Services Update

Each year, the AAPS human resources department updates the board on any new developments, as well as providing a snapshot of retirements, resignations, and unpaid leaves for the coming year. As new trustee Andy Thomas confirmed during the first part of the presentation, Wednesday’s presentation was for information only, and no vote or approval by the board was required at that time.

HR Update: Teacher Evaluation Process

Cindy Ryan, AAPS director of human resources, updated the board on the process used in teacher evaluation. “We’re in the process of working on a new evaluation system,” she said, and identified one of the big concerns as how to integrate the Race to the Top (RTTT) mandates, such as integrating measures of student growth into the teacher evaluation process.

Ryan explained that, a year ago, a committee was formed through collective bargaining to assess models for teacher evaluation. Of the seven or eight models the committee reviewed, they decided they most liked the “Framework for Teaching” model created by Charlotte Danielson, and are moving forward with tweaking that model so that it would meet RTTT requirements and the needs of the district.

Several trustees asked how the Danielson model would intersect with specific district needs while ensuring that AAPS is in compliance with legal requirements, such as annual evaluations.

Ryan assured the board that the model could be embellished, or amended as needed, confirmed that it could be adapted for all Ann Arbor Education Association members, and called the work of the evaluation committee “a big undertaking.” Dave Comsa, AAPS assistant superintendent for human resources and legal services, added that there is a collaborative group in Lansing working to develop teacher evaluation models that will incorporate RTTT.

Comsa continued, saying that the district was “somewhat working in a vacuum” without a lot of guidance coming from the Michigan Department of Education on how to interpret RTTT requirements. Still, he said, AAPS is “ahead of the curve by implementing this evaluation committee,” and that the district can make a strong argument that it’s already in compliance.

Thomas asked about the timeline for getting this new evaluation process embedded in the contract as it’s currently being negotiated, and Ryan said it’s possible that the new evaluation process could be in the next contract. Mexicotte added that the contract can always be amended with a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) at any time.

HR Update: Demographic Data

Alice Chamberlain, AAPS assistant director of employment services, presented the district’s current demographic data on retirements, resignations, and unpaid leaves for 2010-11, and pointed out that the district uses this data directly to arrange staffing.

In total, Chamberlain said, the district is expecting 58 people totaling 56.2 FTEs to leave the district next year, and broke them out by subject, and grade level. Of all the positions, she noted that the two positions opening up in the hearing impaired program may be difficult to fill.

Nelson noted that retirement legislation is being developed at the state level, and said that counting on this number of retirements is like, “saying ‘there’s no rain yet’ before a thunderstorm.” He continued, asking if it was accurate to assume major changes in these numbers if legislation including a retirement incentive should pass. Chamberlain allowed that if retirement reform passes, “these data very well could change, and the change could be radical.”

[Retirement reform legislation, including a retirement incentive, did pass in both the house and senate late last week, and awaits signature by Gov. Jennifer Granholm.]

HR Update: Professional Development

Jane Landefeld, director of student accounting, Michelle Madden, math/science curriculum coordinator K-8, and Chuck Hatt, literacy/social studies curriculum coordinator, presented an overview of the professional development (PD) offered in AAPS.

Landefeld explained that PD is offered to teachers as part of their contractual obligations, and therefore all teachers are required to participate. Much of the PD is offered during the school year on days without classes, but some PD is also offered after school or over the summer. In total, Madden added, there are over 1,400 sessions and workshops offered to district employees each year, to “grow teacher-leaders.” These sessions are often used to introduce new curriculum or interventions, she explained. Hatt added that PD can be adapted as needs arise, and that it can be used to continually improve and adjust instruction.

Nelson asked whether national efforts to standardize curricula match up with Michigan’s curriculum. Madden answered that the national efforts are to devise standards, not actual curricula, and that AAPS outcomes standards are higher than both those of the national core standards project, and those of Michigan. Madden added that the national core curriculum standards project “will not happen overnight,” and is “very ambitious.”

Association Reports

At Wednesday’s meeting, the board received reports from three of its associations – the Youth Senate, the Ann Arbor Parent Advisory Committee on Special Education (AAPAC), and the Parent-Teacher-Organization Council (PTOC). The Ann Arbor Administrators Association (AAAA), the Ann Arbor Education Association (AAEA), and the Black Parents Student Support Group (BPSSG) did not report at this meeting.

Ann Arbor Parent Advisory Committee Report

Scott White reported for the AAPAC, and began by describing a bit about Williams syndrome, the disease that affects his daughter, Lauren. He noted that the week of the board meeting was the first-ever Williams syndrome awareness week. In deciding where to send Lauren for school, White said he has become an advocate for increasing opportunities for peer mentoring in the district. Through this work, he has gathered information on successful programs, and he reported at Wednesday’s meeting that a successful peer mentoring class has begun at Clague Middle School this year, which he called a “happy beginning” toward “helping students see abilities and not just disabilities.”

White also said AAPAC is pleased that the reorganizations taking place in the district’s Student Intervention and Support Services (SISS) department will lead to a full-time position for Peer-to-Peer programming and another for Adapted Physical Education. Unfortunately, White said, Steve Schwartz will be decreasing his volunteer hours for the fourth-grade disability awareness workshops, and he encouraged the board to ensure continuation of the workshops.

PTO Council Report

Co-chair of the PTOC, Donna Lasinski, began by reporting that the council has been making a concerted effort to take a look at what can be done as a community to make a difference at the legislative level. She noted that the PTOC advocacy committee now has 35 members, and is growing each week. The committee has crafted talking points around their four stated goals: (1) guaranteeing that school funding levels are set by the start of the fiscal year; (2) ensuring that schools are funded at the level of program cost, not dollars available; (3) developing a stable and secure funding model for schools; and (4) prioritizing education funding over other state needs. These goals reflect the PTOC’s perception, said Lasinski, that “no state has ever dug itself out of an economic hole by building more prisons.”

Thus far, advocacy efforts have targeted both elected officials, and those running for office in November. Next, the committee will be initiating a postcard campaign to give parents a chance to say why education is important to them. And finally, the PTOC, based on feedback from some of the legislators with whom they have met, has decided to attempt partnerships with other similar parent groups from parts of the state with less supportive elected officials.

Youth Senate Report

Youth senators Priya Menon and Nikila Lakshmanan suggested in their report that off-campus lunch privileges currently enjoyed by some Ann Arbor students  should be extended to all high school students, or, alternately, offered as a reward to students with no unexcused absences or tardies. [Community High School has an open-campus policy.] Being able to leave for lunch, Menon and Lakshmanan argued, can help prepare students who go onto college “to adjust to the new surge of independence that comes with a new environment.”

The youth senators also invited everyone to participate in a walkathon to fight poverty, wished all students good luck on AP exams, and reported that Pioneer High music students are concerned about the possible lay-off of their orchestra director, Jonathon Glawe.

Committee Reports and Agenda Planning

The board has two standing committees – performance and planning – through which many items on the board’s agenda get a first look. Each board member except for the president is assigned to one or the other – Susan Baskett and Glenn Nelson sit on the performance committee, while Irene Patalan, Christine Stead, and Simone Lightfoot sit on the planning committee. All performance and planning committee meetings are open to the public. Also at each meeting, trustees can put forward items they would like to have considered on agendas for future meetings.

Performance Committee Activities

Baskett reported that her committee reviewed many of the first briefing items coming to the board for Wednesday’s meeting, including the WISD budget, third quarter financial report, and a “slew of policies.”

Planning Committee Activities

Patalan reported that Trent had walked her committee through the beginning of spending the 2010 sinking fund money, and that some of the first briefing agenda items reflected this discussion. She pointed out that the planning committee has also been engaged in policy review.

Planning for 2010 Board Retreat

Mexicotte announced that there would not be an organizational meeting of the board this July, since the elections were moved to November. Instead, she suggested, the board retreat usually scheduled for the end of the summer could be moved up to July. The board retreat, Mexicotte explained, is an opportunity for the board to set goals, re-form itself as a board, and move forward with agenda items, and is typically a single-day event. Saying that she would be working with Patalan to set an agenda and talk about facilitation, Mexicotte requested trustees to send their summer schedules to Osinski so a retreat date could be set.

Awards and Accolades

The board devotes time at each meeting to reflect on positive accomplishments in the district, and honor those people who go above and beyond the call of duty.

Celebration of Excellence

John Fisher, a physical education teacher at Angell and Pattengill, was honored with a celebration of excellence for his service to his students. He was nominated by Martine Perreault, chair of the PTOC, and a parent of three children who have attended Angell Elementary and who had Fisher as a teacher. Perreault’s nomination lauded Fisher’s emphasis on personal fitness, cooperative games, and innovative inclusions to the phys ed curriculum. She credited him with turning phys ed into “an enjoyable respite in the school day.”

Fisher and many of his family and supporters gathered at the podium for his receipt of the award. He thanked them all, saying, “I’m lucky and I’m blessed … I don’t like my job – I love my job!” Fisher’s mother, who had been standing next to him, then also responded, urging everyone to “do your best at whatever you do.”

Superintendent’s Report

Todd Roberts noted many recent successes of AAPS students and staff, beginning with the high school level, and including the receipt of a Grammy Gold award, and a regatta win by Pioneer High School. Huron High School, he said, had eight students’ work recently published in a book called “Talking Back,” and Skyline High School students placed highly in the recent Special Olympics competition.

Roberts also noted the impressive feat achieved by Community High students and staff, who removed 4,460 pounds of garlic mustard, an invasive species, from natural areas across the district as part of an all-school service project. At the middle school level, Roberts praised Slauson for placing highly in the Science Olympiad, and all the middle schools for becoming “healthy schools.” He also praised many of the district’s teaching staff for individual accomplishments.

Items From the Board

Glenn Nelson mentioned that he had just attended a dinner and dance at the Ann Arbor Community Center, and thanked the community centers for their wonderful work. He also reminded everyone of the “three wonderful art shows” of student work currently going on in town.

Susan Baskett thanked the SISS department for hosting Parent University talks at the Bryant Community Center. She pointed out that over 50 people attended the recent lecture by Dr. Sanchez, and invited everyone to attend the May 24 lecture by Patricia Edwards on reaching non-traditional students.

Christine Stead pointed out that Johnson Controls Inc. did a great job at Skyline High School on April 29 of showing students what they do, and providing some perspective on possible careers for students.

Present: President Deb Mexicotte, vice president Irene Patalan, secretary Glenn Nelson, treasurer Christine Stead, and trustees Susan Baskett, Simone Lightfoot, and Andy Thomas. Also present as a non-voting member was Todd Roberts, AAPS superintendent.

