Former Washtenaw County administrator Bob Guenzel and Ann Arbor city councilmember Sabra Briere (Ward 1) were among five panelists at a Feb. 27 forum on privatization. The event was organized by the League of Women Voters of the Ann Arbor area and held at the downtown Ann Arbor District Library. (Photos by the writer.)

The membership of the national League of Women Voters is studying the issue of privatization, with the eventual goal of developing a position statement, based in part on feedback from local leagues. Susan Greenberg, who moderated the Feb. 27 panel in Ann Arbor, said they’ll be looking at the factors that governments use to determine which services are privatized, the policy issues that are considered, how privatization impacts a community, and what strategies are used to ensure transparency and accountability.

Panelists all had experience in public sector leadership: Lois Richardson, Ypsilanti city councilmember and mayor pro tem; Bob Guenzel, former Washtenaw County administrator; Sabra Briere, Ann Arbor city councilmember; Andy Fanta, Ypsilanti public schools board member; and Susan Baskett, Ann Arbor public schools board member.

Panelists gave examples of how privatization is being used locally – such as curbside recycling in Ann Arbor and garbage pick-up in Ypsilanti – but generally expressed caution about the practice. Fanta was less circumspect, describing privatization as capitalism eating its entrails. [All of the four elected officials are Democrats.]

The forum also included time for questions from the audience. Topics ranged from the impact of Proposal A – which shifted control of funding for K-12 schools from local communities to the state – to comments about national funding priorities.

The event was co-sponsored by the Ann Arbor alumnae chapter of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority, and held at the downtown Ann Arbor District Library. A videotape of the panel will be posted on the AADL website.

City of Ypsilanti: Lois Richardson

Lois Richardson, Ypsilanti’s mayor pro tem and a city councilmember representing Ward 1, began by saying that she’d asked to speak first so that she could give some background on the issue. Several years ago, she said, Michigan’s state and local governments started struggling with the public’s demand for better services. At the same time, governments faced diminished financial resources. One response was to privatize certain government functions, she said, by transferring services to the private sector.

Richardson then described four types of privatization: outsourcing, asset sale, commercialization, and vouchers.

Lois Richardson, Ypsilanti mayor pro tem and city councilmember representing Ward 1.

With outsourcing, Richardson said, the government remains fully responsible and maintains control over management decisions, but a non-governmental entity carries out the work. This is something the city of Ypsilanti has used, she said – specifically, the city outsources its garbage pickup. City officials feel this is done in a way that doesn’t hurt the department of public services, she said.

For an asset sale, the government relinquishes that asset when it’s sold to a private entity, Richardson said, so there’s no longer any control over that asset. Commercialization occurs when the government simply stops offering a service, and citizens must turn to the private sector instead.

Vouchers are government subsidies that can be used to purchase services in the private or public sector, Richardson said. Most commonly this is seen with school vouchers, which can be used with charter schools – Richardson said she’s not a big proponent of that approach.

Richardson said she’s also not a supporter of privatization in general. Outsourcing garbage pick-up has worked well for Ypsilanti, she said, but the city still has a functioning department of public services, too. One reason she generally doesn’t support privatization is that it takes jobs away from the city and the community. When a service is privatized, employees can live anywhere, she said. However, most of the employees that are contracted to do Ypsilanti’s garbage pick-up live within the county, she said, so that’s working well. It saves the city money and the service is good, she said.

Asset sales – like those that are happening in the city of Pontiac, which is selling off property – destroy a community, Richardson said. For her, community is important. She also didn’t support commercialization of services. There are certain things that the government has a responsibility to provide, she said.

The state of Michigan has engaged in several privatization efforts over the years, Richardson said. In 1992, Gov. John Engler created the Michigan Public-Private Partnership Commission, to analyze whether competition from the private sector could result in state services being handled more efficiently. Richardson said it’s still a question for her as to whether a private company can do the work as well as the government for a reasonable amount.

Washtenaw County: Bob Guenzel

Bob Guenzel told the audience he’d worked with Washtenaw County for 37 years – 22 years as an attorney, and 15 years as county administrator before retiring in May of 2010. He said he knows the county well, and has dealt with contracting. His perspective will be different from the other panelists, he said, because he’s not an elected official, and he’s the only one who’s been an administrator.

Guenzel said he’s among those who believe in the nobility of public service, and that public entities can best provide certain services. For him, it’s also a matter of community. In most cases, he wouldn’t favor outsourcing, and he thinks his successor as county administrator, Verna McDaniel, feels the same way. Privatization feels like failure.

Erane Washington, a candidate for on the 22nd circuit court, talks with former Washtenaw County administrator Bob Guenzel after the Feb. 27 privatization forum.

Having said that, Guenzel said, there’s an obligation to examine different methods of providing services, to determine whether the government is doing it in the most effective and efficient way. That’s especially important for human services, he added, because every dollar that you don’t spend on overhead is a dollar you can spend on services – in some cases, saving someone’s life. There’s also been added urgency starting in 2008, Guenzel said, when the economic crisis really hit. Washtenaw County is better off than other areas, he said, but it was still affected.

Guenzel outlined several factors to consider for deciding whether to privatize. The first is accountability. A public body can’t give up accountability, he said, even if the services are contracted out. For Washtenaw County, about 80% of the services it provides are mandated, Guenzel noted.

Another issue relates to labor and keeping jobs. Michigan is a strong labor union state, and most union contracts require that if a unit of government decides to contract out work, that action can’t result in layoffs for government employees. There are ways around that, Guenzel said, but obviously it’s a strong restriction. Labor unions are strong and have political clout, he noted. Many governments also have living wage requirements, which is a factor in contracting out services, he said.

Washtenaw County government has contracted out certain services for so many years that they “don’t think twice about it,” Guenzel continued. He cited the example of contracting with local nonprofits to provide human services, like help for people with substance abuse or mental health problems. The county also contracts out for janitorial, towing and ambulance services, he said. These are all well-accepted now. Legal counsel is another service that the county contracts out, he noted – before he was hired as a full-time employee, he had worked on a contract basis for the county, doing legal work. The idea is that in some cases, you’ll need advice only on occasion, he said.

But most legal services are best kept in-house because they are mandated, Guenzel said. He pointed to the public defender’s office, led by Lloyd Powell, which Guenzel described as one of the finest in Michigan. For years, some people have argued that those legal services should be provided on a contract basis, he said. But the county leadership felt it was important that the role of public defender be performed in a professional manner, and not by contracted attorneys who would just try to dispatch the cases as quickly as possible. There are many issues that weigh into the policy decision about contracting out services, he said.

The idea of sharing services among government entities is becoming more attractive, Guenzel said, and that’s where he thinks government leaders should be focusing. He gave the examples of the county partnering with the city of Ann Arbor for joint police dispatch services and a combined office of community and economic development.

Opportunities are out there, Guenzel said, and as a public servant, you can’t be blind to alternative ways of providing service. But overall, he said, his preference is for keeping services in-house.

City of Ann Arbor: Sabra Briere

Sabra Briere began by noting that while she hasn’t been in public view for 30-plus years like Bob Guenzel, she has lived in this community longer than that. She now serves on the Ann Arbor city council, as a representative for Ward 1. Briere said when she asked city staff about the issue of privatization, she received a bit of a blank look, because the city doesn’t do much of it. She discussed with staff whether contracts were considered privatization. The city does contract out for janitorial work, she noted, but the biggest area of privatization relates to solid waste services.

Ann Arbor city councilmember Sabra Briere, left, checks her messages prior to the start of the Feb. 27 privatization forum. Seated next to her are former Washtenaw County administrator Bob Guenzel (center) and Andy Fanta, a local attorney and Ypsilanti public schools board member.

In 1991, Briere said, the city awarded its first private contract for recycling to Recycle Ann Arbor (RAA), which had been providing curbside pickup to a portion of the city since 1978. Periodically the city has issued a request for proposals (RFP) to solicit other bids, but the city has always decided to award the contract to RAA.

The next contract related to solid waste was for building the city’s materials recovery facility (MRF). Normally, Briere said, this type of project would have been handled in-house, but the city staff didn’t have the expertise to do it.

Then in 2010, the city contracted with a company to run Ann Arbor’s compost facility, which has previously been managed by the city. This was the first time that Briere, who was first elected in 2007, voted on a contracting item.

Briere offered examples of ways the staff had not managed the compost facility well. The contract displaced three city workers, but they didn’t lose their jobs – they were given other jobs within the city. Briere noted that this contract isn’t saving the city a lot of money, because the company – WeCare Organics – is being held to the city’s own employment standards. She also noted that Ann Arbor has a living wage ordinance that contractors must abide by.

Briere said it seems to her that the city doesn’t have clear policies about privatization. There are master plans that recommend looking into it, and city staff will put out RFPs to compare costs of a private sector provider with what it costs the city to do internally. Twice the city has put out an RFP for trash pickup, and twice they’ve decided that the city can still do a better job less expensively, she said. The city also continues to pick up compost, though they’ve hired a company to manage the compost facility.

