Four firms bid on the contract, according to a staff memo, but two of those bidders – Kristel Cleaning and Pristine Cleaning – were disqualified. Magic Finish submitted a lower bid than H & K Janitorial Services.

The city-owned Cobblestone Farm, located at 2781 Packard, is used as office space for the parks and recreation customer service staff and GIVE 365 volunteer program. Event space is rented to hold public meetings and special events, including weddings. Revenue generated by the facility is growing, and reached $342,000 in 2012. Although cleaning and set-up services have been used in previous years, the amount now required has grown to the point that the contract triggered the need for city council approval.

This brief was filed from the second-floor council chambers of city hall at 301 E. Huron, where PAC meetings are held. A more detailed report will follow: [link]

The board’s ratification of an agreement between AAPS and local members of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) union retains the 164 workers and their seven supervisors as AAPS employees. In return, custodial and maintenance workers agreed to lower wages, less vacation time, and almost double the cost of health insurance premiums.

Also at this meeting, an initiative to consolidate the busing services of at least five of the ten school districts in Washtenaw County was introduced to the board as a first briefing item. The consolidation plan is still under development, but as currently formulated, it would save the district $2.1 million in transportation costs, and would require only around 60% of the total number of bus drivers and monitors currently employed by participating districts. Bus drivers hired as part of the consolidated service plan would become employees of the Washtenaw Intermediate School District (WISD), maintaining their pensions as part of the state retirement system.

Many community members were on hand to support the numerous award recipients honored during the course of the board’s meeting. But the meeting drew no public commentary, and no one spoke at the embedded public hearing on sexual health curricular materials. Large-scale facilities projects, a personal curriculum option, and policy updates were also approved.

A large, roughly three-hour chunk of the meeting was devoted to a detailed presentation of the district’s current achievement data, and a discussion of the “achievement gap” between students of different races. This topic may be addressed by The Chronicle in a separate article, and is thus mentioned only briefly in this meeting report.

Custodial and Maintenance Jobs Remain in AAPS

Dave Comsa, assistant superintendent for human resources and legal services, and Shonta Langford-Green, assistant director of compensation/benefits administration, presented as a special briefing the tentative agreement approved by AFSCME Local 1182, the union which represents the district’s custodial and maintenance workers. According to Comsa, the contract will save the district $1.8 million, which was short of the original target of $2.5 million in the budget reduction plan.

DeAngelo Malcolm, a staff representative from AFSCME Michigan Council 25, was thanked by multiple members of AAPS administration for the hard work and creative ideas he brought to the bargaining table.

Custodians who attended the meeting expressed relief when the vote passed, but after the meeting they described making their decision to vote yes on the agreement as “being between a rock and a hard place … We had no choice.”

The board had been briefed in closed session about the details of the contract negotiations, and Wednesday’s meeting offered only a summary of the agreement. All employees will receive an 8% decrease, with higher-paid employees accepting the loss of an additional $0.46 an hour. The contract requires AAPS and AFSCME to renegotiate wages and benefits for the 2011-12 school year if the district’s non-designated fund balance increases by more than 20% of the total budget, and if the total student count from 2010-11 to 2011-12 increases by 100 or more, not including schools-of-choice students.

The current benefit package for custodial and maintenance workers offers them a PPO family health insurance plan for $560 per year. In July, when the new contract goes into effect, workers will be offered an HMO from Priority Health as a base plan, at a cost of $1,000 year. If they choose, workers can pay more to “buy up” into a health insurance plan from Blue Care Network or Blue Cross/ Blue Shield, which are more similar to what they have now.

Allowable vacation time was reduced from a range of two to five weeks to a range of two to three weeks. As with wages, those workers at the higher end of the wage and benefit scale will experience the highest reductions in vacation time. Twelve days of “paid time off,” which the district says can be used for “personal business or sick time,” will also be offered to all custodial and maintenance workers. That will replace the current system, which offers all workers two personal business days, and a range of 10-12 sick days, based on years of service.

And finally, the new contract refines the parameters by which an employee can be disciplined, adding a section on “unprofessional conduct,” and relaxing somewhat the “progressive discipline” structure by counting absences of five days or longer as a one-day occurrence, if certified by a health care provider. The process the district must follow regarding such discipline was also amended to require giving and documenting verbal warnings.