Next regular meeting: May 26, 2010, 7 p.m., at the downtown Ann Arbor District Library 4th floor board room, 343 S. Fifth Ave. [confirm date]

The retreat on March 5-6 covered a range of other topics, from the college’s projected drop in revenue and possible tuition increases to its shifting student demographics and a raft of facility renovations.

The Chronicle attended the first day of the retreat – the second day was held in closed session. The location – including an overnight stay at what the Book Cadillac website describes as an historic, luxury hotel – was intended to help focus trustees’ attention, according to board chair Stephen Gill. The cost of the retreat came to $9,910.70.

Satellite Campus in Ann Arbor Explored

To accommodate WCC’s growing student population, the board has been considering various options for satellite campuses, including the McKinley-owned building on East Liberty in downtown Ann Arbor, formerly known as Tally Hall. [See Chronicle coverage: "WCC Considers Ann Arbor Satellite Campus"]

At this month’s retreat, WCC president Larry Whitworth said McKinley initially offered to lease the 30,000-square-foot space to WCC for $30 per square foot. But Damon Flowers, WCC’s associate vice president of facilities development and operations, pointed out that to build an educational space out of it – including improving ventilation, putting in a false ceiling, installing computers and other requirements – would have cost considerably more.

Whitworth said that after negotiations, McKinley offered a price of $10.50 a square foot for a 10-year lease. McKinley also offered to pay for all of the necessary buildout.

“Obviously, this is an extremely good price,” Whitworth said.

But that location is not the only option the college is considering. After rejecting an offer from the University of Michigan to rent classroom space, Whitworth said WCC is considering partnering with the Ann Arbor District Library. The library board and administration are considering moving ahead with rebuilding their current downtown facilities. [Chronicle coverage: "Board Renews Library Building Discussion"]

“I thought to myself, if we were thinking about the future, working with the library makes all kinds of sense,” Whitworth told trustees. “[AADL director Josie Parker] thinks that joining forces makes it a much more doable project. We’ve got all the meeting rooms. We’ve got the conference center. We’ve got parking. The bus depot is coming in,” he said, referring to AATA’s plans to rebuild the Blake Transit Center, across the street from the library’s downtown building on South Fifth Avenue.

[Mentions of the parking and conference center refer to an underground parking structure being built by the Downtown Development Authority on the city-owned Library Lot, just north of the library's downtown building. The city also is reviewing proposals for possible development on top of the parking structure – including a possible hotel/conference center.]

Whitworth added that Parker believes AADL will likely move ahead on the library building project over the next year, including going to voters to ask for a millage to pay for construction. “Basically, it’s a 2.5- to 3-year proposition,” he said. “I think we could make do for 2 to 3 years. The synergy that comes about with the library is such a phenomenal connection.”

Before there was any further discussion of satellite campus options, trustee David Rutledge stated he was “very uncomfortable” with discussing the topic in a public setting. He moved that since it was an issue of purchasing real estate, the board should discuss it in closed session.

“We don’t know how our discussion would impact others,” Rutledge said.

The other trustees supported his motion, and agreed that the board would discuss the satellite campus options on the second day of the retreat, in closed session.

Budget and Financial Concerns

Earlier in the meeting, the board discussed a projected drop in revenue over the next five years or so. For the current fiscal year, the college is expected to generate a $1.5 million budget surplus. However, there might not be a surplus in coming years, due to a decrease in the college’s primary source of revenue: property taxes.

According to a WCC financial report presented to the board, there is a projected 7% to 8% decrease in property taxes for the next fiscal year, due to a drop in property values. That amounts to a funding decrease of about $3.5 million.

Property taxes account for 51% of WCC’s total revenue. At the board’s Feb. 23, 2010 meeting, trustees approved a revised fiscal 2009-10 budget, with $98,706,906 in total revenue. Property taxes account for $50,299,300 of that figure.

“I think we’re going to have to understand that over the next four or five years … it all depends on what kind of a college we want to have,” said WCC president Larry Whitworth, referring to the projected loss of revenue. “Do we want to cut or freeze employment, or do we want to raise tuition? We’re probably going to be talking about $8 to $10 a year for tuition increases [per credit hour].”

Whitworth said that a $10 increase in the cost per credit hour would generate $2.95 million annually. According to WCC’s website, the current cost per credit hour is $82 for distance learning courses, $80 for in-district students, $131 for out-of-district students and $174 for out of country or state. He and the trustees discussed how much to increase the credit-hour cost in order to balance the budget and avoid eating into the college’s fund balance. According to WCC’s financial report for the 2008-09 fiscal year, the college has a fund balance of $23,775,264.

“We do have to think seriously about how we move forward and start to consume some of our fund balance without consuming all of it, too quickly,” Whitworth said.

Pamela Horiszny, vice chair of the WCC board, said she felt a $5 increase would be enough to balance the budget. However, Whitworth said upping the credit-hour cost by only $5 would “come back to bite us next year.”

“Even at $10, we’re starting to consume all of these reserves that we have,” Whitworth said.

In talking with The Chronicle after the retreat, board chair Stephen Gill said that another budget concern is the state faculty pension – the Michigan Public School Employees Retirement System (MPSERS) – that the college pays into each year. This past year that payment went up $3 million, for a total cost of about $8 million.

According to a financial report given to the board at their Feb. 23 meeting, WCC was notified by the State Fiscal Management Division that the MPSERS rate will increase from 16.94% of gross salaries to 19.41%. The report states that WCC anticipates the rate will increase 2% each year for the next few years. [A detailed explanation of how MPSERS works is included in a Chronicle report of a Feb. 17, 2010 Ann Arbor Public Schools board study session.]

“It’s costing us a lot of money,” Gill said. “That’s really hurting us.”

Student Demographic Data

Linda Blakey, WCC associate vice president of student services, presented demographic data on the college’s student population. Given the current state of the economy and the subsequent rise in people turning to school to prepare for a career change, WCC has seen a considerable rise in enrollment recently.

In the past year, enrollment has increased by about 4,000 students. There are currently 12,214 students enrolled for WCC’s winter 2010 semester. That’s an increase of  7.5% – 989 students – over the winter 2009 semester. There were 14,202 students enrolled for the fall 2009 semester – 10% (1,290 students) more than in fall 2008. 

The increase in enrollment has led WCC to consider establishing a satellite campus to accommodate the increased enrollment, a topic which the trustees addressed later in the retreat [and reported in an earlier section of this article]. Blakey’s presentation noted that the college has seen the biggest increase in the 18- to 20-year-old age group.

Between the 2004-05 academic year and 2008-09, the number of 18- to 20-year-old males in WCC’s student population went up 2.4%. Female students in the same age group increased by 2.2%. Blakey said the raw numbers for all other age and gender groups – including men and women aged 21 to 24, 25 to 34, and 35 and up – have also increased. However, the percentage of the student population they account for has decreased in some instances, due to the 18- to 20-year-olds taking up such a large portion. For example, the proportion of new students who are males aged 25 to 34 has dropped by 1%.

“I just think it’s important to again point out in terms of raw numbers, all age groups are going up,” Blakey said. “The younger students are just taking up a larger percentage of the group.”

Blakey also presented data concerning the majors that new students are declaring upon enrollment. Between 2005 and 2009, the college has seen a significant drop in the number of 18- to 20-year-olds going into business and computer science, from nearly 700 students to just over 400. The number of business and computer science students also dropped for those aged 21 and up.

However, the number of students in the 18 to 20 age group going into health increased by over 200. There was also an increase in individuals studying math and science.

Blakey said the increased interest in math has resulted from more students enrolling with the intention to transfer as pre-med majors. WCC president Larry Whitworth noted that in general, the number of students who plan to transfer has gone up, particularly among the rapidly rising population of 18- to 20-year-olds.

“We surveyed students … about 70% of the students indicated that they planned to transfer,” Whitworth said. “The actual numbers are increasing pretty dramatically at this point.”

Trustee Pamela Horiszny commented that the downturn in the economy has resulted in recent high school graduates opting to attend community colleges instead of four-year universities in order to save money.

Data presented during the retreat about the percentage of high school seniors opting to attend WCC reinforced Horiszny’s statement. Graduates from Ypsilanti High School attend the college at a rate of 33.5%. WCC’s penetration rate is 36.6% for Manchester community schools, 22% for Milan, 14% for Chelsea and 20.6% for Brighton.

“We’re certainly attracting more recent high school graduates,” Whitworth said. “We have one of the only strong vocational technical programs at a community college anywhere. We have a reputation as a good academic school. That old stigma that used to be associated with a community college just isn’t in place anymore in the minds of most students and their families.”

The board went on to examine data concerning the student population’s geographic distribution. Between 2,500 and 2,699 students live in the 48197 zip code region in Ypsilanti. Between 1,500 and 1,699 students live in the 48198 area in Ypsilanti. Overall, Ann Arbor zip codes 48103, 48108 and 48105 account for 22.5% of the student population for the fall and winter semesters from 2008 to 2010, compared to 29.2% for the two Ypsilanti zip codes.

The student population isn’t as concentrated west of Ypsilanti. Some of the trustees questioned whether there are actually 1,000 students living within a mile of downtown Ann Arbor, a statistic that has previously been used to bolster the college’s consideration of establishing a satellite campus in that location. Whitworth confirmed that the number is correct.

“Downtown Ann Arbor is still the central hub,” Whitworth said. “We’re already serving the Ypsilanti populations that we’re looking at here. The current campus basically serves that population. Once you get on the other side of Ann Arbor, it’s so sparse that you don’t get any concentrations. Ann Arbor then becomes the next concentration point.”

WCC trustee Richard Landau – considering an “If you build it, they will come” theory – proposed that the student population might be concentrated in Ypsilanti simply because of the college’s location.

“Is the reason that we draw so much from Ypsilanti that we’re effectively in Ypsilanti?” Landau asked. “If you had a campus in the 48103 zip code, would you see those numbers go up significantly?”

The board also discussed how the age distribution of the population that the college serves may change in coming years. The Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) predicts that Ann Arbor Public Schools will see an 8% decrease in residents aged 5 to 17, a 19.1% decrease for 18- to 34-year-olds, and a 189.3% increase for those 65 and older between now and 2035.

The trustees noted this is significant to the college because the senior vote factors considerably into passing millages to generate funding. They discussed a possible explosion in continuing education classes. Whitworth joked that WCC might start offering courses in euchre and square dancing for the older population.

“It’s going to be very, very different as we move forward,” Whitworth said.