Briere said she has a soft spot for Recycle Ann Arbor, but the city awards its contract to RAA because it’s the best bid. There’s now more competition for that bid, she noted, but that’s why the contract is for a long period – 15 years – so that RAA doesn’t have to worry about making investments in its services, only to have the contract withdrawn after a short time.

In addressing the issue of privatization’s impact on the community, Briere observed that Ann Arbor isn’t an inexpensive place to live. Far too few of the city’s employees can actually live within the city, she said. But residents want to be able to know that if there’s a problem getting their garbage picked up, for example, they’ll be able to complain and get a response. Briere said her experience with contractors has been that when they hear about a problem, they fix it right away.

Ypsilanti Public Schools: Andy Fanta

Andy Fanta, a board member for the Ypsilanti public school district, told the audience that he’d like to frame the issue in a different way. Briere had mentioned that privatization can save money. It reminded him of an Oliver Wendell Holmes quote, Fanta said: “Taxes are the price we pay for a civilized society.”

Fanta described how he’d become politically aware when he was in third grade, and had been sent to the principal’s office for some “gross class disturbance.” When the principal had told him to hold out his knuckles to be hit with a ruler, and said it would hurt him more than it would hurt Fanta, Fanta replied, “Then let me hit your knuckles!” This resulted in a call to Fanta’s mother, he recalled, but it taught him that there was a political world out there.

He grew up in Ohio and moved to Ann Arbor in 1970, then moved to Ypsilanti in 1993.

Andy Fanta, a local attorney and board member of the Ypsilanti public school district.

Fanta expects privatization to increase in velocity and expand in focus. He advocated for moving the word back into the political realm, and described it as capitalism eating its entrails. He said he’s not paranoid, but privatization is leading our country to a world that “I’m not sure I want to live in.” That’s because privatization erodes community, and community comes first for him, even before family. If that weren’t the case, he and his family would be living in a shack on the prairie, he quipped.

It doesn’t take much to imagine Google taking over the digitization of court records, he said, removing the government employees who are accountable for that job now. Those records might be stored in Bombay – would they be as accessible as they are now, if handled by a private firm?

Fanta again said he sees privatization as a political issue. Saying he’d be the last person to offer advice about what to do politically, he suggested seeking counsel from someone like Congressman John Lewis, who could share experiences from the civil rights era.

Our government is being hollowed out from the inside, Fanta said. Who could have imagined if this meeting had been held 20 years ago, and someone suggested that the U.S. government could outsource the feeding, clothing and transport of our armed forces to a private corporation? There would likely have been skepticism that it could happen, he said, yet these and other services are now privatized. Fanta said he wasn’t sure any money was actually saved.

Ypsilanti schools are struggling, Fanta said. But the question is how to politicize the citizens of Michigan to say that it’s a good thing to adequately fund public education? It goes back to a community’s core values, he said. There’s a lot to be proud of in this county, but with the recent unprecedented number of retirements, a lot has changed. In the courthouse, Fanta said, he used to be able to file a case quickly – in five minutes, including three minutes to chat with the staff about their families. Now, it takes him 20 minutes and instead of dealing with one person, the staff are like interchangeable parts, he said.

These issues need to be discussed in a holistic way, Fanta concluded. For him, the discussion needs to move back to the political realm.

Ann Arbor Public Schools: Susan Baskett

Susan Baskett, who was first elected to the Ann Arbor Public Schools board of education in 2003, began by saying she wanted to keep her personal politics out of the discussion. Everyone is challenged economically, and they don’t make decisions about privatization lightly, she said. It’s just one of many ways to decrease labor and program costs. A major expense relates to retirement funds, she noted, adding that the local districts don’t have control over that, except for paying the bills.

From left: Susan Baskett, Ann Arbor Public Schools board member; and Lois Richardson, Ypsilanti city councilmember and mayor pro-tem.

The challenge for AAPS is that the district is facing a $14 million deficit, Baskett said, even after several years of cutting millions of dollars out of the district’s operating budget. Funding has declined while costs have increased.

Baskett ticked through several different definitions of privatization, and looked at those definitions in terms of the impact on school employees. One definition is to change from governmental or public ownership to a private enterprise, she said. This usually means that government employees would be replaced by workers in the private sector.

Another type of privatization is outsourcing or contract services, Baskett said. AAPS typically retains control or responsibility for the services in this case, she said, and there’s less of an impact on employees.

AAPS also hires private contractors to design and build or renovate facilities, Baskett said. This occurs when the staff doesn’t have the expertise to do this work, she said, though district employees do provide project oversight. Finally, she noted that partnerships are another way to provide programs or services, with both parties typically assuming some kind of shared responsibility.

Baskett then listed eight specific examples of how AAPS has used these approaches:

• Substitute custodians: AAPS contracts with DLS Services, which provides substitute custodians when full-time custodians – who are district employees – aren’t available. An eight-year contract with DLS expired in June of 2011 but was not renewed, she said. The firm paid its custodians $9.06 an hour, without benefits – Baskett noted that this is far less than the city of Ann Arbor’s living wage of $13.19-per-hour (without benefits).
• School improvements: In 2004, Ann Arbor voters approved a $255 million bond and sinking fund to use for school improvements, including the construction of Skyline High School. The district has contracted with multiple companies for these services, Baskett said. The largest two firms have been Granger and Barton Malow.
• Substitute teachers: Professional Educational Services Group is a firm that manages substitute teachers and other substitute positions for many schools in this area, including AAPS. The Ann Arbor district began using this service in 2007, Baskett said.
• Food service: In 2007, AAPS outsourced its food service to Chartwells, and the private company now handles all food service in the district. She said that in exchange for its contract, Chartwells pays the district a “sizeable” amount each year. [The board discussed its most recent contract renewal with Chartwells at its June 8, 2011 meeting.]
• Transportation services: Busing and other transportation services are being handled by the Washtenaw Intermediate School District for Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti and Willow Run. This consolidation began in 2010, she said, and was seen as a way to prevent bus drivers from losing their retirement benefits – as WISD employees they would keep their state pension, Baskett explained. But there’s been high turnover, so she doubted that the strategy had been effective.
• Journeyman HVAC services: Last year, AAPS contracted with the firm D.M. Burr to provide heating, cooling, and ventilation services for the district. This was an option taken rather than add another union employee, she said.
• Parking at Pioneer High: The district has hired Great Lakes Environmental to manage events parking at Pioneer High School, including parking for games at Michigan Stadium.
• UM-Scarlett Middle School partnership: Baskett characterized this as her favorite partnership, a collaboration with UM’s School of Education for a “lab school” at Scarlett Middle School and Mitchell Elementary School.

Baskett concluded by noting that there are future opportunities that AAPS might explore, related to custodial services, maintenance, clerical services, school security, child care, and human resources. She noted that there’s even pending state legislation that would allow for the outsourcing of teachers. She did not indicate support for any of these actions, however.

Questions & Comments

During the last part of the forum, panelists fielded questions and commentary from the audience. This report summarizes the questions and presents them thematically.

Questions & Comments: War & Greed

Comment: Each panelist indicated that the real economic crisis began in 2008, and that crisis had a major role to play in conditions for local governments. There are larger problems that need to be addressed, like the billions of dollars that the federal government spends on war – what if that money had been invested in local communities? The mortgage foreclosure crisis was caused by corporate greed. Rather than contacting a congressman to help solve these problems, we should ask people on the ground, like those involved in the Occupy Ann Arbor or Occupy Ypsilanti movements.

When the moderator, Susan Greenberg, asked if the speaker had a question to pose, he said no – he just wanted to make his opinion known.

Questions & Comments: Middle Class

Comment: I’m a retired state corrections officer, and have some knowledge about privatizing in that sector. As an example, when a minimum-security prison was privatized in southern Ohio, the community tried to ensure it would remain a minimum security facility. The state wrote certain guarantees into the contract. But later, the firm started bringing in high-security prisoners from all across the country, which created a hazard for the community. The local government ended up filing a lawsuit. When considering whether to privatize, the long-term costs and impact should be factored in to the decision.

Bob Guenzel said he agreed that cheaper is not always better. It’s important to look at the full costs, including the long-term consequences and risks, he said, not just the short-term savings.

Sabra Briere noted that when you’re the person who makes policy – like a city councilmember – you rely on the recommendation of staff, or you argue with that recommendation. It’s difficult to get accurate, competing information when the staff recommends something, she said. Your gut reaction might be that it’s a bad idea, but unless you’re more knowledgeable than the staff, it’s difficult to argue against. Briere also observed that staff is generally trying to please the policymakers, but those policymakers might be people who left office years ago – it takes a long time for these things to work through the system.

Government is a service organization, Briere said, and service organizations are people-heavy, with salaries and benefits. And if people want more services, that comes at a cost – that’s true whether you’re talking about your local gym or your local government, she said.