After the administration’s brief presentation, board president Deb Mexicotte opened the floor to questions or comments from the trustees.

Trustee Susan Baskett asked if there would be compensation for employees who have more vacation days saved than they could use under the new contract, and expressed concern that there would be a rash of month-long vacations being taken over the summer. Comsa confirmed that those days would be paid out whenever the employee ended their tenure with AAPS, so employees would not be required to use up the banked time. Baskett added that she appreciated that “folks would not be unemployed or underemployed,” but acknowledged that “this was a sacrifice for a lot of folks.”

Board secretary Glenn Nelson thanked everyone involved in the negotiations, particularly the employee group involved. Referencing the decrease in per capita income nationally, Nelson argued that sharing the cost is the only way to make this work, and commended the custodians and maintenance workers for their “sense of community.”

AAPS superintendent Todd Roberts thanked his staff for their work on the contract, and also named Malcolm as a useful contributor to the process, saying, “I think it’s in the best interest of the district that this is the way things worked out.” Board treasurer Christine Stead reflected on the embedded wage negotiation re-opener and its possible effects, saying that she hoped the sacrifice being asked of these workers would be “short-lived.”

Board vice president Irene Patalan said, “When this community can come together and do a win-win piece, I’m proud of us.”

Mexicotte also thanked administrators, and asked if there was a motion to ratify the contract. Stead moved it, and Baskett seconded.

Outcome: The tentative agreement between AAPS and AFSCME was approved unanimously by trustees Nelson, Mexicotte, Lightfoot, Patalan, Stead and Baskett.

Countywide Transportation Consolidation

The effort to consolidate transportation services has been spearheaded by the Washtenaw Intermediate School District, and aided by outside consultants from Xavier Leadership Center, and Transportation Strategies. Currently, the Ann Arbor, Lincoln, Whitmore Lake, Willow Run, and Ypsilanti school districts have expressed strong interest in consolidating services. But the April 28 presentation made it clear that Ann Arbor’s central location and large number of bussed students makes its participation essential to the program’s success.

Superintendent Todd Roberts introduced the proposed consolidation, saying it is the most sustainable way to maintain transportation services at a price AAPS can afford, and mentioned the program would bring many efficiencies to the districts that they could not create on their own.

Transportation Consolidation: Plan, Process

Bill Miller, superintendent of the WISD, then came to the podium to begin the presentation. He gave some history, saying that this idea first came up in 2007. On the three different planning teams from AAPS are: Pam Hanson, director of routing; John Nikolich, head of bus maintenance; and Brad Mellor, AAPS director of transportation. Miller described the effort as “really fast track.”

Next up were Len Brzozowski of the Xavier Leadership Center, and Jim Regan of Transportation Strategies, outside consultants hired by WISD for this effort. Brzozowski described how he’d analyzed the privatization bids in order to determine exactly where private companies were saving money – the idea was to help school districts avoid having to privatize transportation. The main cost savings, he determined, was increased efficiency and economies of scale. Brzozowski asked, “Why are there 13 different fuel vendors across the county?” He pointed out that 40% of the miles driven by local school busses were with empty busses. These “deadhead miles” cost the schools $1.4 million per year.

At the podium: William Miller, superintendent of the Washtenaw Intermediate School District, with Robert Allen, AAPS deputy superintendent for operations.

Regan described the process of crafting a countywide transportation program as it has unfolded so far. First, the teams met with superintendents from each of the county’s districts, who outlined 30 specifications that the program must meet – such as maximum wait time, maximum ride time, required wage range, and at least 25% savings from current program costs. Then, Regan explained, he and Brzozowski “started packaging ideas, and the teams down-selected.” A consensus quickly grew among districts, Regan said, to consolidate at least special education services, as well as to coordinate common procurement of materials.

Regan suggested case studies have shown that by consolidating services, districts could save in the following ways, with the percentage of savings listed after each item:

• Remote parking leads to fewer “deadhead miles” (4%);
• Reduction of hours and miles driven through the creation of better routes (2%);
• Stratifying wage systems (3%);
• Optimizing special education transportation (4%);
• Lowering hourly wages and worker benefits (5%);
• Using common vendors (1%);
• Having a common fleet and bus specification (1.5%);
• Maintaining common policies and standards (0.5%); and
• Centralizing management (2%).