David Rutledge, the board’s treasurer, brought up another trend: the shift in jobs away from manufacturing and the growing number of people returning to school for retraining.

Whitworth referenced Dan Pink, an author who has written several books on the changing world of work. He said Pink warns that everything routine is going away.

“The whole nature of the work is going to change pretty dramatically,” Whitworth said. “As we look to the future, it’s going to be those individuals that bring creativity, innovation to the workplace that are going to be successful.”

In order for WCC students to succeed in this changing work environment, Whitworth said the college should consider whether they need to change their academic requirements.

Five-Year Facilities Plan, Parking Project

Damon Flowers, WCC’s associate vice president of facilities development and operations, presented a capital projects and construction plan for the fiscal years 2009-10 through 2013-14. The total for the capital projects budget for the next five fiscal years is $20,172,900.

Improving the OE Building

The plan includes numerous renovations for the Occupational Education Building. By July 2011, the college aims to replace existing air-handling equipment and the pneumatic temperature control system. The plan also includes replacing the OE Building’s roof, which is over 20 years old. Other replacements include the electrical system and switchgear. All of this construction will cost an estimated $13.5 million.

The Student Center

The facilities plan also includes improvements for the college’s Student Center Building. The proposed renovations include replacing galvanized domestic water pipes ($250,000), reconfiguring the loading dock ($200,000), and renovating the first-floor dining areas ($1,007,100) by 2011. WCC president Larry Whitworth commented that improving the Student Center’s condition is an important project.

“We have to redo the first floor of the Student Center,” Whitworth said. “It’s worn out – it’s starting to look bad. We’ve got to look at those reserves that we’ve been putting aside to do these kinds of things. This is, of course, extremely important for long-term financial health because this is how we bring people to the campus.”

Morris J. Lawrence Building

The Morris J. Lawrence Building – which Whitworth called the college’s “front door” because of the many public events that are held there – is up for a proposed storage addition and a new entrance that goes directly into the Towsley Auditorium. Currently, people have to pass through the building’s lobby on their way to the auditorium. The renovations would be complete in 2011 and cost $580,800.

Family Education Building

The facilities plan includes replacing the mechanical systems equipment, upgrading electrical systems and fire alarms, improving the public restrooms, and replacing the outdoor playscapes for the Family Education Building. The project would cost a total of $200,000, with an estimated completion date of summer 2010.

Skilled Trades Annex

Flowers told trustees that the proposed facilities plan includes renovating the 7,500-square-foot skilled trades annex, including classrooms, a residential construction woodworking shop and the faculty offices. The building would also be set up to use geothermal energy for heating and cooling as well as for hot water. The renovations – with a 2011 completion date – will cost an estimated $1.3 million.

Other Projects

The facilities plan also calls for a $50,000 heating pump retrofit, which “provides for the automation and storage of water, which would then be mechanically cooled and recycled back into the central plant heating pumps for reuse.” This would allow the college to use less water.

The plan also includes a $1.15 million thermal storage chilled water upgrade, to be completed in 2012. According to Flowers, the upgrade would provide backup for the college’s existing cooling system, in case one of their existing chillers breaks.

“Things do go wrong,” Flowers said. “We really can’t cool the campus with one chiller. We lose one, and we’re in trouble.”

The facilities plan also suggests replacing the failing valves in the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning tunnel system on campus. This project would be completed in 2012 and cost $40,000. Additionally, the plan calls for repairing eroded asphalt on the campus’ perimeter roads, a $180,000 project to be completed by the summer of 2014.

Parking Structure Project

Flowers also presented information on the parking structure WCC plans to build. He estimated that with approximately 655 spaces at $17,500 a space, the construction alone would cost $11,462,500. Additional costs would bring the subtotal for the project to $14,612,500. Flowers said after the retreat that the grand total for the project is still “up in the air.” Right now, it would probably come to around $15.5 million. “Most of the administration wants to get it to $12 million,” Flowers said. The total budget for the project will be presented to the board in April.

Three-Year Internet Technology plan

Amin Ladha, WCC’s chief information officer, discussed the college’s technology plan for the next several years. Ladha’s goals for WCC’s IT department include establishing streaming video services for distance learning, marketing and other academic purposes; looking into “cloud computing,” the use of leased storage space; a wireless network upgrade; a Microsoft Office 2010 upgrade; and enacting disk-to-disk backups for improved data restoration following disasters.

Ladha also spoke to the board about future trends in technology, such as the increasing popularity of mobile devices. For example, Ladha said the college could make it possible for students to access the online student directory or look up their grades and coursework on the WCC academic site – called Blackboard – using their iPhones.

Ladha said he believes Apple’s new iPad will prove popular among WCC students, and the college’s IT division should look into ways that these devices can be incorporated into academics. The trustees discussed the possibility of students purchasing their textbooks electronically and reading them as ebooks on mobile devices.

“I think it’s absolutely coming,” trustee Richard Landau said of electronic textbooks. “It’s just a factor of the devices themselves right now costing $400 to $500 apiece. You’re going to have to see these devices come down to $150 dollars apiece, and then it’s going to explode.”

Ladha said there is already a class at WCC that uses ebooks and the Kindle, an electronic reader from Amazon.com. “There are instructors who will start doing it,” Ladha said. “There is already an example. I see the trend coming.”

Curriculum Changes

Linda Blakey, WCC associate vice president of student services, and Phyllis Grzegorczyk, interim vice president of instruction, informed the board about changes in the college’s general education requirements, as well as the addition of some new programs.

The change in the general education requirements involves a change in the language of the college’s requirements. Previously, WCC’s general education requirements stated:

Students entering degree programs in Fall 2001 and thereafter also will need to demonstrate computer and information literacy … by competency testing or completion of course work as a degree graduation requirement.

The new language reads:

Students enrolling in associate’s degree programs in Fall 2010 and thereafter will need to meet general education area VIII, Computer and Information Literacy, by completing the specified courses.

Grzegorczyk said instructors’ complaints about their students’ lack of computer skills inspired the change. Previously, she said students would put off fulfilling the computer literacy requirement until they were almost finished with their program. Now, they will be strongly advised to fulfill the requirement before taking the majority of their courses – although completing the computer literacy course work before taking other classes will not be required.

Blakey added that they plan on evaluating departments and instructional areas. If computer skills are absolutely necessary for a particular class, they will make the computer literacy course a prerequisite or concurrent prerequisite. She said many instructors use the college’s Blackboard site to post grades and assignments, and many require their students to use Microsoft Word and other basic software.

“If students don’t have the computer skills, they just have a really difficult time,” Blakey said.

Although the option of competency testing has been eliminated, students still have the option of meeting the computer literacy requirement through “credit by exam,” the equivalent to taking the final exam for the course. Blakey noted that many students think they have adequate computer skills, but they might only know how to update their Facebook status and be clueless about creating an Excel spreadsheet.

“You’d be surprised,” Blakey said. “Even though people have computer skills, they have holes in those computer skills.”

Grzegorczyk said competency testing was eliminated due to the excessive expense and human resources that would be needed to test everyone who thinks they can use a computer well enough to bypass the requirement. WCC president Larry Whitworth agreed, saying that everyone would try to take the competency test, and that would be implausible, given the growing number of incoming students.

“If you just had a competency exam, you would be testing 4,000 people,” Whitworth said. “They’d all go, ‘Well, I can use a computer.’ This is beyond what most of them think.”

In addition to the altered general education requirements, the college is adding an environmental science program. Its requirements will consist of existing courses and two new environmental science courses that are currently in development.

There will also be a new commercial building facility maintenance program. This area of study was specifically designed for University of Michigan maintenance mechanics; UM is supporting the program’s development. No one else will be allowed to enroll initially, but others might be allowed to enroll in the future.

Finally, WCC will introduce a new nursing transfer program designed to prepare students to enter Eastern Michigan University’s nursing program as juniors after they graduate from WCC. The college hopes to start offering this program next fall.

“This is very similar to the nursing transfer to UM that we did about 15 years ago,” Grzegorczyk said. “This is probably the best-kept secret in the county because the admission to UM and EMU has a specific number of slots for our students to move directly into.”

A Coda on the Retreat’s Location: Why Detroit?

Following the retreat, The Chronicle inquired into the choice of the Westin Book Cadillac hotel for the location of the two-day meeting, which included an overnight stay. Stephen Gill, chair of the WCC board of trustees, said they chose to have the retreat in Detroit in order to keep the trustees focused.

“We’ve had experience having the retreat in Ann Arbor, but people are just too distracted by other things,” Gill said. “By having it out of town, far enough away, you commit the time to that two-day retreat. We get everybody’s full attention.”

Gill added that the trustees wanted to get away, but still stay in Michigan. “We liked the idea of being in Detroit because it helps the economy in Southeast Michigan,” he said.

The Chronicle submitted a Freedom of Information Act request to find out the cost of the retreat. The board paid $5,887.43 in hotel charges, including individual guest charges, catering and Internet charges. The board also had dinner at the Westin Book Cadillac’s 24grille, which cost $4,023.87. The total cost for the retreat, including the hotel charges and dinner, was $9,910.70. [.pdf file of receipts from Westin Book Cadillac, in response to a FOIA request]

Present: Board of Trustees: chair Stephen Gill, vice chair Pamela Horiszny, secretary Anne Williams, treasurer David Rutledge, trustees Mark Freeman, Diana McKnight-Morton and Richard Landau. Administration: WCC president Larry Whitworth, executive assistant to the board Mary Faulkner, associate vice president of student services Linda Blakey, associate vice president of facilities development and operations Damon Flowers, interim vice president of instruction Phyllis Grzegorczyk, and chief information officer Amin Ladha. Several other administrators also participated in the retreat.

The WCC Board of Trustees meets on the second and last Tuesdays of each month at 4 p.m. The next regular meeting will be on March 23 in the Board of Trustees meeting room on the second floor of the Student Center Building. For more information, visit the board’s web page.

Outside the Jan. 20 school board meeting, one of four demonstrators against privatization of certain school services. (Photo by the writer.)

On one hand, it was an evening of accolades and celebrations.  The board heard recommendations to pay tribute to the work of two longtime AAPS staff members by naming facilities in their honor, community participation in budget planning was lauded, and the students from this year’s Hikone Exchange Program reported on their trip to Ann Arbor’s sister city of Hikone, Japan.

At the same time, concerns about possible privatization of custodial, maintenance, and transportation services dominated the meeting’s public commentary. And when the same presentation that was made to recent public budget forums was repeated for the board, looming school budget cuts again came to the fore. Requests for proposals (RFPs) for outsourcing that are a part of those cuts were also briefly discussed.