Andy Fanta said he liked to anchor things in “the great sweep of history.” The 1980 election of Ronald Reagan as president was as revolutionary as the election of Franklin D. Roosevelt had been, Fanta said. (Or of Abraham Lincoln, Briere added.) Reagan began the steady dissemination of the belief that government is the problem, and that it doesn’t work. That set the stage for where the country finds itself now, Fanta said.

When local public bodies measure outcomes or costs, the decisions are contained in a very small universe, he said. Instead, the dialogue should be this: What do we want our government to do for us? Fanta said he could look back to the civil rights movement – before the government acted, there were actions by the people that touched the country’s moral fiber. The issue was raised as to whether all children had the right to a good education, and finally the government acted.

Fanta said he’s suggesting that privatization is just the tip of the iceberg, and it’s futile to discuss the issue in isolation. That’s not an effective way to carry this dialogue forward, he said.

Questions & Comments: Sharing Services

Question: I believe governments do many things very well. Could you elaborate on the issue of shared services?

Sabra Briere noted that Bob Guenzel had previously mentioned the consolidation of dispatch services, between the city of Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County, as well as the city/county consolidation of the office of community and economic development, which manages funding for human services. Often when you talk about sharing services, she said, you’re talking about saving money to do the same work. It’s also a kind of triage, she noted – if there’s a limited amount of funds for human services, for example, you can either spend it on parallel jobs in different government units, or reduce the staff and spend that money on direct services.

Jeanine DeLay, founder of A2Ethics and a member of the League of Women Voters of the Ann Arbor Area, asks a question during the privatization forum.

The same is true for police dispatch operations, she said. The city of Ann Arbor has faced budget challenges in recent years, and has decreased its police force to the point where the department isn’t as effective. The question was how could the city afford all of the officers it needed? One aspect of the solution, Briere said, was to consolidate dispatch services.

Andy Fanta cited several examples of inefficiencies. He observed that in driving along I-94 between Ann Arbor to Detroit, you’ll pass through about 15 separate political jurisdictions. He said he lives in a part of the county where the city of Ypsilanti and Ypsilanti Township can’t seem to work together.

Fanta also said he doesn’t believe the 15th District Court needs three judges – he’s felt that way since he arrived here in 1970. There’s the need for a flexible, mobile judiciary, he said, giving the example of circuit court judges in northern Michigan who are responsible for holding court in multiple counties. That should be encouraged, he said. However, he also cautioned that a risk of consolidation is in losing community contacts within an organization, which “chips away at who we are.”

Fanta concluded by saying that elected officials have been fobbing off their responsibilities. As a school board member, he was aghast to learn that the Ypsilanti school district had hired someone else to provide curriculum services. Wasn’t that the role of the district’s curriculum director? He indicated that public bodies like school boards and city councils have a responsibility to question these actions.

Susan Baskett said there are several areas that seem to be working for local public schools. The contract for substitute teacher services – with the firm Professional Educational Services Group – is working for the several school districts that use that service, she said. Baskett also cited the international baccalaureate program, offered through a consortium of local schools.

Ypsilanti has been working on sharing services for many years, Lois Richardson said. She pointed to the city’s reciprocal agreements with fire departments in other jurisdictions, as well as partnerships with Eastern Michigan University.

Questions & Comments: Proposal A

Question: What has been the impact of Proposal A?

By way of background, Proposal A is a 1994 statewide ballot initiative that shifted responsibility for K-12 funding away from local communities and created a system whereby local tax dollars are funneled to the state, which in turn redistributes the funding back to school districts statewide. Among other things, it puts a cap on how fast a property’s taxable value can increase. That cap is 5% or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower. [For a detailed view of how Michigan's public schools are financed, see Chronicle coverage: "Does It Take a Millage?"]

Andy Fanta began with a one-word answer: “Disaster.” Susan Baskett agreed, saying “it’s leaving us short.”

Fanta then elaborated. He noted that Proposal A has prohibited the citizens of Ypsilanti from raising money for their schools, even as expenses escalate. When he first joined the school board in 1998, the district’s share of retirement costs for its employees was less than 5%. In the coming year, he said, it’s possible that those costs will be as high as 37%. But because the retirement system is handled by the state, local districts have no control over those costs, he said. Fanta concluded by saying that Ypsilanti citizens would vote to support schools financially, but they can’t.

Weighing in from the audience, Glenn Nelson – another Ann Arbor school board member – commented that unfunded liabilities for public pension funds are an enormous problem. The rate is very high, he said, and going up very fast. The League of Women Voters should look into this question too, Nelson said.

Questions & Comments: Chartwells

Question: I come from Arkansas, and the university there also used Chartwells. How is it that the Ann Arbor schools gets paid by the company?

Susan Baskett said she didn’t know the details of the contract, but said she wanted to be clear that Chartwells is a profit-making business. She said she thought the question was going to be about how the school system evaluates Chartwells’ performance. She learned the hard way that an evaluation can’t be done in-house, she said. The staff and the company will give you answers that they think you want to hear, she said, so the evaluation needs to be done by a third party.

Later during the Q&A session, a woman addressed the panel by saying she was a recently retired AAPS teacher, and she had experience with Chartwells. She said the company had displaced some wonderful food service workers in the schools – people who knew the kids and who were dedicated to their jobs. The people that Chartwells hired didn’t know what they were doing, she said, and didn’t stay long. The woman also criticized the privatization of custodial services, and the quality of substitute teachers that are used in the Ann Arbor schools.

Questions & Comments: Legal Services

Question: Does Washtenaw County have an attorney to look over contracts, and are there legal procedures that take place when someone doesn’t do the job they’ve been contracted to do?

As former county administrator, Bob Guenzel fielded this question. He noted that all units of government employ attorneys and staff to review contracts, making sure the documents “are as tight as they can be.” He said he served as a legal consultant to the county before he was hired as the county’s corporation counsel, a full-time staff position. Sometimes it’s difficult if you have to terminate a contract, then find another entity to do that same work. Contracts also don’t address “soft skills,” Guenzel said, like worker attitudes.

The Chronicle could not survive without regular voluntary subscriptions to support our coverage of local government and civic affairs. Click this link for details: Subscribe to The Chronicle. And if you’re already supporting us, please encourage your friends, neighbors and colleagues to help support The Chronicle, too!

Colin Smith, left, the city's parks and recreation manager, talks with Tim Doyle, who was attending his first meeting as a new park advisory commissioner. Doyle replaced the position formerly occupied by Scott Rosencrans, who did not seek reappointment. (Photos by the writer.)

The main agenda item was consideration of two resolutions regarding Fuller Road Station, and many people who attended the meeting were there to address commissioners on that topic – most of them protesting the use of city parkland for what will, at least initially, be a large parking structure and bus depot, built in partnership with the University of Michigan.

Park commissioners have expressed concerns about the project, and resolutions were crafted to address those issues, including a possible financial loss to the parks system and a lack of transparency in the process.

At several points during deliberations, Christopher Taylor – a city councilmember and ex-officio member of PAC – defended the process, indicating that while it was a misstep that PAC wasn’t formally asked for input, there had been many opportunities for public participation.

PAC ultimately approved a resolution that asks city council to make available a complete plan of Fuller Road Station – including any significant proposed agreements, such as what the university will pay the city for use of the structure – allowing sufficient time for a presentation at a televised PAC meeting before council votes on the project. The resolution also asks that staff and council ensure the project results in a net revenue gain for the parks system.

Several other speakers during public commentary addressed the issue of Huron Hills Golf Course, and expressed concerns that the city would seek to privatize it. During his manager’s report, Colin Smith told commissioners that a draft request for proposals (RFP) regarding Huron Hills won’t be finished until August at the earliest, and will be brought to PAC for review before being issued by the city.

The meeting also included a presentation by Molly Notarianni, the city’s market manager, with an update on the farmers market and public market activities.

Tuesday’s meeting was also the first for PAC’s newest commissioner, Tim Doyle. Doyle was recently appointed by city council to replace Scott Rosencrans, who did not seek reappointment. In welcoming him, PAC chair Julie Grand joked: “You picked a good one to start.”

Fuller Road Station: PAC Weighs In

For several months, the commission has discussed concerns about the Fuller Road Station, proposed for the south side of Fuller Road, just east of East Medical Center Drive. The project is proposed for a site that’s currently a surface parking lot on land designated as parkland, but PAC was not asked to make a formal recommendation on it. Among other issues, many commissioners expressed dismay that the parks system – which currently receives revenues from surface parking lots on parkland along Fuller Road that’s leased to the university – could see a decrease in revenues after Fuller Road Station is built.

Originally, PAC considered a resolution that called for the city council to abandon the effort, or at the least to get a better deal from the university. [Chronicle coverage: "Better Deal Desired for Fuller Road Station"] That caught the attention of mayor John Hieftje, an advocate of the project, who attended PAC’s May 18, 2010 meeting and asked commissioners for their support. [Chronicle coverage: "Hieftje Urges Unity on Fuller Road Station"]

His request led commissioners to reconsider their position, dropping a call to stop the project but still urging city council to work for a more open process and to ensure a better financial deal to benefit the parks system. [Chronicle coverage: "PAC Softens Stance on Fuller Road Station"]

On Tuesday, PAC considered two resolutions, and heard from several members of the public.