In total, these savings could reach 23%, Regan said, depending on the number of districts that join the consolidation effort. If all 10 districts joined, projected savings would be $5.9 million, or 25% of the current total cost.

Regan then highlighted some key milestones of the effort thus far, saying the teams have analyzed the options and made recommendations. Common routing software has been chosen, and a decision has been made to move to the Michigan Association for Pupil Transportation (MAPT) preventative maintenance standards. Those standards are not as stringent as those currently used by AAPS.

Currently, the headcount for all transportation workers throughout the county totals 573 people – 21 administrators/supervisors, 525 drivers/aides, and 27 mechanics. If only five districts committed to the effort, it would require a staff of 18 administrators/supervisors, 310 drivers/aides, and 13 mechanics. If all 10 districts consolidated, the effort would result in a total staff reduction of 12%, requiring 24 administrators/supervisors, 466 drivers/aides, and 17 mechanics.

Robert Allen, AAPS deputy superintendent of operations, added some local perspective to the presentation by comparing financial savings for AAPS from privatizing transportation services versus participating in the WISD consolidation. As he often does, Allen pointed out that his calculations were conservative, and assumed the participation of only five of the 10 Washtenaw County districts.

Overall, the WISD consolidation would save more money for AAPS than the privatization bids that AAPS had received, Allen said – even with only five districts participating in the consolidation. AAPS currently spends $8.7 million annually on transportation. The best privatization bid (from Durham) came in at $7 million, saving the district $1.7 million. The WISD plan, said Allen, would currently cost just under $6.6 million, saving AAPS an additional $400,000 more than privatization.

Allen acknowledged that a large part of the savings in the WISD plan comes from reducing employee wages and pension costs. Currently AAPS transportation mechanics are paid from $20.36 to $21.30 per hour, and would make the same average pay with WISD. Bus aides’ pay would also be similar – now they make an average of $11.78 per hour, and with WISD, they would make $11.46. The largest wage differential would be for bus drivers on the top end of their pay scale, which is currently from $13.96 to $18.09 per hour. On average, bus drivers under the WISD plan would make $14.70 per hour. Allen pointed out that the elimination of transportation positions in AAPS would save the district $238,806 annually in reduced pension costs.

Allen assessed the consolidation this way: “The big item is always the pension cost … It’s ‘Do I want lower wages and higher health care costs, or save my pension.’” Benefit plans under WISD’s plan are still being determined. Allen pointed out that there is a lot of variation in benefits countywide.

Lastly, Allen reviewed the pros and cons of the transportation options for the board, with his remarks suggesting he was leaning towards the WISD plan. Among the WISD plan’s strengths, he listed: lowest cost; pension retention for employees; cost efficiency gleaned from using economies of scale; AAPS maintaining a voice in management; meeting taxpayer requirements; and being adaptable in future years. Allen also named negative public perception as a risk of privatizing, and expressed confidence that the WISD teams would be able to meet the challenging timeline before them. The teams have done an excellent job so far, he said, and they are confident, but “talk is cheap – you have to make it happen.”

Transportation Consolidation: Board Response, Questions

Trustees Glenn Nelson and Susan Baskett asked Allen to clarify the process and outcome of employees moving from AAPS to WISD. Allen stated the details are not worked out yet, but that employees would fully sever employment with AAPS and have to apply to WISD – “it’s not a transfer.” WISD employees are public employees, so those workers who were hired by WISD would retain their state retirement pension.

Baskett continued that line of questioning. asking the following:  When would AAPS have to give lay-off notices to staff if they chose consolidation? When would employees know if they would be hired by WISD? Would former AAPS employees be eligible for unemployment benefits if they were not hired? When does AAPS need to commit to the WISD plan? And, what would happen with AAPS summer school busing if staff changes had to be made by July?

Miller, of the WISD, said the timeline was uncertain, but confirmed that in order to make the transition in September, everything would need to happen by July. AAPS, he said, would need to be fully on board within the next month. Roberts answered that yes, any laid-off employees not hired by WISD would be eligible for unemployment benefits, and Miller added that there is also some variation in labor contracts among the districts considering consolidation. For example, Miller said, in some districts with multi-unit contracts, bus drivers could move to food service rather than be laid off.

Regan then jumped in to respond to Baskett’s question about summer school, pointing out that the WISD program would not begin until the fall – summer school busing in AAPS would be the same as usual. Brad Mellor, AAPS director of transportation, added that summer school ran about 15 routes last year, employing roughly 30 of the district’s 150 drivers to some extent, though many had only minimal routes.