Possible Privatization: Custodial, Maintenance, Transportation Services

Among the possible cost-saving measures presented at the recent public budget forums are moves to privatize certain services: custodial, maintenance, and transportation.

Background on Privatization at AAPS

Privatization is not new to the AAPS. The district has outsourced some services completely: substitute teachers, food service, asbestos removal, concrete repair, roofing, and security. Many other services have been provided by blending AAPS employees with private contractors, such as custodial services (substitutes are privatized), electrical work, painting, and carpentry. Since Proposal A passed in 1994, effectively causing school districts across Michigan to operate under increasing financial pressure year after year, outsourcing within other units of AAPS has been increasingly considered.

Changes to custodial/maintenance and transportation contracts over the past few years have included limiting vacation scheduling, changing health insurance coverage, and reducing available sick leave. Union members who spoke at the Jan. 20 board meeting attributed these changes to the threat of outsourcing, which they said has caused their membership to approve a gradual weakening of their benefits and their pay. Many speakers during public commentary referred to concessions that have already been made over the years, with one asking “We’re the only group with a designated vacation, and a lifetime wage – isn’t that enough?”

Another fear reflected in the public commentary was that of retaining employment but losing pension benefits. It is not uncommon for privatized vendors to “re-hire” the same workers for the same jobs with less pay and fewer benefits.

For example, when Chartwells was hired to take over food service in the district, many local employees were hired. But because these workers are no longer in the state employee retirement system, it has led to complaints about their compensation – as one community member put it at a recent AAPS budget forum, tbey are paid “like McDonald’s workers.”

Public Commentary on Privatization

A few dozen members of the local custodial/maintenance and transportation unions were present and showed enthusiastic support for their six members who made statements during the public commentary section of the meeting. Some union members also picketed outside the meeting, carrying signs reading “More will be lost – not just the cost”; “Stop privatizing. It’s dangerous. Think of our kids”; “The Safety of our children comes first” and “Help AAPS staff keep our schools safe – stop privatization.”

The safety issue was echoed in the public commentary given by Darryl Wilson of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 1182, representing custodians and maintenance workers. He cited a case in which an outsourced custodian who was bothering a student was found to have two felonies on record, and reminded the board that all current custodians have been fully background-checked by the state.  Relying on a private company to have properly arranged for background checks for all employees is risky, he argued, and opens up the risk of convicted felons being granted access to students in schools or on buses.

Another speaker, a bus driver, argued that offering lower salaries and fewer benefits would lead to higher turnover, and that beyond the issue of safety, the loss of familiar adult faces on the buses would diminish the quality of students’ educational experience as a whole. Karen Kozacki-Snell, a representative of the Ann Arbor Parent Advisory Committee for Special Education, echoed that sentiment at the beginning of her report later in the meeting. As the parent of a special education student, she said, she especially appreciated the consistency of her child’s bus driver.

A bus driver with 16 years of service to the district put it this way during public commentary: “A lot of us are divorced or single … The majority of us wanted the pension.” She also suggested that the number of employees, and their families, who would need to move out of the district if they were let go, could have a substantial effect on district enrollment numbers. Another bus driver with three years of service added, “One of the attractive things about this job for me, at my age, is the health insurance at 10 years of vesting.”

A member of the Teamsters Local 214, representing bus drivers and monitors, argued that privatization did not reduce costs with food service, and that it would not with transportation, either. He referred to a study by Roland Zullo, of the University of Michigan’s Institute of Labor and Industrial Relations, which claims that privatization  “… indicate[s] no substantive decrease in the cost of student lunches and a modest increase in the cost of breakfasts with private food management.”

Many speakers mentioned that no one else could do their jobs any better than they do, and that no hired company will hold the interests of the district paramount. As one put it: “The company will say what you want to hear. They will pretend to work for the Ann Arbor Public Schools, but their priority will always be to make a profit.”

Another speaker said the fact that the district is not intending to sell the bus fleet implies that it might want to change its mind about transportation staffing in the future. He spoke of the “synergy” among custodians and other school staff, claiming that privatizing would “break the egg.” He warned board members that “you won’t be able to put the so-called ‘genie’ back in the bottle if you don’t like it.”

Budget Presentation and Update

Superintendent Todd Roberts and deputy superintendent for operations Robert Allen repeated the same presentation they had given at each of the four community budget forums earlier this month. They stated the purpose as two-fold: so that the board could ask any questions it had, and so that any community member who had not been able to attend a forum could watch the presentation on CTN as the BOE meeting was replayed this week. [Chronicle coverage of the Jan. 7 budget forum: "Ann Arbor Schools Seek Input on Budget"]

Roberts stressed that the suggested cuts were “not a plan” at this point, and that the plan will develop over the next month and a half. He said he appreciated the many thoughtful conversations and suggestions that have been offered by the 600 people who attended the four community forums, and the 200 who have completed an online survey. He mentioned two ideas from the community that could be incorporated: making need-based scholarships available for sports participation if it is decided to make sports “pay-to-play”; and charging a fee for participation in non-athletic activities as well.

Roberts urged any community member who had not yet given input to please do so. Board president Deb Mexicotte later also encouraged anyone who could not attend a meeting to complete the online survey. She reiterated that the board had received 200 online surveys, but “would love 2,000!” She also invited the public to attend a newly-scheduled board study session on Feb. 17, at which community feedback will be analyzed.

The final budget plan is scheduled to come to the board for first review at its meeting on March 24, and for final approval on April 14. Roberts explained that AAPS is not legally required to adopt its final 2010-2011 budget until June. But, should the district choose to proceed with increasing the number of AAPS students through the Schools of Choice program, a plan would need to be finalized by April in order to ensure adequate staffing of those schools.

Many board members offered encouraging remarks to the community regarding the work at hand.

Glenn Nelson mentioned that he joined the board in 2002, and that the current 2010-11 budget contains the smallest foundational allowance from the state that he’s ever seen. But he said he “feels good about” how the superintendent, BOE members, teachers’ union, and parents are working together “as a team.” He also thanked everyone who came to the budget forums, and described the discussions he heard there as “among caring people who want students to have an excellent education.” In thinking of the lessons learned from Martin Luther King, Jr., Nelson said public education needs to be funded at a level consistent with its importance: “An excellent education is an important civil right.”

Simone Lightfoot thanked the public in general for the warm welcome she has received since joining the board, saying, “I have something on my calendar every day.” She recently had the opportunity to visit Mitchell Elementary’s after-school program, as well as Roberto Clemente Student Development Center, and said she was greatly impressed on both visits despite some preconceived notions. Lightfoot said though there is a lot of work to do, she looks forward to Ann Arbor being at the front of change at the state level.

Irene Patalan thanked the community for attending the forums, and said that seeing the hundreds of concerned people there has been a “profound learning experience,” and made her proud of her community. While describing the district’s strategic plan as the “guiding light” that drives her, she advised: “Change can be scary. We are changing; we have no choice … I’m choosing to look at this as an opportunity to do even better than we do now … I do believe in us.”

Requests for Proposals Issued

During the presentation, board member Adam Hollier asked how much of a difference privatization would make in total expenditures, and was told that his question could not be answered until the privatization bids were received and analyzed by the district.

Two requests for proposals (RFPs) have been issued by AAPS – one for privatizing transportation services, and one for privatizing custodial and maintenance services. They are due on Feb. 12, 2010. The full RFPs are available for viewing on the board of education website, as part of the Jan. 20, 2010 board information packet.

State Education Funding and Legislative Update

Roberts mentioned that while talking to the community has been very helpful, the district will also continue conversations with the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) and Michigan legislators to address not only cost containment, but also the inadequate funding of the School Aid Fund.

In addition, a special briefing was added as an action agenda item for Wednesday’s meeting regarding signing a service consolidation plan (SCP) agreement with the MDE. This agreement would have to be signed by Feb. 1, and could lead to the receipt of an additional $1.7 million in flexible state funding from Part 31A of the School Aid Act if the district qualifies.

In return for receiving the additional funding, the district would agree to consider consolidating business or instructional services with other districts or the Washtenaw Intermediate School District (WISD).

Roberts explained that there is some question of whether or not APPS qualifies for this funding. Currently, it looks like the district is not actually eligible based on phone conversations Roberts has had with MDE representatives; however, if this is the case, it is unclear why AAPS was included in a list of districts invited to submit SCPs. Due to this uncertainty, as well as the “flurry of legislation flying” at the state level, Roberts said he would like to have an agreement to develop an SCP on file with the MDE by the Feb. 1 deadline in case the requirements are modified to the degree that AAPS qualifies.

He explained that signing an SCP agreement does not commit the district to do anything it is not considering anyway, and that consolidation of services with other districts is already under consideration.

Mexicotte agreed, saying that this agreement would serve as a “placeholder” in case it is determined that AAPS is eligible for 31A funding.

Hollier asked about the threshold for funding: If the last cut had gone through, would AAPS  have been low enough to qualify? Roberts answered no, and explained that currently, the threshold for qualifying for 31A funding is a foundation allowance of $8,489 or less, which would mean AAPS does not qualify, but that upcoming legislation could change the threshold, thereby making AAPS eligible. [The AAPS currently receives $9,325 in per-pupil funding from the state.]

Hollier suggested that, should the board vote to sign an SCP agreement, Roberts should include a letter along with it, suggesting the legislative changes that would be necessary to cause AAPS to be eligible for the funding.

The board then approved on roll call vote, with all six trustees in attendance voting yes, the addition of the signing of an SCP Agreement with the MDE to the consent agenda, which was then approved along with other items.

Roberts also included an update on other proposed state legislation as part of his superintendent’s report. He emphasized that these bills are all focused on cost containment, reminded everyone that they might not pass, and described them as ideas “from the folks in Lansing helping us.” They include:

• A bill that would allow “hold harmless” districts, including Ann Arbor, to use their sinking funds like bond money;
• A bill that would make all public employees pay 20% of their health care premiums;
• A bill that would cap the non-instructional part of district budgets at 28%, and require competitive bids for all K-12 non-instructional services; and
• A bill that would reduce the pay of all public servants by 5%, frozen for three years.

First Briefing Items: Parking, Computers, and Facilities Naming

The board considered a number of items at “first briefing” – the board sees items twice, at a first and a second briefing.

UM Football Parking

Deputy superintendent Robert Allen recommended that the bid for managing the parking of vehicles at Pioneer High School during University of Michigan football games for the 2010-11 season be awarded to Great Lakes Environmental Services.