Fuller Road Station: Public Commentary

Glenn Thompson described how he used to travel frequently along Fuller Road between the university’s north campus and its main campus, noting that much of the land along that route was city parkland. Taxpayers should control the sale and long-term use of parkland, he said. That’s what they are promised in the city charter, and that’s what they expect. He encouraged PAC, as stewards of the parks, to keep that promise and to vote against anything that encourages the transfer of land without a voter referendum.

James D’Amour said that despite Eli Cooper’s spin to the contrary, Fuller Road Station primary role is to have 900-plus parking spaces dedicated to automotive commuters. [Cooper is the city's transportation program manager.] D’Amour described the greatest reach of Jim Kosteva’s career as thinking people were stupid enough to accept the spin that the project is a step toward sustainability. D’Amour said he supports public transportation and the east/west rail. But it doesn’t matter if a cause is noble or ignoble – if there’s a change in the status of parkland, it requires a public vote.

Whether it’s Fuller Road Station or Huron Hills Golf Course, disposing of parkland by any means should be decided by a public vote, D’Amour said. If the parking structure and the deal are good for the city, it shouldn’t be a problem getting voter approval, he said. Speak to the voters and state the case. To not do so and to pass the parkland into other hands sets a terrible precedent. The resolution that PAC should pass, he said, should call for no more action on Fuller Road Station or Huron Hills Golf Course without a public vote.

Ethel Potts noted that there hasn’t yet been a public hearing on Fuller Road Station. She’s attended at least five meetings about it, but these were presentations of information and the chance to ask questions, not to give opinions. At the most recent meeting, she reported, there had been a “little rebellion,” as several people wanted to give statements. Potts told commissioners that “for many of us, your concerns are our concerns.”

The revenues from the project won’t end up benefiting parks, Potts said – there will be some way that it will end up being used for other purposes. It’s a very inconvenient location for an intermodal station, Potts said, and it doesn’t serve the parks. It does serve the university, which is building a new hospital without sufficient parking, she noted. But it’s not good for the city to put up a parking structure to make up for UM’s planning flaws.

Saying he agreed with the previous speakers, John Satarino pointed out that the land along Fuller Road had initially been acquired from Detroit Edison in 1963. The deed indicates that the land should be used as a wildlife preserve, he said. There are a lot of complexities that haven’t been addressed and that the public doesn’t know. The land in that area formed the foundation of the parks system, and now it’s being picked apart. He urged commissioners to dig deeper into the situation. Fuller Road Station sets a bad precedent, he said. There are no restrictions now on the use of parkland, he contended. “This is a very dire situation that parks are in now,” he said, “and I’d like to see something done to make them more secure for the future.”

Members of the public at the Ann Arbor Park Advisory Commission meeting, held this month at the CTN studios on South Industrial.

Sue Perry said she felt like she’s been fooled over the past few years, and is disappointed in city management, council and some of the commissioners. Residents voted in favor of a parks millage because they thought it would protect the parks. But parks aren’t being maintained – she’s embarrassed that Veterans Memorial Park looks like a ghetto. Residents also voted to protect parkland by requiring a vote on the sale of parkland, but now that’s being challenged. It’s wrong morally, politically and financially, Perry said. She’s gotten to the point where she can’t believe what she’s voting for, or what’s been promised. Perry said she’s disappointed in PAC for not protecting the parks system and for allowing it to be used and abused. She hoped they would do the right thing and vote no to the taking of parkland.

Noting that she was a former park advisory commissioner, Leslie Morris said she appreciated PAC’s efforts to protect and improve the city’s park system. She especially appreciated their efforts to hold the line on leasing parkland for the proposed Fuller Road Station. “You have been put into an impossible position,” she said. No one wants to be against mass transit. They’ve been told that there’s no other location that’s suitable, and that since the land can’t be sold, it must be leased.

Morris acknowledged that PAC was trying to work within those limitations. Morris also spoke about the possible privatization of Huron Hills Golf Course (see below), and urged commissioners to hold the line against these “raids” on parkland.

Noting that he hadn’t actually read the proposed resolution, Brad Mikus said he thought they should pass it and that it should incorporate some of the ideas that the mayor had suggested. Phase 1 (a parking structure) and Phase 2 (a train station) should be combined, he said. Net income from all contracts should be sent directly to the parks system, and the parking lots on the north side of Fuller Road should be returned to parkland.

Mikus said he didn’t like the process – while he didn’t want to say it was underhanded, it did seem kind of shady. He also said that if the project were taken to voters, it would be approved. Finally, Mikus addressed the concern about setting a precedent, saying that Fuller Road Station was just a one-time deal. He did think that future developments should include a more public process.

Rita Mitchell reminded commissioners that 81% of voters had approved the charter amendment that requires a voter referendum on the sale of parkland. What the city is contemplating with Fuller Road Station and Huron Hills Golf Course possibly violates that, she said – a long-term lease is essentially a sale. Mitchell also argued that not every park needs to generate revenue.

Fuller Road Station: A Discussion of Process

Julie Grand began the discussion by saying that her intent had been to include as many opinions as possible in the resolution, while finding common ground.

The resolution authored by Grand, Gwen Nystuen and Sam Offen had been distributed in PAC’s meeting packet. Tim Berla proposed an alternative resolution, which he distributed to commissioners at the meeting. [At a June 1 PAC working session on Fuller Road Station, Berla had indicated his intent to float an alternative resolution. See Chronicle coverage: "PAC Softens Stance on Fuller Road Station"]

Colin Smith, the city’s parks manager, described the procedure for dealing with the two resolutions. They would start with the first resolution, then Berla’s could be considered as an amendment – an amendment to replace the original in its entirety. After voting on that, they could return to consideration of the original resolution.

David Barrett asked Smith to review the process to date, which Barrett described as “bass-ackwards,” from PAC’s perspective. He wanted to make clear that PAC didn’t simply wake up one day and come up with these “haymakers.” Many commissioners have expressed the same concerns raised during public commentary, he said. Barrett also wanted to clarify that PAC had been told by Kevin McDonald of the city attorney’s office that the city didn’t have to follow its own zoning regulations – that fact should also inform the discussion, he said.

Smith reviewed the fact that while city staff had made presentations to PAC about Fuller Road Station, the commission had not been asked to make an official recommendation about it. Since the project has generated some discussion in the community, PAC has chosen to make a recommendation in the form of a resolution, which they were considering now.

Barrett then mentioned the issue of recent changes in the list of designated uses for public land, and asked Smith to review that as well. At their May 4 meeting, the city planning commission approved a change to language in Chapter 55 of the city code, which lists permitted principal uses for public land (PL). The change was to delete the use of “municipal airports” and replace it with “transportation facilities.” City council has also approved the change at first reading, and will likely take a final vote at its June 21 meeting.

Berla asked if Smith had an updated timeline for the project. The one distributed most recently had the dates crossed out. Smith said he didn’t have a new one yet, but that the site plan would first be submitted to the city planning commission, where there would be a public hearing. It would then go to city council, and there would be another public hearing. He also clarified for Berla that the project’s design hadn’t yet been completed.

Grand noted that for the planning commission, the public hearing would be conducted two weeks before the commission voted. For council, however, the last timeline she saw indicated that councilmembers would vote on the project on the same night as the public hearing.

Barrett came back to the broader question of process. He wondered who was responsible for sheparding projects like this through the city’s approval process. He presumed that council would want PAC’s feedback on this, since it directly affected parks – so he found it vexing that PAC hadn’t been asked for input. Why hadn’t that happened? Grand said they were all equally perplexed.

Taylor – one of the two councilmembers who serve as ex-officio, non-voting members of PAC – said it was clearly and universally acknowledged that the project intersected with parks. That was reflected in the fact that Eli Cooper, the city’s transportation program manager, had made a presentation to PAC several months ago to show commissioners plans for Fuller Road Station.

[See Chronicle coverage of that September 2009 meeting: "City Seeks Feedback on Transit Center" The first public presentation of the Fuller Road Station concept came at a presentation from Cooper to a group of residents at Northside Grill in early 2009: "City Staffers Brief Wall Street Neighbors"]

Under ordinary circumstances, Taylor said, PAC wouldn’t have anything to do with a site plan. So the fact that Cooper came to PAC and described the plans was a sign of respect for the commission, he said. Cooper returned as the project developed, he noted, making another presentation at PAC’s March 2010 meeting. It’s appropriate that PAC weighs in, Taylor added. It’s an unusual project, given that there are so many moving parts, including the AATA, the university, and various potential funding sources.

Barrett pointed out that the project as initially presented – with a focus on the train station – was very different from later versions, which included two phases, including a large parking structure as the first phase. He also noted concerns over the semantics being used to distinguish between a lease and a sale of the land. [A charter amendment requires that voters approve the sale of parkland. For the Fuller Road Station, the city will continue to own the land.] He asked Taylor whether council was aware that so many moving parts would create a “petri dish for misunderstanding.”