Baskett and Irene Patalan asked what effect, if any, joining the WISD consolidation would have on routes, walk zones, and start times for the 2010-11 school year. Roberts answered that the routes won’t change much for next year, but that each year, the WISD would look for improved efficiency, and things could change in the future. He also mentioned again that AAPS is currently in discussion with the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority (AATA) to look at contracting for some high school busing. Miller clarified that special education routes will change in the fall.

Patalan asked whether AAPS would retain ownership of its fleet. Miller answered that each district would keep its bus ownership, except for special education busses. To get cost savings, WISD will need to maintain the special ed busses. Allen gave as an example that perhaps AAPS would sell four busses to the WISD, adding that the team will be able to give more definitive numbers by the second briefing.

Trustee Simone Lightfoot asked how many of the 150 AAPS drivers would be needed under a consolidated plan, how they would be chosen, and if they would be unionized.

Allen reiterated that if the plan goes through with five districts, 310 drivers would be needed, compared to the 525 currently employed countywide. He added that they could vote to join a union, but they would have to decide which entity would best represent them. Miller picked up the thread, mentioning that to be hired, drivers would need to pass personality tests as well as prove their technical competency, and asserted, “We would select the 310 best drivers in the county.”

Trustee Deb Mexicotte asked about the plan’s weaknesses, including whether the quality of benefits would decrease, and whether AAPS employees are currently higher paid than other transportation workers across the district. Miller responded that the benefits package will be decided within the next two weeks. Allen added that AAPS employees are not at the top of the pay scale, and that adjustments will be made across the county.

Mexicotte continued two tough lines of questioning about possible negatives of the plan. First, she expressed frustration that AAPS would not be able to set its own maintenance standards, since the WISD plan calls for a relaxation of AAPS standards for preventative maintenance to the slightly lower standards set by the MAPT. “We have excellent maintenance – the top in the nation … [WISD's plan] is not as good as our current one.”

Regan addressed her concern by arguing that doing preventative maintenance every 2,500 miles, which AAPS does, is “way, way up there from a safety standpoint,” similar to having “extra insurance.” To offer a comparison, he pointed out that the MAPT standard was to do preventative maintenance at 3,500 miles, but that one of the privatization bids AAPS had been considering suggested doing it at 8,000 miles. Mexicotte replied that she was not sure why WISD would not want to do the most it could to ensure student safety.

Regan said that the planning group felt moving preventative maintenance from every 2,500 miles to every 3,500 miles would result in cost savings without decreasing safety. He reminded the board that this was not an “outside recommendation” and that AAPS maintenance staff were part of the decision-making team. Regan did add that upping the maintenance standard could be priced out, should the board decide to make AAPS’ participation contingent on it.

Mexicotte’s next concern was about the added time that consolidation could bring to special education routes. She noted that already there were some pick-ups at 6:30 a.m. for a program beginning at 8:30 a.m. She cautioned that in the past it has seemed to be more important to get general education busses to arrive on time, but not necessarily for special education busses to do so. Mexicotte said she was picturing additional stops adding time, not reducing time, and asked the presenters to speak to her concerns.

Regan answered that the target time for special education routes was no longer than 75 minutes. He gave an example of busses bringing in special education students from Chelsea – they could stop and pick up Ann Arbor special education students since they are driving right through Ann Arbor on the way to the same program.

Mexicotte asked what would happen if AAPS did deed the busses over the WISD, but then decided later that it wanted to move in a different direction – “Would it be reversible?” Similarly, Nelson asked what the terms would be in an investment such as this.

Miller noted that any sale price of busses back to AAPS from WISD would be determined by mutual agreement based on amortization. Allen added that it would likely take at least two years to get the program fully running, and four to five years to have time to do an ample analysis. There will also be “out clauses,” he said, such as how to get busses back, in case the district chooses to leave the initiative early.

Lightfoot asked what the AAPS’ role would be in overall maintenance of the WISD fleet. Allen responded that AAPS mechanics will be kept, as other mechanics in the district “are not at the same level.” Overall, he said, the WISD teams will determine which facilities will be kept across the district. For example, Allen offered, Lincoln does welding and metal repair well, so they might do all of that work for the whole group of consolidated districts.