Since 1950, the district has been mandated to provide parking at Pioneer during UM football events, as part of a land purchase agreement with UM. If approved, this would allow Great Lakes Environmental Services to keep 11.9% of the revenue brought in from parking fees, and pass on the rest to the district. Board member Irene Patalan suggested that raising the cost of parking per car would not deter fans, and could be encouraged as a way to increase revenue. Allen confirmed that the gross revenue from football parking would increase by $1 million if the cost of parking was raised from $30 to $35 per car.

Computer Replacement

Joyce Hunter, the administrator for middle/high schools and career and technical education for the district, presented a recommendation to use $35,093 of this year’s Perkins Grant funding to replace the computers in the Business Education Computer Lab at Huron High School. Trustee Susan Baskett asked questions that clarified a number of issues: the total cost of the quote from Dell; that computers would be purchased, not leased; and that the life cycle of computers in AAPS buildings is 7-8 years. Hunter clarified that the Perkins Grant affords just enough money to do one lab each year. Trustee Deb Mexicotte commented that 7 or 8 years is a long time in the life of a computer.

Naming of Facilities

Liz Margolis, director of communications for AAPS, introduced two requests to name facilities in honor of AAPS staff. It was recommended to co-name the Pioneer High School track after the boy’s cross-country and track coach Don Sleeman, and to name the Tappan Middle School gym after former physical education teacher and coach Rob Lillie. Superindentent Todd Roberts commented that both recommendations meet all criteria and board policy.

A former student reported that Don Sleeman was recently named national track and field coach of the year, and inspired his athletes to do better in all aspects of their lives. A parent who spoke in support of Sleeman asserted, “That guy – he’s like a pirate! He is heroic to me, and to all the boys. He’s 70! I want that man to drive by the field, and see his name there.” [Sleeman was recently honored with a mayoral proclamation at the Dec. 7, 2009 Ann Arbor city council meeting.]

Trustee Susan Baskett clarified that the official name of the track would be “Westfield-Sleeman” track, as it would be named not only for Don Sleeman, but also for Bryan Westfield, a change that the board approved last year. Baskett asked about the process from this point forward, and Margolis confirmed that, if approved, the booster clubs would be authorized to raise money for a sign, and that it would take about six months to complete.

Trustee Glenn Nelson stated that it was a “pleasure to honor these people. These are fun times – these are joyful times. I’m just glad we’re doing this.”

Deb Mexicotte, president of the board, reminded her colleagues of the comment someone made last spring about how having two great people to consider naming the track after was a great problem to have, and she expressed pride that “our community solved it.”

Rick Weiler, assistant principal of Tappan Middle School, spoke on behalf of Rob Lillie, saying Lillie was his mentor and a “most gracious gentleman.” He said, “I’d be considered a success if I could fill just one of his shoes.”  Trustee Simone Lightfoot and Margolis also expressed support for Lillie, having had him as a teacher themselves or known him as a district parent. Mexicotte and Nelson also made statements of support.

Weiler explained that Lillie is currently out of town and unaware of this effort, so he will be duly surprised if the recommendation is approved. Margolis requested that if it is approved, that Lillie could be recognized by the board at a future meeting, since he would not be here at the time of approval. Nelson said Lillie would be a joy to honor.

Hikone Student Presentation

At the beginning of the meeting, the 16th group of students to participate in the Hikone Exchange Program gave a presentation. Usually students only go to Japan every other year, but this last trip was a special additional trip because it was the 40th anniversary of the Ann Arbor-Hikone sister city partnership.

Each speaking briefly, the 11 students (one was too sick to attend) described their experiences with everything from the program’s selection and fundraising processes, and the language and cultural preparation they did, to adjusting to their host families and schools, and some of the specific sites they visited in Japan.

Trustee Glenn Nelson asked the students to describe a piece of Japanese culture that they wished was a part of our culture here. Students mentioned the greater accountability of students to their own learning, the fact that people wear masks when they’re sick to prevent the spread of germs, and how the giant photo booths at the mall were interactive: “You could draw on it!”

Trustee Susan Baskett asked Larry Dishman, the program’s coordinator, about the ratio of applications to students accepted to the Hikone program. Dishman acknowledged that there are more applicants than can participate, saying a few years ago he took 18 students, but that was too big. Twelve students is a good number, he said, but “we could go up to 14.”

Trustee Deb Mexicotte thanked the students for their presentation and said how much the board looks forward to hearing from them after each program year.

Trustee Irene Patalan mentioned that thinking of the trip put a smile on her face, and that she was really proud of all the students.

Additional Accolades

During the opening of his superintendent’s report, Todd Roberts reported that the Preschool and Family Center has just won accreditation by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, an arduous process, and a fitting tribute to the work of its former principal, the late Connie Toigo.

Also achieving awards were Huron and Pioneer high schools, who each received silver rankings from US News and World Report, and Community High School, which received a bronze. Roberts added that the awards are based on a wide range of performance indicators.

Roberts enumerated a number of other awards to individual teachers in the district, and mentioned that all 131 buses passed the Michigan State Police inspection.

The meeting was closed after the conclusion of the executive session, which had been recessed in order to begin the public BOE meeting at 7 p.m.

Present: President Deb Mexicotte, vice president Irene Patalan, secretary Glenn Nelson, trustee Susan Baskett, trustee Adam Hollier, and trustee Simone Lightfoot. Also present as a non-voting member was Dr. Todd Roberts, superintendent of AAPS.

Absent: Treasurer Randy Friedman.

Next Regular Meeting: February 3, 2010, 7 p.m., at the Downtown Ann Arbor District Library, 4th floor board room [confirm date].

One of the tables at the Jan. 7 Ann Arbor Public Schools budget forum, where participants discussed options for cutting expenses and raising revenues. (Photos by the writer.)

Todd Roberts, superintendent of the Ann Arbor Public Schools, didn’t have much good news to deliver at Thursday’s budget forum, the first of four that the district is holding this month. Heavily reliant on declining state funding, AAPS faces as much as a $20.9 million deficit by fiscal 2010-11.

And after voters rejected a countywide schools millage in November that would have brought some financial relief, school officials are faced with difficult decisions as they work to close the funding gap between revenues and expenses.

Despite the season’s first significant snowfall, more than 100 people attended the Jan. 7 forum at Huron High School’s cafeteria, a gathering that included parents, teachers, administrative staff, some school board members, students and others in the community. Leaders of groups that supported the November schools millage proposal, as well as those who successfully led efforts to defeat it, also attended the meeting.

Roberts told the crowd that it’s unlikely the state will see a turnaround anytime soon, and their biggest hope is that revenues for schools at least remain flat. “But that’s certainly not a foregone conclusion,” he added.

The forum was organized into three parts: 1) an overview of the current fiscal year’s budget situation, 2) a presentation of options to cut costs and raise revenues in the 2010-11 fiscal year, which begins July 1, 2010, and 3) small group discussions among participants, giving feedback and offering other ideas to deal with the projected deficit. At the end of the meeting, members from each of the small groups gave a summary of their discussions to the full gathering.

“This is not a plan,” Roberts emphasized. “These are options that we want to get feedback on.”

AAPS Budget Overview

To set the stage for forum participants, AAPS deputy superintendent Robert Allen gave an overview of the district’s current funding status. He began by noting that if the district’s projections for the next two years hold firm, their budget will be reduced to its 2001-02 levels. [For a detailed look at how schools are funded in Michigan, see Chronicle coverage "Does It Take a Millage?"]

Robert Allen, deputy superintendent of Ann Arbor Public Schools, gave an overview of the district's current budget situation at the Jan. 7 public forum, held in Huron High School's cafeteria.

In the current fiscal year, which ends June 30, 2010, AAPS state per-pupil funding was originally expected to be $9,723. Last fall, the state reduced that amount by $398 per pupil, or $6.5 million – based on 16,489 students in the system. At one point, the district expected another $127 in per-pupil cuts, but Allen said it now seems unlikely that the state will take that step.

With operating expenses of $193.9 million, the district faced a $5 million deficit even before the additional cuts were made by the state, Allen said. Expenses are expected to climb to $199.3 million in 2010-11. Based on those projections, plus estimates for further cuts in state funding and no change in enrollment, the deficit could reach as high as $20.9 million, he said.

Expenses are weighted heavily towards personnel. Eighty-five percent of the general fund budget is used to pay for salaries and benefits, he said. Of that, 71% are costs tied to teachers, media specialists, counselors, and social workers.

Allen also noted that the district has a $27 million fund equity balance – essentially, the equivalent of a savings account that can be tapped to cover a budget shortfall. But if that were the only step taken, the fund would soon be depleted, Allen cautioned.

2009-10 Budget Reductions

Superintendent Todd Roberts followed Allen’s presentation with a look at specific reductions proposed for the current fiscal year. The main goal was not to disrupt programs mid-year, he said. The following steps would trim $2.59 million in expenses for 2009-10:

• $700,000 = Reduce discretionary fund budget.
• $600,000 = Limit all overtime.
• $400,000 = Keep six FTE vacancies unfilled.
• $200,000 = Limit textbook replacements.
• $100,000 = Reduce administrative costs.
• $100,000 = Limit conference attendance unless funded through grants.
• $100,000 = Reduce summer school costs.
• $90,000 = Change to November elections.
• $80,000 = Reschedule low-enrolled 2nd semester classes.
• $70,000 = Reduce heating & cooling costs.
• $50,000 = Reduce high school noon hour staff.
• $50,000 = Reduce substitute teacher costs.
• $50,000 = Reduce athletic transportation.

While reductions for the current fiscal year were included in the presentation, the budget forums were primarily intended to get feedback on the more substantive deficit the district faces in 2010-11, which begins July 1, 2010.

Options for 2010-2011 Budget

The AAPS administration has identified options that would help close the projected $20.9 million deficit by $17.43 million, through a combination of moderate revenue increases and deeper expense reductions. AAPS superintendent Todd Roberts said that budget decisions will be made based on the impact on student achievement and the number of students affected, among other factors.

Increasing Revenue

Roberts noted that local school districts in Michigan had limited options regarding revenue, because of constraints imposed by state law. One option has recently been rejected – in November 2009, voters rejected a millage proposal that would have raised $30 million countywide, to be distributed among Washtenaw County’s 10 school districts. Of that, AAPS would have received $11 million annually.

With that revenue source off the table, most of the options presented by Roberts for addressing the budget deficit focused on cutting costs. There were only two suggestions for raising revenue, totaling $1.23 million:

• $1.05 million = Increase enrollment in targeted schools of choice: 100 spaces in elementary and middle schools, and 50 spaces in Stone High School and the Roberto Clemente Student Development Center.
• $180,000 = Increase enrollment in the “options magnet” program. These would be students who live in the district but who aren’t currently enrolled in AAPS, Roberts said. They might be home-schooled, for example, or home-bound because of injury or illness.