Taylor replied that with a novel project like this, there were bound to be confusions and uncertainties and fears. It’s necessary to have a mutual belief in everyone’s good faith efforts, he said, in order to find a process that will lead to a wise, long-term solution.

Sam Offen wondered, if the parks system was such an integral part of this project, why hadn’t PAC been involved in the initial discussions? Yes, there was a presentation, but PAC wasn’t asked for comment – that was disappointing, he said. It’s a precedent-setting project on a significant piece of parkland. PAC should have been asked, he said – then city council could have gone ahead and done whatever they want.

Taylor said he didn’t really know why PAC wasn’t asked – that was a misstep. But he added that he could see a counter-narrative. Cooper had made multiple presentations to PAC, where there were opportunities for commissioners to comment.

Saying she didn’t want PAC to sound like a bunch of whiners, Grand noted that the presentations were ever-shifting. That was one of the problems. Doug Chapman also commented that Cooper’s presentations seemed designed to tell PAC what was happening, not to ask their opinion.

Mike Anglin, the other councilmember on PAC, said that they needed to get documents from the city, perhaps through a Freedom of Information Act request, that showed a timeline of events dating back several years. He said he didn’t know which people in the city negotiated with UM on the project, but that it was presented as a done deal when it first came to council. Anglin noted that some people have speculated that the issue relates to the situation on Maiden Lane. [He was likely referring to UM's previous plans to build parking structures on Wall Street. See Chronicle coverage from January 2009: "City Staffers Brief Wall Street Neighbors"]

The town isn’t against an intermodal transportation center that will work, Anglin said.

Fuller Road Station: Two Resolutions

Commissioners then focused on the two resolutions. Grand began by reading the first resolution, which PAC members had discussed at their June 1 working session. [.pdf of resolution and cover memo]

Whereas, the Park Advisory Commission (PAC) has been briefed on numerous occasions about plans for the Fuller Road Station (FRS) by project managers and City staff.

Whereas, in spite of such briefings, the overall scope of the proposed project, including the timeline and decision-making process by City staff and their partners continues to change and remains unclear.

Whereas, the opportunity for direct input from the public regarding the direction and overall desirability of the FRS has not been commensurate with the scale of the proposed project.

Whereas, one of PAC’s roles is to make recommendation concerning the use of parkland.

Whereas, the City of Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan have jointly proposed building an approximately 1,020 car parking structure, which represents an increase of 770 parking spaces.

Whereas, building the proposed FRS will create a permanent structure on parkland.

Whereas, the Parks and Recreation Department currently receives $31, 057 (FY 2010) annually from the University of Michigan for 250 parking spots in the South Lot, and according to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the University is slated to receive only $24,846 with a 3% yearly increase for almost 800 spots following completion of the proposed parking structure in 2012.

Whereas, it is unlikely that the University of Michigan will continue to lease the North Lots on Fuller Road following the completion of the proposed parking garage, resulting in an additional annual loss to the Parks budget of approximately $38,495 (FY 2010).

Whereas, the potential loss of revenue (totaling $44,706 in FY 2010 dollars) from the University of Michigan will result in the Parks and Recreation Department having to make additional cuts to an already stretched and shrinking budget.

Whereas, according to its terms, and pursuant to information presented to PAC, the November 2009 MOU is not a final agreement with the University of Michigan, including its terms with respect to compensation to the Parks and Recreation Department.

Resolved, that while PAC is generally in favor of the goals of an intermodal transit station, concerns remain about the overall benefit to park users of the proposed Fuller Road Station as a stand-alone Phase One project.

Resolved, that if such plans are approved, PAC urges Council to negotiate the final agreement with the University of Michigan to include a significant increase in revenue to the Parks and Recreation Department above and beyond that currently agreed upon in the C-1a MOU. Further, PAC recommends that the final agreement should indemnify the Parks and Recreation Department for any shortfall in revenue caused by the University’s decision to discontinue leasing the North lots on Fuller Road.

Resolved, PAC recommends that the final Parking Services Agreement will be published at least two weeks prior to Council approval of the proposed FRS.

Resolved, PAC recommends that all revenue generated from lessees of the proposed transit center should be dedicated exclusively to the Parks and Recreation Department.

Resolved, PAC requests that project staff will present PAC with a clear project schedule for the proposed FRS, with future updates as necessary.

Resolved, that an effort be made by project staff to provide opportunities for PAC and the public to give meaningful input into all future significant decisions regarding the proposed FRS.

When Grand finished reading the resolution, John Lawter said he would be abstaining from discussion and voting because of his position with the university. [Lawter is UM associate director of building services and grounds.]

Berla began the discussion, saying that he’s in general agreement with the content of the resolution. However, he felt it went into too much detail regarding some of the information that hasn’t been formally presented to them. He also wanted it to be clear that zoning ordinances don’t prevent this project from going through, and that the charter amendment specifically states that voters must approve the sale of land. That wasn’t the case with Fuller Road Station – the land wasn’t being sold.

He directed some of his comments to the people who were attending the meeting and who spoke during public commentary. They voted for mayor and city council, and they’d be voting again – that’s the democratic process, he said. If they felt that the use of land, as it’s being handled with Fuller Road Station, should be taken to the voters for approval, they should make that clear.

His own resolution aimed to simplify the recommendation to council, and focused on asking council to provide all the information related to Fuller Road Station before taking action on it, so that PAC and the public could weigh in after they were fully informed. The resolution also made clear that they wanted the council to protect the financial interests of the parks. Berla’s resolution reads as follows:

Whereas the Parks Advisory Commission (PAC) supports the establishment of an intermodal transportation station in Ann Arbor to promote the development of alternative transportation, and,

Whereas PAC’s duties include providing a forum for advice and public input to the city council on matters relating to the park system, and,

Whereas the construction of any building for non-park use on park land is a large and potentially precedent setting development, and,

Whereas the parks department currently receives revenue from the University of Michigan for parking in lots located within Fuller park, and any change to that revenue may impact the already stretched parks budget,

Be it therefore resolved that PAC urges the city council and staff to promote maximum transparency in the development of any such project. Specifically, PAC urges the staff and council to make public a complete plan for the development of the project, including which features will be part of each phase and the details of any significant agreements such as the Parking Services Agreement. Further, PAC urges that such publication include a full presentation at a regular televised PAC meeting, in such a way that PAC commissioners have an opportunity to ask questions, and that this PAC meeting be at least one month prior to any city council vote which could commit the city to building on park land.

Be it further resolved that PAC urges the city council and staff to ensure that any use of the land in Fuller Park for non-park uses such as a transit station or parking structure results in a net increase in park system revenue.

Nystuen said she didn’t find the two resolutions in conflict. She wanted to see most of Berla’s resolution incorporated into the original one. Acknowledging that the city didn’t have to follow its own ordinances, she said she was very concerned that it was breaking its own code. The city has spent years developing valuable parkland along the river. Even though the site is now a surface parking lot, it’s still serving the interests of parks, she said. Fuller Road Station will be an outside use, taking it out of the hands of the parks system. The city is breaking its own code, but is also breaking a pact with the residents, she said. It’s important to lay out the details, as the first resolution does, she said.

Barrett noted that Berla’s resolution focused on process, while the original resolution was more nuanced and detailed. He asked Taylor and Anglin whether the details would be useful to councilmembers. Taylor said he didn’t view the resolutions as deeply different. Smith pointed out that the resolution will include a cover memo, which outlines many of the issues, in somewhat clearer language.

Barrett asked Taylor whether the council’s rationale for the project was based on the fact that the arrangement was a lease rather than a sale of land. Taylor said that it wasn’t a lease – it was a “use agreement” between the city and the university, or other entities like AATA. It’s proposed to be a city-owned and operated asset, he said. Barrett called the lease/use agreement issue a distinction without a difference.

Taylor described the project as both tangible and aspirational. The university has the money and the certainty, while the rail portion of Fuller Road Station is more aspirational – it’s not in their control. So are they being foolish and rainbow-chasing, or prescient? That’s what complicates the public discussion, Taylor said.

Offen said he was impressed by the positive tone of Berla’s resolution – it was good to say what they wanted rather than what they didn’t want. The big issue for parks is that they don’t want to lose money on the deal. So there’s the financial aspect, as well as the issue of whether they want to use parkland for this purpose. Offen said he thought it would be wise for them to use Berla’s resolution.

Tim Doyle asked what timeline they were working under. He knew that when federal grants are involved, there are deadlines to meet. [There was general consensus among commissioners that it's unclear what the timelines are.] Then Doyle asked whether there was any urgency for PAC to make a decision. Given what he described as confusion around the table, perhaps it would be better to wait, Doyle said.

Grand said that it was absolutely time to make a decision, if they wanted to affect the process. Smith pointed to the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the university and the city, which states that “the City and the University shall cooperate and use their best efforts to complete construction of Phase One, and to have Phase One ready for use, by June 15, 2012.” Working backwards from that date, he said, they’d need to begin construction by next spring, which means that designs would need to be ready fairly soon. “It’s closer than you might think,” he said.