Lightfoot followed up by asking whether or not maintaining the AAPS maintenance facility could be used to create additional revenue opportunities for the district. Allen agreed that it could be part of the plan to have districts outside of the consolidation use AAPS facilities. However, the focus now, he said, is “getting the core program in place.”

Allen noted that the board asked some good questions at the meeting, and reiterated that one of the strengths of the WISD program would be that AAPS would have a voice in its management.

Despite her pointed questions, Mexicotte asserted, “I’m very pleased with what I’ve heard so far.” Patalan agreed, saying she “really like[d] that superintendents were asked to come up with the specifications – they know us.” She also expressed approval of the “retained retirement, … the savings, … [and] the ecological part of this – using fuel and routes more efficiently.”

Elementary Sexual Health Education Materials

Jenni Lane, a parent on the district’s sexual health education advisory committee (SHEAC), came before the board and offered to answer any questions or field comments from trustees on the sexual health and education materials being recommended. The material had been presented at first briefing at the board’s April 21, 2010 meeting.

Lane reviewed with the board that the materials are for kindergarten through fifth grade, and include videos, lesson plans, and HIV units from the Michigan Model for Comprehensive School Health Education. In addition, Lane mentioned that a “body safety” unit on sexual abuse prevention from the Washtenaw Area Council for Children would be taught in elementary grades.

The only comments came from Simone Lightfoot and Deb Mexicotte, who questioned and problem-solved around the issue of the videos being outdated, which had been discussed during the first briefing as well.

Lightfoot asked if any community members had submitted updated videos for consideration since the invitation had gone out to the community to send suggestions in to the Balas administration building. Lane answered that no one had, and added that the SHEAC had followed up the meeting by casting an even wider net to find updated materials – to no avail.

Noting that the committee had contacted multiple community resource centers, including the Washtenaw Area Council for Children, and sexual abuse centers, Lane expressed surprise at the lack of updated resources: “Everyone [in these videos] has the same outdated style of clothing, the same haircuts … We would like to see more updated materials … [The videos] lose credibility a little bit if students think the message isn’t the same.”

Mexicotte suggested developing updated materials could be a guided project for high school students, considering the multimedia abilities of the district’s youth and available teacher grants. Lane called the suggestion a “logical fit,” and thanked Mexicotte for the idea.

Board staff secretary Amy Osinski opened the floor for the second public hearing on the proposed materials, but no one spoke. Mexicotte then thanked the SHEAC for their work, and said the board looked forward to hearing from them again in the future.

Outcome: The adoption of the sexual health and education materials was moved to the consent agenda and was approved along with the other items on that agenda.

Consent Agenda

The lengthy update and discussion on student achievement, the presentation and discussion on the custodial and maintenance contract, and the first briefing of the transportation consolidation plan pushed consideration of the consent agenda until after midnight.

Instead of reviewing each second briefing item individually, each of which was listed on the consent agenda for approval at this meeting, board president Deb Mexicotte simply asked if the trustees had any comments of questions on any second briefing items. These items were each described in more depth by The Chronicle at their first briefing on April 14. Those items included: the personal curriculum and associated update of Policy 5050; the Pioneer High School summer construction projects; a roofing supplier recommendation; a DTE easement; and a set of policy updates brought by the performance committee.

Seeing no comments or questions, Mexicotte confirmed that the board was comfortable with the removal of item 10-005, the bid to outsource custodial and maintenance services, which had been stricken from the agenda after eleventh-hour negotiations had resulted in a tentative labor agreement.

After the board secretary corrected the consent agenda to include the approval of the recommendations of the Sexual Health Education Advisory Committee, Christine Stead moved to approve it, and Irene Patalan seconded. The only comment was from Patalan, who pointed out Paul Roller of Granger Construction sitting in the back of the room, and noted that he had cheerfully “sat through five hours of this board meeting in case we had questions on our summer construction.” With no further comments, and no questions for Roller, the consent agenda moved to a vote.

Outcome: The consent agenda, including the above-mentioned items along with meeting minutes and gift offers, was unanimously approved by trustees Nelson, Mexicotte, Lightfoot, Patalan, Stead and Baskett.