[For additional background on these revenue options, see Chronicle coverage: "Revenue Bump in School Budget Draft"]

Cutting Costs

Roberts outlined reductions of $16.2 million in expenses, both instructional and non-instructional. The largest cuts included $5 million in salary and health care benefits districtwide. Wages and benefits are the district’s single largest expense, Roberts said, and while they don’t have control over retirement costs – those are mandated by the state – they do have the ability to reduce wages and health care benefits.

Here’s the complete list of options presented at Thursday’s forum. Roberts stressed that these are just being considered but are not formal proposals at this point.

INSTRUCTIONAL

• $960,000 = Reduce K-12 staff by an estimated 12 full-time equivalents (FTEs) by implementing a higher student-to-teacher ratio in targeted classes.
• $640,000 = Restructure the media and technology program for elementary schools (estimated reduction of eight FTEs).
• $400,000 = Offer more online high school classes (estimated reduction of five FTEs). Roberts said that close to 300 students currently take online courses offered by AAPS.
• $400,000 = Redesign alternative programs at Stone High School and the Roberto Clemente Student Development Center.
• $360,000 = Restructure the middle school planning center (estimated reduction of five FTEs).
• $320,000 = Restructure K-12 English as a Second Language (ESL) program (estimated reduction of four FTEs).
• $200,000 = Reduce K-12 textbook budget.
• $200,000 = Reduce substitute teacher costs by cutting some professional development that requires substitutes.
• $100,000 = Reduce summer school services and transportation costs.

NON-INSTRUCTIONAL

• $2.5 million = Reduce custodial and maintenance costs. Options include reducing salary and health care costs, or modifying the level of service. The district has already issued a request for proposals (RFP) to seek options for possibly privatizing this service, Roberts said. [Link to AAPS online bid site]
• $1.5 million = Reduce transportation costs. School districts in the county are looking at ways that they might consolidate their transportation services, Roberts said. AAPS is also seeking bids for possible privatization, similar to their RFP for custodial and maintenance services. Another option would be to alter some of their existing transportation services, such as eliminating shuttle buses from Pioneer and Huron to Community High, eliminating noon-hour kindergarten transportation, or having middle school and high school students ride the same bus. Feedback from the forum would be helpful in making these decisions, Roberts said.
• $700,000 = Reduce overtime costs. These reductions would be targeted for activities on the weekends or other times outside of the regular school day.
• $500,000 = Reduce athletic costs. Options include reducing the number of freshman games, cutting administrative costs at the middle school level, eliminating weekend transportation to sporting events in Washtenaw County, consolidating some sports, and instituting a pay-to-play system that’s augmented by needs-based scholarships.
• $400,000 = Seek energy cost savings by implementing an energy education and monitoring program.
• $50,000 = Eliminate high school lunch-hour supervisors, with those duties taken over by administrative staff or community assistants.

COMBINED INSTRUCTIONAL/NON-INSTRUCTIONAL

• $5 million = Reduce salary and health care benefits.
• $900,000 = Reduce discretionary budgets for supplies and materials.
• $600,000 = Eliminate five positions in central administration, and two high school class principal positions.
• $320,000 = Eliminate eight clerical staff – five in central administration, and two at the high school level.
• $150,000 = Cut funding for conferences.

Suggestions from Forum Participants

The bulk of the budget forum involved small group discussions among participants seated around tables in Huron High’s cafeteria, responding to the specific options that had been presented by Roberts. When those discussions wrapped up, the entire group reconvened and a representative from each table reported a summary of their discussions. Many of the groups cited general support for the options presented by the administration. Here’s a sampling of comments from the small group reports:

• If lower state funding levels are the new norm, the district needs to look more aggressively at how to generate additional revenues. That might include developing partnerships with local businesses or philanthropy, and seeking out available grant funding. A specific example cited was the $350 million distributed to schools nationwide through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. [Wendy Correll – executive director of the AAPS Educational Foundation, a nonprofit that raises money to support the district – attended Thursday's forum.]
• Several groups expressed concern over privatization. Suggestions included looking at long-term savings rather than just the initial amount saved from privatizing a service – perhaps the long-terms savings aren’t high enough to make it worthwhile. Ethical concerns were raised as well. One group discussed how privatization risks impoverishing community members who are currently employed by AAPS. They cited the example of food service employees who lost their pensions and health insurance, and are “getting paid like McDonald’s workers” as a result of the district privatizing food service by contracting with Chartwells.

Steve Norton and Kathy Griswold were on opposite sides of the millage issue, but worked in the same small group during the Jan. 7 budget forum. Norton leads the Ann Arbor Parents for Schools (www.aaparentsforschools.org). Griswold is co-chair of the Coalition for Responsible Schools for All Students (www.a2crss.org).

• Many of the groups said they didn’t have sufficient information to form an opinion about some of the options. One group criticized the format – by asking people to respond to options that the administration had already identified, they said, participants weren’t being asked to think broadly about how to address the deficit.
• What did the district look like in 2001-02? One group suggested that looking back at those years might give some guidance about the size of staffing and programming, as revenues drop to 2001-02 levels.
• There was general support for pay-to-play as an option to generate revenue from school sports, but some people expressed concern over the amounts suggested [$150 annually for high school students, $50 for middle schoolers]. One person earned a laugh when she suggested that everyone should be allowed to play “regardless of their ability.” She clarified that she meant “regardless of their ability to pay.” However, others felt that additional revenues could be raised beyond what’s being proposed. One group suggested that the fee should be levied per sport, so that students playing multiple sports would pay more than those playing just one. Another group suggested that the pay-to-play concept could be applied to other extra-curricular activities, not just sports.
• High school students who were at the forum were against dropping the 7th hour. One group suggested restricting 7th hours to non-core classes. One recent high school graduate said he was glad to learn that rumors about dropping the humanities program weren’t true – he said it had been valuable in preparing him for college.
• Several issues were raised related to transportation. One group suggested finding ways to partner with the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority (AATA). Another group raised concerns over mixing high school and middle schools students on the same bus. And one group cautioned that the district needed to minimize the impact on employees who were the least able to absorb cuts, such as bus drivers.

Other Ideas Proposed by Forum Participants

• Expand the Community Resource program that’s in place at Community High School. These courses are taught by “experts” in the community, though monitored by a certified teacher.
• Consolidate Stone High School and the Roberto Clemente Student Development Center with the other high schools.
• Reduce the number of administrators for special education.
• Contact parents who live in the district but who aren’t sending their children to AAPS, and ask them why they’ve decided to pursue other schooling options.
• Seek compensation from the University of Michigan for its student teaching program. The rationale: Student teachers pay UM tuition to teach in AAPS schools and use AAPS resources, so the district should receive funding for that.
• Help the community better understand what the schools do – that might generate more community support for a millage or donations. Make clear how people can advocate in Lansing on behalf of the schools.
• Reduce the number of community hall monitors.
• Find ways to collaborate with the Ann Arbor District Library.
• Charge more for student parking. [Annual parking permits for high school students vary. Permits at Community High and Skyline are free; Pioneer charges $40 and Huron charges $60 or $30, depending on the lot.]
• Look at how to use the district’s facilities to generate revenues. One example cited was the possibility of renting the use of swimming pools. Other suggestions: Close buildings that are underutilized, and sell land owned by the district that’s not being used.

One participant made the point that regardless of the specific cuts that are eventually made, it’s important to demonstrate that serious action is being taken by the district. The reasoning is that the recent millage proposal failed in part because voters didn’t believe the schools had reduced expenses as much as possible. If serious cuts aren’t made, it would underscore the belief that the millage funding wasn’t necessary.

What’s Next?

The district is holding three additional public forums this month, focused on the budget. The two-hour meetings, which will follow the same format as the Jan. 7 session, begin at 6:30 p.m.:

• Tuesday, Jan. 12 at the Skyline High School commons, 2552 N. Maple Road.
• Thursday, Jan. 14 at the Scarlett Middle School cafeteria,  3300 Lorraine St.
• Tuesday, Jan. 19 at the Pioneer High School cafeteria, 601 W. Stadium Blvd.

Todd Roberts, superintendent of the Ann Arbor Public Schools, talks to participants during the Jan. 7 budget forum at Huron High School.

Participants at each forum are also asked to complete an individual survey giving feedback about the ideas presented at the forum, and asking for volunteers to work on the district’s strategic planning efforts. [.pdf file of survey]

In addition, an online survey is posted on the AAPS website to solicit feedback on budget-related options. About 200 people have taken the survey so far, according to Liz Margolis, the district’s director of communications.

There are also times reserved for public comment at the biweekly meetings of the AAPS board of education. [Link to rules for public commentary] Board meetings begin at 7 p.m. in the fourth floor board room of the Ann Arbor District Library, 343 S. Fifth Ave. The next regular meeting is on Wednesday, Jan. 20. In addition, board members can be contacted individually – contact information is available online.

The district has more budget information available online, including links to budget data and other financial documents.

Roberts said that all of this feedback will be factored in as the administration and school board prepares its 2010-11 budget.

In addition to $165 per-pupil cuts that were already anticipated, Granholm vetoed a portion of a bill that specified school-aid payments to be made to the state’s “hold harmless” districts, one of which is AAPS. She vetoed that item in a comprehensive K-12 school-aid bill that she signed on Monday. The new cuts of $233 per pupil will take effect unless the state legislature overrides her veto.

AAPS superintendent Todd Roberts told The Chronicle this morning that combined with the previous $165 per-pupil cuts, the Ann Arbor district now must deal with a $6.4 million loss in funding for the current fiscal year. They’ll likely need to tap their $28 million fund equity – the equivalent of a district’s savings account – as well as make cuts to services, trying to identify those that will be the least disruptive to the schools, he said.

Roberts said that Monday’s action at the state level makes it even clearer for the need to take more local control of school funding – referring to a proposed countywide millage that’s on the Nov. 3 ballot. [See Chronicle coverage: "Does It Take a Millage?"] “If we’re going to rely on [the state], then shame on us,” he said.

The millage proposal calls for collecting 2 mills annually over a five-year period. If the millage is approved by voters, it would be included in the December 2009 tax bill, and available for schools in the current fiscal year, Roberts said. It would help, he said, but not totally cover the loss in state funding.