Grand noted that the project is “ever-changing,” and if they waited until they had all the information or final answers to their questions, the opportunity for input will have passed.

Nystuen asked whether they could simply pass both resolutions. Offen suggested putting the language of the first resolution into the cover memo, then passing Berla’s version. Grand stressed that there’s no guarantee that people will read the cover memo, and that it’s the resolution that is the official record. She also suggested that it was more powerful to have just one resolution.

Taylor suggested that they pass Berla’s resolution, but amend it to include some of the whereas clauses from the original one. “I’d go for that,” Nystuen said.

A vote was taken on amending the first resolution by substituting in Berla’s version in its entirety. It was approved by a 5 to 3 vote, with Lawter abstaining. Voting yes were Berla, Barrett, Doyle, Nystuen, and Offen.

Nystuen then moved to amend Berla’s version by deleting the fourth whereas clause and adding the final five whereas clauses from the original version. That motion carried, with dissent from Berla.

Chapman pointed out that if PAC’s intent was to weigh in before any agreements between the city and university were finalized, then they should slightly alter a sentence in Berla’s second resolved clause. Berla accepted as a friendly amendment the insertion of the word “proposed”:

Specifically, PAC urges the staff and council to make public a complete plan for the development of the project, including which features will be part of each phase and the details of any significant proposed agreements such as the Parking Services Agreement.

Grand asked whether they wanted to include the sentence from the original resolution asking that the parks system be indemnified: “Further, PAC recommends that the final agreement should indemnify the Parks and Recreation Department for any shortfall in revenue caused by the University’s decision to discontinue leasing the North lots on Fuller Road.” Berla said he found that troubling, because it could be interpreted very broadly.

Taylor said he wanted to circle back to talk about the process. He noted that while there hasn’t yet been a formal public hearing, there have been 11 public conversations, or meetings, about the project. Further, the manner in which the public can express themselves to council is multi-varied, he said. Public hearings are important, but equally powerful are phone calls, emails or the “gestalt at a meeting.” So he took issue with the sentiment that there’s been no public input. It’s not been perfect, he said, but it’s been done in good faith. Except for not asking formally for PAC’s input, the process has been done pretty well, he said.

As for financing, he said, when requests are made for federal funding, matching local funds are required. The proposed university contribution is cash, he said, which would serve as the matching local funds. The city doesn’t have millions of dollars lying around to put into the project. By comparison, the university is cash wealthy, he said. That’s an element that hasn’t been completely appreciated, Taylor added, and it gives them the hope of actually getting a rail station.

Nystuen pointed out that nothing in the memorandum of understanding gives them a rail station. Taylor replied that the federal grants are predicated on there being local cash in the project – and the university is providing that cash.

Berla’s resolution, as amended, was passed unanimously, with Lawter abstaining. [.pdf of final approved resolution]

Fuller Road Station: Additional Commissioner Commentary

Later in the meeting, Nystuen said she wanted to acknowledge that they had received communication from the Washtenaw Bicycling and Walking Coalition, asking that planning for the Border-to-Border Trail be incorporated into the site design for Fuller Road Station. She also wondered about the environmental impact study that was to be done on the site – what’s the scope of that? Finally, Nystuen said she thought they should look at Peter Pollack’s plan for the site – at PAC’s March 2010 meeting, he had described an alternative approach to the design of the Fuller Road Station.

Berla said that he’d love to see a resolution at PAC’s next meeting to support the WBWC plan.

Smith noted that there were several gaps in the Border-to-Border trail that were already identified in the Park, Recreation and Open Space (PROS) plan – he thought the map submitted by WBWC was the same as the one in the PROS plan. There are other parks in the system that require trails, he said, and he cautioned against acting on that one area alone, saying they needed to look at the entire park system to assess their needs.

Doyle pointed out that if the city was seeking federal funds, it might be to their advantage to include plans for a bike path in that area.

Later in the meeting, Anglin wondered who would be bringing the resolution forward to council – he thought it was important to have some PAC members there when that happened. Taylor and others clarified that the resolution wouldn’t require action at council. Like all other PAC resolutions, it was a recommendation to council, and would be transmitted as a communication from PAC to council.

Fuller Road Station: Final Public Commentary

Three people spoke at the end of the meeting, all of them addressing the topic of Fuller Road Station.

LuAnne Bullington said the mayor had used the “carrot” of a train to get a parking garage. She said a representative from SEMCOG has indicated that the east/west rail project between Ann Arbor and Detroit is on permanent hold. There are also issues with the proposed WALLY rail line between Howell and Ann Arbor, including how it will be financed. There’s a long way to go before these rail projects become reality, and these are serious economic times.

It’s not smart to build a parking garage in hopes that a train station will be added in the next decade or two, Bullington said. Bullington also noted that the university is building a large children’s and women’s hospital, but hasn’t included additional parking for it – even though they have more money than the city does. Why is the city building a garage when its bridges are falling down? she asked, referring to the East Stadium bridges. The city’s priorities are screwed up, she said.

Glenn Thompson said that a similar situation had occurred in the village of Dexter, with elected officials moving ahead on a project that residents opposed. The result was at the next election, he said, three of the incumbents were defeated – by write-in candidates.

Ethel Potts thanked the commission, and said she felt she’d been well-represented.

Huron Hills Golf Course

During public commentary at the start of Tuesday’s meeting, several people spoke about plans for the city to issue a request for proposals (RFP) possibly to privatize the Huron Hills Golf Course, one of two golf courses owned and operated by the city. Colin Smith, the city’s parks manager, also addressed the topic during his report to commissioners, saying that the RFP hasn’t yet been developed and would likely be coming to PAC for input this fall.

Huron Hills: Public Commentary

In addition to her comments about Fuller Road Station, Leslie Morris spoke about privatizing Huron Hills, saying that she sees this proposal as a second attempt to set a precedent – “that parkland may be considered ‘surplus,’ and may be leased for some other purpose or for someone’s profit.” If the RFP is approved, she said, it’s likely to lead to others, until the precedent will be difficult to reverse. Morris said she emphatically disagrees with some in the current city administration who believe the city has too many parks. Since the council has refused to sell parkland, the administration is proposing leases as a substitute.

Morris said that when she spoke during public commentary at the city council, she called this “probing for weakness.” Supporters of the parks count on PAC to “hold the line against raids on parkland,” she said, adding “that includes private leases.”

William Cassebaum said it was just three years ago when there were talks at PAC about whether to keep Huron Hills as a golf course. The decision was made to invest in the golf course and the effort has paid off, he said, with the course never looking better. Cassebaum said he and his wife have season passes, and think of it as the “people’s course,” bringing together golfers of all ages, abilities and backgrounds. But now, he said, it seems that the city wants to eliminate Huron Hills from the parks system.

To date, the city’s RFP hasn’t been made public, Cassebaum said, but it’s reasonable to conclude that the plan is to eliminate the existing course – otherwise, why request proposals from outside businesses? He noted that in January, Jayne Miller – at that time, the city’s community services administrator – reported that two businesses had approached the city with interest in turning the front seven holes of Huron Hills into a commercial driving range.

Cassebaum reminded commissioners of the charter amendment requiring voter approval of the sale of parkland, and of a council resolution passed in 2007 that prohibited the sale of the city’s golf courses, and stating that the courses would remain in the parks system even if the golf operations stopped. [.pdf file of 2007 council resolution] Cassebaum concluded by asking: “If Huron Hills goes, what might be the next city park on the chopping block?” He asked PAC to consider recommending that council rescind the RFP.

Saying that Ann Arbor has long had a vision for its parks, Larry Argetsigner cited three examples from the Park, Recreation and Open Space (PROS) plan that relate directly to Huron Hills. He read a section from the PROS plan, which calls for “preservation of Ann Arbor’s open and green image. Development adjacent to both the freeway ring and the city’s major arteries (especially along Huron Parkway) must be accomplished consistent with the care and concerns epxressed by Ann Arbor citizens.”

Argetsigner noted that Huron Hills provides a dramatic but tranquil vista along Huron Parkway. The community has been committed to parks for many years, and leasing Huron Hills would fly in the face of that commitment. The PROS plan also calls for “developing appropriately existing lands along the river to relieve crowding of areas such as Gallup Park.” Huron Hills is adjacent to Gallup Park and the river’s South Pond, Argetsinger noted.

Finally, the PROS plan includes the greenbelt program, and Huron Hills actually stacks up well when evaluated according to the greenbelt criteria for selecting properties. Why is the city considering the transfer of Huron Hills development rights to the private sector, while actively pursuing development rights for property to include in the greenbelt? He concluded by stating, “the citizenry of Ann Arbor deserves better.”