Grant Awards Presented at First Briefing

The only first briefing item other than the transportation consolidation working plan was a description of the spring 2009-10 grant awards, totaling $18.8 million. Linda Doernte, director of purchasing & business support services/grants, briefly presented her recommendation for board approval of the grants, and highlighted the three grants that were new:

• $5,000 from the Society of Manufacturing Engineers to Community High School in support of the Options Magnet program;
• $2,000 from the Japan Business Society of Detroit Foundation to Clague Middle School to fund academic support/tutoring for ESL students at lunchtime, and in-class support to the ESL teacher; and,
• $1,499 from the Michigan Association for Computer Users in Learning to fund digital cameras, printers, and toner for elementary schools.

Doernte also mentioned that over $14 million of federal grant funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) that had been held up in the approval process had now arrived in the district.

Restatement of 401a Retirement Plan

The very last business of the meeting was a board action item brought to the board by AAPS director of finance, Nancy Hoover. She explained that in order to comply with new Internal Revenue Service laws, the district needed to change the wording in one of the retirement plans it sponsors. Hoover added that the wording changes were very minor, and have “no effect on the plan or member balances.”

The board had no discussion, and the item moved to a vote.

Outcome: The restatement was unanimously approved by trustees Nelson, Mexicotte, Lightfoot, Patalan, Stead and Baskett.

Association Reports

The board invites the Youth Senate, the Black Parents Student Support Group (BPSSG), the Ann Arbor Parent Advisory Committee on Special Education (AAPAC), the Parent-Teacher-Organization Council (PTOC), the Ann Arbor Administrators Association (AAAA), and the Ann Arbor Education Association (AAEA) to offer regular reports at its meetings. All associations except for the BPSSG sent representatives to this meeting.

Youth Senate Report

Nikila Lakshmanan reported for the Youth Senate for the first time at this board meeting. She mentioned an ongoing data evaluation being spearheaded by students in order to best utilize Achievement Solutions Teams to reduce class failure rates at the high school level. Lakshmanan also mentioned students’ ongoing concerns about the AAPS budget, particularly as they are currently working on choosing programs and classes for next year, and are unsure what will be available.

As an example, Lakshmanan mentioned the possible lack of bus service between Community High and the three comprehensive high schools. She argued, “the withdrawal of the privilege [of split enrollment] will be a great blow to students across the district who have been willing to venture out of their comfort zones.”

Ann Arbor Parent Advisory Committee Report

Mary Dooley spoke on behalf of the AAPAC. The AAPAC, she said, is very pleased about the move to using positive behavior support (PBS) in AAPS schools. She described PBS in some detail, mentioning that it is a proactive, positive, skill-building approach to kids managing their own behavior that is research-based, and supports pro-social behavior. Dooley said that AAPAC is looking forward to being part of a district-wide committee coordinating the implementation of PBS.

Dooley also described and expressed excitement about the Practical Assessment Exploration System (PAES), a program being implemented now at the three comprehensive high schools as well as some middle schools that teaches students work skills, proper work behavior, and money management. PAES offers vocational career development, which she pointed out is particularly of interest to parents of children with different abilities, as one of the central concerns of these parents is preparing children for “life after school.”

PTO Council Report

Rebecca Wan, the corresponding secretary of the PTOC, gave its report, sharing the annual milestones and future goals of the group. She mentioned that the PTOC is dedicated to the mission of excellence in AAPS schools, and is focused on maintaining communication with the board, with AAPS administration, and among schools. To that end, it is striving for 100% participation from AAPS schools next school year on the PTOC. This year, 89% of AAPS schools are represented, which is up from 49% just two years ago.

Wan also noted that the PTOC itself will have three vacant seats on its executive board, and that elections were coming up in May.

Lastly, Wan reported on the work on the PTOC advocacy committee, which is working to secure stable school funding, beginning with educating parents and meeting with elected representatives.

Ann Arbor Administrators Association Report

Joan Fitzgibbon, principal at Allen Elementary School, deferred her AAAA report since she would be speaking during the Achievement Update presentation. [The Achievement Update is not included in this meeting report, but may eventually be wrapped into future Chronicle coverage.]

Ann Arbor Education Association Report

Brit Satchwell reported that the teachers’ union is making progress at the bargaining table with the district, and asserted that they would end up with a “win-win” situation. He applauded the administration for offering some very creative ideas that “got us unstuck.”