The millage would raise $30 million to be equally distributed on a per-pupil basis throughout each of the county’s 10 school districts. Because Ann Arbor is by far the largest district, AAPS would receive about $11 million annually.

Roberts said they hadn’t yet identified specific items to cut from the budget, noting that their situation isn’t as dire as some other districts in Michigan. He described what other school officials in the state are contemplating – scenarios that include eliminating transportation completely, or simply running current programs until funding runs out, then ending the school year early.

Districts also expect additional state cuts early next year, Roberts said, unless the legislature takes action “other than argue with each other.”

The districts being affected by Granholm’s veto are “hold harmless” districts, which were created by the passage of Proposal A in 1994. That ballot initiative was designed to create more equitable funding across all districts and to keep property taxes from escalating dramatically, but it also took away, to a significant degree, local control over school funding.

When Prop A took effect, these “hold harmless” districts were receiving revenues higher than a $6,500 per-pupil base level set by the state at that time. Rather than have their funding lowered, the “hold harmless” districts were allowed to levy an additional millage to make up the gap. For Ann Arbor, that amount is $1,234 per pupil, or 4.42 mills. (The millage rate varies depending on property values, in order to generate a fixed amount of $1,234 per pupil.) In addition, “hold harmless” districts also receive a line item known as 20J, which provides $233 in per-pupil funding – the amount vetoed by Granholm on Monday.

An Ann Arbor summer tax bill, showing some of the assessments for Ann Arbor schools. For Ann Arbor Public Schools (AAPS), the millage rates reflect half the amount collected annually.

Among Michigan’s public educators, the 2010-11 fiscal year is being called “The Cliff.” Based on a grim downward trajectory of funding from the state, decreasing revenues from local property taxes and expenses like health care continuing to climb, that’s the year many districts are expected to plummet over the edge into the red.

Robert Allen, deputy superintendent of the Ann Arbor Public Schools, described this scenario at a sparsely attended forum last Thursday at Huron High School, where he and superintendent Todd Roberts made a pitch for voters to support a proposed countywide millage on the Nov. 3 ballot. They didn’t claim that AAPS would be among those districts falling off the cliff, but they did say their district faces a $15 million deficit that year. Without new revenue from the millage, they contend that the district would need to make dramatic cuts, and that those cuts would almost certainly affect students in the classroom. Michigan’s financial crisis is hitting hard, they say.

“As the state goes, so goes our funding,” Allen told the group on Thursday.

The state isn’t going so well.

But opponents argue that school districts haven’t done enough to cut costs, and that taxpayers can’t absorb the added burden of another millage. Beyond that, people on both sides say there’s an urgent need to reform the way schools are funded in Michigan, regardless of the success or failure of the Nov. 3 millage vote.

This Chronicle report looks at how Michigan funds K-12 public schools, why local school districts say they need a special enhancement millage and why critics say they don’t, and what that proposed millage would entail. Ann Arbor Public Schools is the largest of Washtenaw County’s 10 school districts, and would receive over a third of the $30 million collected from the millage annually – we’ll focus our coverage on that district.

Background: How Michigan Funds Public Schools

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.” This amount varies by district – Ann Arbor’s per-pupil funding was originally expected to be $9,723 for the current fiscal year, which began July 1. With about 16,500 students in the Ann Arbor district, its per-pupil foundation allowance would be roughly $160.5 million – the bulk of the district’s projected $192 million budget for this fiscal year. (Other revenues come from the district’s share of a countywide special education millage and from federal grants.)

The current system stems from the 1994 passage of Proposal A. The goal of that ballot initiative was to create more equitable funding across all districts and to keep property taxes from escalating dramatically. Proposal A took away, to a significant degree, local control over school funding, though districts can still request voter approval to levy local millages for building construction, repairs, and maintenance. Ann Arbor has done that, most notably to fund the construction of Skyline High School.

Proposal A also created “hold-harmless” districts – Ann Arbor is one of only 44 districts statewide that are classified in this way. When Prop A took effect, these districts were receiving revenues higher than a $6,500 per-pupil base level set by the state at that time. Rather than have their funding lowered, the “hold harmless” districts were allowed to levy an additional millage to make up the gap. For Ann Arbor, that amount is $1,234 per pupil, or 4.42 mills. (The millage rate varies depending on property values, in order to generate a fixed amount of $1,234 per pupil.)

Another issue is this: As revenues from property taxes, sales taxes and other funding sources have decreased because of the state’s economy, the School Aid Fund has been shrinking. This year, the state is projecting a $1 billion deficit in the fund – that’s one reason why the legislature cut state funding for schools by $165 per pupil earlier this month. (The legislation authorizing that cut hasn’t yet been signed by Gov. Jennifer Granholm, however.) And depending on the amount of revenues coming into the School Aid Fund over the next few months, the state might make additional per-pupil cuts early next year.

The upshot? Districts can’t be sure exactly how much money they’ll receive from the state for their current fiscal year, which began July 1. For AAPS, the $165-per-pupil cut means a loss of about $2.7 million, bringing its per-pupil foundation allowance down to $9,558. The school board passed a balanced budget in June, which included tapping their fund balance (the district’s equivalent of a savings account) for nearly $2 million, to help resolve a $7.1 million deficit. But they’ll likely have to make additional cuts in light of the state’s decision to decrease per-pupil funding.

In the past, shortfalls in the School Aid Fund have been plugged by transferring revenues from the state’s general fund. But because the general fund has also faced staggering deficits, lawmakers have been using federal stimulus money in the past two years to shore up the School Aid Fund. Last year, AAPS got about $6 million in stimulus funds to cover what would have otherwise been a $365 per-pupil cut. The district has received another $3 million in stimulus dollars earmarked for special education, and about $1 million for Title 1 programs, which provide reduced and free lunches to low-income children.

Stimulus funds aren’t expected to be available beyond 2010-11, and the state still hasn’t determined how they’ll use those funds for schools in the current fiscal year.

What Ann Arbor Taxpayers Pay for Schools

In addition to the state school tax of 6 mills from residential property owners and 6 mills from owners of commercial and rental property, or of property that isn’t a taxpayer’s primary residence, there are four other school-related millages for the Ann Arbor district:

• 17.97 mills for operating funds – a “non-homestead” tax paid by owners of non-residential property.
• 4.4201 mills for the supplemental “hold harmless” tax.
• 2.0325 mills for debt repayment on school bonds.
• 0.9861 mill for a “sinking” fund, which can be used for school construction, renovations or repairs. The fund was initially approved, in part, to build the new Skyline High School.

Voters renewed the AAPS sinking fund, supplemental and non-homestead operating millages last year.

The Washtenaw Intermediate School District also collects two taxes countywide: 1) an operating millage of 0.0984 mill, and 2) a special education millage of 3.8761 mill.

In total, Ann Arbor homeowners pay just over 17 mills in school taxes. A mill equals $1 for every $1,000 in a property’s taxable value, which usually is considered roughly half of the market value. So owners of a home with a market value of $200,000 are paying about $1,700 annually in school taxes now, and would add another $200 to that if the millage on November’s ballot is passed.

In their public forum on the millage, AAPS school officials noted that since Proposal A passed in 1994, local taxpayers have seen their school millage rates fall. [Link to chart of school millages paid by Ann Arbor residents from 1994 to 2009.]

Brit Satchwell, second from the right, is president of the 1,200-member Ann Arbor Education Association, the teachers' union for the Ann Arbor Public Schools. He set up a booth at the Oct. 17 Ann Arbor Farmers Market, handing out yard signs and pins in support of the proposed countywide schools millage, and talking with residents about it. (Photo by the writer.)

How the Proposed Millage Would Work

Individual school districts are prohibited by state law from levying additional millages for operations. However, under the umbrella of the Washtenaw Intermediate School District – an entity set up in the early 1960s to provide services to all 10 public school districts in the county – an operating millage can be levied and distributed equally, with each district receiving the same per-pupil amount.

The Nov. 3 ballot proposal calls for collecting 2 mill countywide each year for five years, starting in 2010. The millage is projected to raise $30 million annually, to be divided among the 10 districts. The WISD would not receive funding from this millage, nor would any percentage of the millage go to the state.

Here’s what voters will see on the ballot:

PROPOSAL I

REGIONAL ENHANCEMENT MILLAGE PROPOSAL

Pursuant to state law, the revenue raised by the proposed millage will be collected by the intermediate school district and distributed to local public school districts based on pupil membership count.

Shall the limitation on the amount of taxes which may be assessed against all property in Washtenaw Intermediate School District, Michigan, be increased by 2 mills ($2.00 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation) for a period of 5 years, 2009 to 2013, inclusive, to provide operating funds to enhance other state and local funding for local school district operating purposes; the estimate of the revenue the intermediate school district will collect if the millage is approved and levied in 2009 is approximately $30,000,000?

Each district in the county is projected to receive the following amount annually, based on the number of students in their districts:

• Ann Arbor: $11,209,169
• Chelsea: $1,805,447
• Dexter: $2,477,564
• Lincoln: $3,261,427
• Manchester: $865,953
• Milan: $1,778,896
• Saline: $3,748,612
• Whitmore Lake: $841,030
• Willow Run: $1,358,160
• Ypsilanti: $2,663,743

In lobbying for the millage, Glenn Nelson – an AAPS school board member – notes that many taxpayers will be eligible for a state property tax credit and a federal property tax deduction, offsetting a portion of the increase in taxes. Countywide, he calculates that the millage will only cost taxpayers $21.2 million annually, because of the available credit and deduction, while generating $30 million for schools. That calculation assumes that all taxpayers eligible for the credit and deduction actually file for it.

Why Districts Say They Need This Millage

In making the case for an additional millage, school officials acknowledge that it’s a difficult economic climate for residents, and a tough time to be asking for a new tax. They also say they have no alternative.

All districts contend that they’ve already been cutting expenses and consolidating services, as revenues from the state have fallen. Ann Arbor Public Schools has cut $16 million from its budget over the past four years, according to administrators. Those moves included eliminating 66 jobs, restructuring the district’s middle school program to save $2.3 million annually, increasing class sizes, and cutting back on custodial services, among other things.

Officials also point to countywide efforts, including those coordinated by the Washtenaw Intermediate School District. [.PDF link to list of consolidated school services in Washtenaw County]

But costs continue to escalate while revenues fall, they say – even with the millage, AAPS expects to face a $4 million deficit in 2010-11.

Todd Roberts, superintendent of Ann Arbor Public Schools, at an Oct. 15 forum on the proposed countywide schools millage. (Photo by the writer.)