Jane Lumm focused her comments on the financial performance of Huron Hills Golf Course, saying she wanted to clear up some misperceptions. Thanks to the city’s director of golf, Doug Kelly, she said, revenues are up over 30% at both Huron Hills and Leslie Park golf courses – and golf revenues for FY09 and FY10 exceeded the targets set by a golf consultant hired by the city by over $100,000. On an operating basis, she noted, before administrative and allocated costs, Huron Hills is about break-even, showing a small $10,000 loss. These numbers are contrary to the popular perception that Huron Hills is a significant financial drain, Lumm said. In fact, compared to other recreation activities that showed just a 2% revenue increase, the golf courses were doing quite well, she said.

Looking at all city support for rec activities, Lumm noted that Huron Hills accounted for just 6-8% of the total rec support – not the huge drain as it’s often portrayed. She quoted the report from the golf consultant hired by the city to evaluate the courses – he referred to Huron Hills as a “delightful golf course … that provides an unparalleled opportunity to enjoy a walk and is an ideal facility for juniors, seniors, and new entrants to the game,” while Leslie Park is characterized as a championship course. The courses are complementary, Lumm said, but Huron Hills “better fits the public recreation mission.” She concluded by stating that “the plan is really working and I’m hopeful PAC will be an ally in advocating to build on the success – to work the plan – rather than divert attention to RFPs and potential development on the site.” [Lumm and Morris also addressed the city council on the subject of Huron Hills Golf Course at its June 7, 2010 meeting]

Huron Hills: Manager’s Report

During his report to the commission, Colin Smith said there’d been a golf courses advisory task force meeting on June 9, but there isn’t yet an RFP developed. Staff has had other priorities, including the budget that was passed by council last month. Before an RFP is issued, he said, the staff will bring a draft to the task force for input, and will seek input from PAC as well before issuing it. A draft likely won’t be brought to the task force until August or September.

Smith said that at the task force’s March meeting, soon after city council had given the administration a directive to develop an RFP for Huron Hills, they discussed keeping the form very open, to allow for creative responses. It won’t be written in order to solicit a specific type of proposal, like a driving range, he said. Proposals might include keeping the course the same but turning over management to a private company, or it’s possible that the course would change form. It’s also possible that they won’t receive any responses to the RFP, he noted.

More information about the golf courses advisory task force is on the city’s website.

Ann Arbor Farmers Market Report

Molly Notarianni, the city’s market manager, gave commissioners an update on the farmers market and public market activities. Peter Pollack, chair of the Ann Arbor Public Market Advisory Commission, also spoke briefly.

Farmers Market: Report from Manager

Notarianni said the Ann Arbor Farmers Market is special in several ways: It’s historic, dating back 91 years; it’s open all year, not just during the traditional growing season; and it’s a producer-only market, with the requirement that vendors must make the items they sell. There are currently 143 vendors authorized to sell at the market, including 65 annual vendors – who have reserved stalls year-round – and 78 “dailies.” Not all of these vendors show up each week, Notarianni explained, and some have multiple stalls.

The winter market has been growing, she reported. When Notarianni took the manager job in 2008, there were only about eight to 10 vendors in the winter market, which runs on Saturdays only from January through March. This year, there were between 20-40 vendors on any given Saturday – an increase she attributed to more marketing and outreach.

There’s been an increased participation in food assistance programs too. Since last year, the market has accepted Electronic Benefit Transfers, or EBTs. The program uses Bridge Cards, which act like debit cards and have replaced food stamps. Customers can use their Bridge Cards to buy wooden tokens at the market office, which vendors accept as cash. [The Chronicle first wrote about the market's use of Bridge Cards in October 2008.] Notarianni described the program as “wildly successful,” with over $7,000 spent in Bridge Card payments in the past year. That’s money that likely wouldn’t have otherwise been spent at the market, she said.

There are several special events and activities aimed at drawing more customers to the market, she said, including chef demonstrations, canning lessons, and plastic planter recycling. The market is promoted via an email newsletter, and they’re raising revenue by selling totes, pins, postcards and other items with the market’s logo.

They do rapid market assessments regularly, Notarianni said, aimed at identifying shopping trends. [The market advisory commission discussed this type of assessment at their October 2009 meeting.] On a Saturday last September, for example, the assessment counted about 9,700 people, mostly coming from the 48103 and 48104 zip codes.

Notarianni described several site improvements to the public market area, including repainting, new signs, a PA system and electrical upgrades. Aside from the farmers market, other activities take place there as well, including the weekly Sunday Artisan Market, the Trunk-a-Palooza on Thursdays starting in July, annual happenings like the Homegrown Festival, and private events like weddings. There’s still a lot of untapped potential for using the public market space, she said.

The Ann Arbor Public Market Advisory Commission works on issues related to the market – recent projects include updating the vendor application and inspection forms, Notarianni said.

Pollack noted that the market is part of the parks system. In addition to PAC and the market advisory commission, the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority also has a stake in the market, he said. The three groups should be talking collectively about how to improve it, he suggested, giving examples of street trees along Fourth Avenue that could be replaced, or the gravel parking lot that would be repaved. As the market grows, he said, they should look for other possible locations to complement the existing space – at Community High across the street, for example, or the nearby McKinley parking lot. He said that PAC should expect to have more conversations about this “downtown urban open space.”

Farmer’s Market: PAC Comments and Questions

Sam Offen asked several questions regarding the vendors. In response, Notarianni explained that inspections were done both at the location where goods are produced, as well as at the point of sale. The city contracts with an inspector to do that work. Vendors come mostly from a radius within two hours of driving time, she said, but there are some from Ohio and northern Michigan that are farther away.

Offen asked whether they’d considered partnering with groups like Project Grow or the Leslie Science & Nature Center. They did, Notarianni said – last Saturday, for example, Leslie Science & Nature Center brought their birds to the market, and they’ll do the same this coming Saturday. Project Grow holds its annual tomato testing at the market, she said. But there is a lot of untapped potential for partnerships, she added.

In response to a question from John Lawter, Notarianni said that you can sign up to receive the market’s email newsletter on the city’s website. [Past newsletters are available to download here.]

Christopher Taylor asked why Notarianni believed there was still room for growth at the market. She said they receive more applications each month than they can include in the market, so they’re turning vendors away. Pollack added that there’s also a social aspect to the market – it’s not just for shoppers and vendors. People come to socialize, to people-watch. But it’s really crowded, he said, so providing more room for people to sit and socialize would improve the experience.

Julie Grand wrapped up the discussion by saying they were open to collaboration, and that they welcomed the opportunity to talk more about the market.

Misc. Updates: Mowing, PROS, Argo Dam

Colin Smith gave several updates during his manager’s report.

Starting July 1, with the new fiscal year, the budget includes funds to do hand trimming in the parks. The 19-day mowing cycle will remain in place, he said, but the hand trimming should make things look noticeably better.

A survey for the Park, Recreation and Open Space (PROS) plan, which staff is updating this year, has yielded 525 responses, he said. Their goal is to get between 500-600 responses by June 25. [Here's a link to the online survey.] There will be two more public meetings on the PROS plan: On Thursday, June 17 at 7 p.m. at the Leslie Science & Nature Center, and on Tuesday, June 29 at Cobblestone Farm, also at 7 p.m.

Staff is preparing an RFP for work to be done on Argo Dam, as required by a consent agreement signed by the city and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment. The work includes repair of the toe drains and reconfiguration or reconstruction of the millrace. It’s a complicated RFP to write, he said, and they are under a deadline to complete the work. He said that staff plans to share the RFP with all relevant commissions, including PAC, before issuing it. [.pdf of the consent agreement]

The FY 2011 budget also includes funding for a volunteer outreach coordinator – Smith said they plan to post that job opening soon.

Parks & Rec: Commissioner Comments and Questions

David Barrett reported that he planned to visit every ballfield in the city and take an inventory of conditions. He would present that information to PAC when he finished. He said he wasn’t trying to create a fuss, but it was part of PAC’s charge. Much of the community interacts with the parks system at the ballfields, and it was relevant to know what condition they were in.

Christopher Taylor returned to the topic of mowing. He said that if he planned to be out of town for 19 days, he would make sure to cut his lawn really short. It didn’t appear that this was the strategy of the parks staff, and he wondered why. Smith noted that Matt Warba, the city’s supervisor of field operations, would be able to speak “eloquently and eagerly” on the topic, but Warba did not attend Tuesday’s meeting, and Smith said he wasn’t sure of the answer.

Commissioner John Lawter, who serves as associate director of building services and grounds for the University of Michigan, said that in general, you could damage the lawn if you cut it too short. It was a fine line, he said, because you could also cause damage if it grows too long. Barrett noted that rain was a factor too – recent rains have caused the grass to grow more quickly, making the lack of mowing more noticeable.

Present: David Barrett, Tim Berla, Doug Chapman, Tim Doyle, Julie Grand, John Lawter, Karen Levin, Gwen Nystuen, Sam Offen, Mike Anglin (ex-officio), Christopher Taylor (ex-officio)

Next meeting: Tuesday, July 20 at 4 p.m. in the Washtenaw County administration building boardroom, 220 N. Main St. [confirm date]

AAPS superintendent Todd Roberts, taking copious notes during last Wednesday's school board meeting. (Photos by the writer.)