Satchwell also appealed to the community to support the new campaign of the AAPS Educational Foundation, “One Million Reasons.” Saying “it’s not too late to vote with your wallet,” he asked those who had supported last year’s failed millage to “pay what you would have paid in taxes if the millage had passed.”

Lastly, to those who may have been nay-saying the contract negotiations, Satchwell quipped, “If you’re out there being very loud with your cynicism, you might want to quiet down or you may need to issue a retraction … Have faith. Hold your fire … We’re going to do everything we can to get these people back.”

Board Committee Reports

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 – Baskett and Nelson sit on the performance committee, and Patalan, Stead, and Lightfoot sit on the planning committee. All performance and planning committee meetings are open to the public.

Performance Committee Activities

Baskett reported that it has been interesting to get students’ perspectives on the budget cuts and achievement numbers. She also mentioned that a student had suggested to the performance committee that teachers’ salaries should be posted online by name.

Planning Committee Activities

Board vice president Irene Patalan reported that the planning committee had not met since the last regular board meeting, but would meet on Friday, May 7 to review summer bids.

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 their calls of duty.

Celebration of Excellence

Courtney Crowley, a special education teacher at Clague Middle School, was honored for her compassion and empathy in her work with autistic students. She was nominated by Gundy Sweet, a parent of one of the students she has assisted. Crowley responded by saying, “It feels good to get recognized for doing something that I love and that I feel like I was meant to do.” She thanked Sweet for nominating her, and noticing that she was able to see the world through the eyes of her students.

Volunteer Appreciation

As part of National Volunteer Appreciation Week, Norma McCuiston, AAPS community partnerships and projects coordinator, recognized and thanked the many volunteers who enrich the learning of countless students throughout the district. She enumerated many partnerships with area businesses, hospitals, and other academic institutions, and said AAPS is “lucky to have local businesses that support education.”

McCuiston mentioned that the 250 regular weekly volunteers in the district aid in many varied tasks. They many offer language translation, academic support, or simply an extra set of hands. McCuiston calculated the in-kind contribution of the district’s volunteers to be $116,000 annually, if volunteers were paid $10 an hour.

Two of the volunteers who work with McCuiston spoke on her behalf at the meeting, one saying, “I didn’t come here for the recognition. I came here to support Norma,” and the other agreeing cheerfully that, “Norma is hard to say no to!”

Nelson and Mexicotte expressed appreciation for the volunteers, calling their work evidence of a “community effort” to educate kids, and thanking them for bringing their professional expertise into the classroom.

State Champions

Lorin Cartwright, athletic director of Pioneer High School, and Dottie Davis, athletic director of Huron High School, were both on hand to congratulate publicly teams from their schools that won state championships this year – the Pioneer synchronized swimming team, and the Huron figure skating team. Cartwright pointed out that for years Ann Arbor’s synchronized swimming team was second only to Monroe’s team, and joked, “So if you can’t beat ‘em … ,” and introduced the team’s coaches, both recruited from Monroe.

Both Cartwright and Davis pointed out the high GPAs of the athletes being honored that evening, Davis saying, “We have zero eligibility problems!” Davis also exclaimed, “Ann Arbor rules!” and pointed out that Huron came in second in the state synchronized swimming championship won by Pioneer, and Pioneer came in second in the state figure skating championship won by Huron.

Superintendent’s Report

Todd Roberts thanked the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation‘s Youth Council for its support of AAPS, and for modeling to students the importance of giving back to one’s community.

He also mentioned numerous awards and honors earned by individual AAPS students and teachers, as well as by whole schools and programs. For more detail on these successes, check out “This Week,” a column Roberts writes each week which is accessible on the district’s website.

Mexicotte closed the meeting by inviting the public to attend the next board candidate interview. [It was held on Thursday, May 6 at the Balas administration main conference room.] She also mentioned that the board would select its newest trustee (to replace Randy Friedman, who resigned in April) at the next regular meeting. The meeting was then adjourned.

Present: President Deb Mexicotte, vice president Irene Patalan, secretary Glenn Nelson, trustee Susan Baskett, trustee Simone Lightfoot, and trustee Christine Stead. Also present (at 7:15 p.m.) as a non-voting member was Dr. Todd Roberts, superintendent of AAPS.

Next Regular Meeting: May 12, 2010, 7 p.m., at the downtown Ann Arbor District Library, 4th floor board room, 343 S. Fifth Ave. [confirm date]

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].