Personnel costs

The biggest portion of any district’s operating budget is personnel. At the AAPS millage forum on Thursday, Robert Allen, AAPS deputy superintendent, noted that 85% of the district’s operating budget goes toward personnel costs – salaries and benefits – and that a $15 million budget shortfall equated to about 220 jobs.

The Ann Arbor Education Association – the teachers union, and the largest of the district’s nine bargaining units – has already made some concessions, earlier this fall agreeing to a salary freeze for the first time in its history for the 2009-10 school year. The new contract contained changes in health care benefits too, including an increase in prescription co-pays for teachers, but also a 15% increase in the amount that the district pays for a teacher’s health insurance, to $12,582. And so-called step increases – automatic pay raises that teachers receive each year for their first 12 years of service – remain in place.

At Thursday’s forum, one of the people attending asked superintendent Todd Roberts how he’d respond to those who think teacher salaries are too high. Roberts defended the salaries that AAPS pays, saying that “our teachers are not anywhere near the top” compared to other districts statewide. What’s more, he said, the district needs to pay a decent wage in order to attract and retain high-quality teachers.

Pay is linked to education and time of service. The average AAPS teacher’s salary is about $72,000. First-year teachers with a bachelor’s degree earn $39,540 – the top of the pay scale for teachers with a bachelor’s degree is $66,975. Teachers with masters degrees start at $44,539 and top out at $79,899. Beginning teachers with a Ph.D. earn $49,919 – the top of the scale for them is $87,774.

Maintaining a quality education

The need to keep the quality of Ann Arbor’s public education high – and the role of the proposed millage in doing that – is an argument made by school officials and others who support the millage.

Steve Norton, a leader of the Ann Arbor Citizens Millage Committee, which supports the millage, told The Chronicle that there are two choices: Bring in additional revenues through the millage, or dismantle the school system as we know it. An additional investment now, he said, will buy time for public school advocates to lobby for substantive changes at the state level. It’s a millage they might not need long-term, Norton said, but if they don’t get the funding now, the district will suffer.

School officials give a range of actions that would be necessary if they’re forced to slice $15 million from next year’s budget. Layoffs would be necessary, meaning that with fewer teachers, class sizes would increase. High schools would likely cut their 7th hour of classes, and “enhancement” programs like art, music and sports could be at risk.

In stating that the quality of Ann Arbor’s public schools is threatened, Norton, Roberts and others make an economic development argument as well. Education is a pillar of the local economy, Roberts said, pointing to its inclusion in the Ann Arbor Region Success initiative, a countywide strategic planning effort of business and community leaders. From that group’s report:

High quality education systems (from early childhood through post-secondary) are needed to develop skilled workers and attract companies and talent thinking of moving to our region. Companies thinking of expanding or relocating to our region need to know that their children can get the best education possible whether they live in our villages or urban core. This is one of the key factors that site selectors assess when recommending sites for expansion and relocation. High school graduation rates are good in most areas of the county but we need to consistently achieve high attainment levels in all school districts. [.PDF file of entire report.]

Karen Cross, a current former AAPS school board member, told The Chronicle that when people hear what’s at stake, they’re generally receptive to the millage. But that’s not always the case.

An anti-millage sign on East Huron River Drive earlier this year near the home of Ted Annis, a member of the Citizens for Responsible School Spending, which opposes the millage. (Photo by the writer.)

What Opponents Say

Critics of the millage proposal make two main arguments: 1) Districts haven’t made sufficient structural changes to lower their expenses, and 2) residents are in no position to absorb additional taxes in the current economic climate. The 17 mills that residents of Ann Arbor already pay should be sufficient, they say.

In Ann Arbor, some opponents also criticize the “redistribution of wealth” aspect of the millage. Because of how the money is collected and redistributed, Ann Arbor taxpayers will be paying more than will be returned to the Ann Arbor school district. That’s true: AAPS will only receive an estimated $11 million from the enhancement millage, though taxes from the district will generate about $16 million. The $5 million that’s not returned to AAPS will go to other districts in Washenaw County. (AAPS is already a “donor” district for the School Aid Fund, with local taxpayers paying more than the district receives back in state aid.)

Several groups have organized to defeat the millage, but taking the lead is the Citizens for Responsible School Spending, spearheaded by former AAPS board member Kathy Griswold and Ted Annis, a technology entrepreneur who’s on the board of the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority.

“Fear-mongering”

Speaking to The Chronicle just before a meeting of CRSS on Sunday afternoon, Griswold characterizes the rhetoric of millage advocates as misleading and fear-mongering, likening it to the tactics that former president George W. Bush used to drum up support for the war in Iraq. She says the per-pupil amounts are misleading, too, and that per-pupil funding for AAPS is much higher – over $12,000 per pupil, not the $9,723 figure that’s quoted by the district. She calculates that amount by taking the district’s most recent audited financials (from the 2007-08 fiscal year) with general fund revenues of $192 million, dividing that by the number of students in the district, and adding another $1,500 per pupil from revenues of the sinking fund and bond millages. [Link to AAPS financial reports]

Kathy Griswold, foreground, attended an Oct. 15 millage forum at Huron High School's Little Theater. She is a former AAPS school board member and a leader of the Citizens for Responsible School Spending, which opposes the millage. (Photo by the writer.)

Griswold says that though the district has cut costs, the overall operating budget isn’t decreasing – the cuts merely mean that the budget is staying flat or increasing less than it otherwise would, she says.

Griswold also takes issue with the approach that public school officials take in pitching the millage to the public. There’s been a strong effort to get the vote out in Ann Arbor, she said, with the implication being that if Ann Arbor voters weigh in heavily in favor of the millage, then it won’t matter if it’s defeated by voters in the rest of the county. If a majority of the total votes approve the millage, every taxpayer will be assessed – even if it was defeated in their district. “That seems like taxation without representation,” she said.

The Washtenaw County Republican Executive Committee also is opposing the millage, and announced the decision on its website: “While the Committee was unanimously supportive of education, they felt the struggling homeowners and businesses in our difficult economy do not need an additional burden. Following a presentation and a question and answer period with the Superintendents from the Ann Arbor, Chelsea and Saline school districts, the Committee felt that cost cutting measures that the districts had not implemented and were still available were the better approach.”

Getting the Word Out

Citizens for Responsible Spending is planning a community forum sometime this week . They’re also providing the research they’ve done to several other anti-millage groups, including the Citizens for a Responsible Washtenaw, backed by McKinley CEO Albert Berriz. That group is expected to send a mailing to all Ann Arbor residents who’ve requested absentee ballots.

AAPS has already mailed informational brochures to 37,000 residents in the district, outlining details of the millage. The Ann Arbor Citizens Millage Committee sent a mailing, too, funded by private donors and explicitly advocating for the millage. Todd Roberts and Robert Allen held a forum last Thursday, and are holding another one tonight at Pioneer High School’s Little Theater, starting at 7 p.m. And representatives from the Ann Arbor Citizens Millage Committee have been speaking at PTO meetings and other gatherings in the district for the past several weeks.

Citing advocacy for the millage in schools, Citizens for Responsible Spending has raised the issue of possible Michigan Campaign Finance Act violations on the part of the Ann Arbor schools, a charge that Todd Roberts dismisses. In an email to Roberts and Norm Herbert, co-chair of the Ann Arbor Citizens Millage Committee, Annis and Griswold cite concerns over the use of school property for advocacy of the millage, and of advocacy in the AAPS brochure mailed to residents. Roberts told The Chronicle that the AAPS mailing was informational only, and that while other school officials are prohibited from using school resources to advocate for the millage, it is within his right as superintendent to do so. Griswold said that her group is still looking into the issue.

Advocates on both sides are meeting with the editorial board of AnnArbor.com, which plans to take a position on the millage. The editorial board – anchored by AnnArbor.com CEO Matt Kraner, executive vice president Laurel Champion and Tony Dearing, chief content officer – has been expanded to include some community members. McKinley’s Albert Berriz is a member of the board, but has recused himself from this issue, according to Dearing.

What’s Next?

Many districts are grappling with a financial crisis, even before the year of “The Cliff.” In Washtenaw County, Willow Run and Ypsilanti school districts are operating under a deficit – by law, those districts are required to file deficit elimination plans with the state, outlining how they plan to resolve the situation. Willow Run has been running a deficit for years; Ypsilanti had a $3.7 million deficit in its current budget, and the district has until Dec. 15 to submit a deficit elimination plan. [.PDF link to list of all Michigan school districts that filed a deficit elimination plan for fiscal 2008]

The numbers aren’t yet in on how many districts statewide are currently running a deficit, but there will be more, said David Martell, executive director of the Michigan School Business Officials, a Lansing-based group.

Tackling the problem is difficult, Martell said, because school administrators don’t have authority to make unilateral decisions about spending. If superintendents could make across-the-board cuts on the expense side, “then we wouldn’t be having these discussions,” he said. Multiple factors prevent that from happening, he added, including the authority of community-elected boards that are ultimately responsible for making tough budget decisions, but whose members might not be willing to take the political heat.

Many school officials and others point to the state as the primary cause of the current financial crisis in public education, and the main target for reform. Steve Norton of the Ann Arbor Citizens Millage Committee suggested that implementing a graduated income tax or expanding the sales tax to include the service sector would bring in new revenues to support public schools and, more broadly, to help address Michigan’s own structural deficit.

Roberts cited retirement costs – managed by the Michigan Public School Employees’ Retirement System – as being a critical personnel issue that needs to be addressed, and one that local districts don’t control. The state sets the rate that districts must pay to cover retirement costs for its employees, and it’s not a sustainable system, he said. [Link to an April 2009 Education Report article about the impact of retirement costs on Michigan's public school districts.]

Term limits for legislators are another huge obstacle to addressing reform at the state level, advocates of public education say, but they believe the current crisis will prompt change – if only because there’s no other choice.

“This really is a tipping point,” Norton said.

Links to Millage-Related Information

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Some of the groups against the proposed millage

• Citizens for Responsible School Spending
• Coalition for Taxpayer Relief [Link to campaign finance filing]
• Washtenaw County Taxpayers Association

Some groups supporting the millage

• Ann Arbor Citizens Millage Committee [Link to campaign finance filing]
• Ann Arbor Public Schools Educational Foundation
• Friends of Education [Link to campaign finance filing]
• Washtenaw Intermediate School District

From the schools

Some of the county’s 10 districts have posted information regarding the millage on their websites (most of the other districts link to the WISD site):

Ann Arbor Public Schools

Chelsea School District

Lincoln Consolidated Schools

Whitmore Lake Public Schools

Ypsilanti Public Schools