The AAPS board of education voted to consider a resolution to consolidate transportation services at its final meeting on June 23, if a competitive bid is not received by the bus drivers’ union before then. Also, after months of discussion, the board passed the 2010-11 budget and accompanying millage to support it.

Also at Wednesday’s meeting, the board approved a new AP Biology textbook, passed a resolution in support of using the state’s School Aid Fund only to fund K-12 schools, and debated the renewal of a contract to outsource the district’s food service. And, for more than half of its six-hour meeting, the board engaged in non-voting business, receiving updates from Skyline High School staff, the USA Hockey team housed at Pioneer High, and the Intergroup/Social Change Agents, a high school program designed to encourage dialogue on social identities.

Countywide Transportation Consolidation Plan

AAPS superintendent Todd Roberts introduced Robert Allen, AAPS deputy superintendent of operations, and Brian Marcel, assistant superintendent of business services for the Washtenaw Intermediate School District (WISD), saying they were available to answer any questions about the transportation consolidation plan proposed at the board’s June 4 meeting. Allen pointed out that the entire plan is on the board’s website, and said they would begin by asking Marcel to review the plan.

Transportation: Consolidation Background and Savings Goals

Marcel gave some history, saying that in February of 2007, the superintendents, chief financial officers, and members of the school boards from every district in the county met to explore a variety of possible countywide consolidations. At that time, Marcel said, transportation was identified as a possible service to consolidate, with the original intention to privatize consolidated transportation services countywide.

After additional consideration, Marcel continued, the direction of the group changed to wanting to keep employees public, but reap savings as if services were privately run. Consultants were brought in to help create a plan that would yield savings of 18-25%, by focusing on standardizing as much as possible within transportation services across the county. Marcel noted that special education bus routes would change for the upcoming fall, and that general education routes would stay relatively the same for the first year of the program.

Board secretary Glenn Nelson asked what savings would be created by the consolidation plan as it’s been crafted. Allen answered that the AAPS had hoped for $1.5 million in savings, but this plan achieves only $1.3 million the first year. Allen then pointed out that savings could increase in future years, once AAPS routes are made more efficient.

Trustee Simone Lightfoot asked if the WISD anticipated making a profit by administering the consolidated transportation services. Marcel said no, that the program’s finances would be separate from the rest of the WISD. He explained that no profit is expected, but if there were additional savings for some reason, an oversight group could choose either to make a capital investment in the program or provide a rebate to participating districts.

Transportation: Hourly Wages and Salaries

In response to questions raised at the consolidation plan’s first briefing on June 4, Allen had prepared two spreadsheets for Wednesday’s meeting – one sheet broke down bus drivers and monitors by rate of pay and years of service; the other compared the proposed salaries of the consolidation’s central administrators with the WISD recommended salary ranges for those positions.

From the proposed salary spreadsheet, Baskett noted that bus driver supervisor/trainers are slated to make a higher wage under consolidation. She confirmed with Allen that the supervisor/trainers are currently making from $40,000 to $50,000 annually, but that the consolidation’s administrative design team proposes to pay them $49,150. The WISD recommended salary range would bump them up even higher, paying them from $66,203 to $77,857.

From the hourly wage grid, both Baskett and trustee Andy Thomas noted that the 48 drivers making $18.09 per hour at the top of the current pay scale would experience quite a dip in income – down to $16 per hour for general education routes, or down to $16.50 for special education routes. Lightfoot also pointed out the much higher cost of health care for the drivers under consolidation, and stated, “I’m troubled by a few aspects of this plan … We’re asking the lowest wage earners to adjust to the new reality, but not the managers – that’s problematic.”

When Baskett questioned the size of the supervisors’ raises, Marcel reiterated two points he had made at the last meeting – that anyone in WISD supervising 50 employees needs to be paid at that highest compensation range, and that all positions were “benchmarked” to the market. Lightfoot questioned the benchmarks, pointing out that AAPS currently pays the supervisor/monitors much lower than their proposed salaries under the WISD plan. But Marcel said that perhaps AAPS supervisor/trainers have different job descriptions than those positions would have under the WISD plan. Lightfoot countered, “It seems like you’re going with the highest ‘benchmark’ for the upper managers, but the lowest ‘benchmark’ for the drivers.”

Thomas concurred, pointing out that the wage reduction drivers at the top of the pay scale would be asked to take is a 9-12% decrease, not including the increased health care costs. Thomas said he was very troubled by the fact that one group of people were set to take a significant pay cut while others were getting pay raises. He asked how much AAPS drivers are currently paid compared to market benchmarks.

Marcel said that to compare fairly, one has to consider total compensation, since not all districts offer health insurance to drivers. With that in mind, he said, AAPS drivers are not at the top but currently in the top third of the pay range of drivers throughout the county. In terms of the administrators, Marcel again argued that there would have to be some level of salary equity among managers within WISD “so everyone will be happy when we are all one organization.”

Transportation: Hiring and Seniority

Marcel explained that the hiring timeline, also part of Allen’s packet provided to the board, was constructed to hire the program’s administrators first, so they could then be part of hiring those who would report to them. He reiterated that employment records and drug screening would be part of the hiring criteria, but again asserted, “I want to hire bus drivers who are already familiar with the students and with the schools.”

Lightfoot asked about the difference between “seniority” and “experience,” again following up on part of the conversation from the last meeting. Marcel acknowledged that the two words both mean the number of years of accumulated time. However, the reason the WISD team chose to include “experience” as a hiring criteria rather than “seniority” is because of how seniority is used in decision-making. For example, Marcel said, seniority might be applied to allow drivers to select their own routes, whereas under the consolidation plan, the WISD would make all routing decisions.

Process for Approving the Consolidation

Board president Deb Mexicotte asked Marcel which other districts had agreed to participate in the consolidation at this point. Marcel answered that Lincoln, Willow Run, and Ypsilanti are planning to participate in the consolidation of general education routes.  All of the WISD districts except for Chelsea – this includes the three above, plus AAPS, Dexter, Manchester, Milan, Saline, and Whitmore Lake – have agreed to fully consolidate special education routing.  Chelsea, he said, is not interested consolidating either general education or special education services, but is willing to pick up students on its routes that pass through the other districts.

Baskett asked what the board’s options were, and whether an actual resolution would be coming soon. Mexicotte confirmed that if that evening’s resolution passed, it would indicate that the board intends to receive a contract from the WISD for consideration by June 18. “Moving forward tonight,” she clarified, “does not bind us to that contract at this time.” She stated that the board has an obligation to look at any bid received from a bargaining unit side by side with the WISD contract in an open way.

Thomas requested removing the countywide transportation consolidation from the consent agenda, so that it could be further discussed before a vote. Standing independently, the resolution was then moved by vice president Irene Patalan and seconded by treasurer Christine Stead, and discussion continued.

Transportation: Public Commentary on Consolidation

AAPS bus driver Chai Montgomery called the countywide transportation plan “unsound.” He pointed out that the AAPS director of transportation earns $160,000 per year, but that School Bus Fleet magazine says a manager should make around $50,000. There are ways to save, Montgomery said, but it has to start with managerial overhead, and then operational changes can be sought. First, “cut the waste from the top,” he urged.

Another AAPS driver, Richard Miller, argued that consolidating transportation services will cause increasing driver turnover. Honoring seniority, he said, would be an ethical way to rehire, and long-employed drivers are safest. He pointed out that his own salary would go from $18.09 to $16 an hour under consolidation, and urged trustees to vote with their consciences.

Transportation: Rationale for Approving the Consolidation

Baskett asked Allen what, beyond savings, were the differences between privatizing transportation services, consolidating them, and the status quo.

Allen reiterated that if the services are privatized, employees would lose their pensions, and that “many folks get into public education because of the retirement benefits.” He also pointed out that with consolidation, unlike with privatization, the participating districts retain some control over the system. Allen pointed out that the ISD takes its direction from its districts’ superintendents whereas to direct a private company to do something, “it’s usually ‘back to the table’” to renegotiate the terms of the contract. In terms of longevity, Allen said, consolidation is the best model.  Citing economies of scale when purchasing fuel and parts, he also argued, “When you consolidate ten districts, you don’t need ten directors.” Finally, Allen said that the status quo was not sustainable – “there’s no way to cut $20 million without touching employees.”

Nelson said he recognized the legitimacy of different views, but he believed that voting against this plan would lead to increased cuts in instruction and larger class sizes. He announced his intention to support the plan, arguing that there is a basic efficiency to be gained by consolidating, and that the board needs to be focused on its mission to educate children and young people, rather than considering what the cuts mean to adults. Finally, Nelson asserted that savings from this plan will increase after the first year, and that “it will be good for our students over time.”

Lightfoot countered part of Nelson’s view, saying, “I see it as a ‘both/and’ not an ‘either/or’ situation … We have an obligation both to our students and to our employees.” She later said that she, too, would be supporting the plan, with her stated misgivings – “There are changes that can and should be made to the pay structure,” she said. “I hope WISD will take our comments into account … I implore them to do it.” Lastly, Lightfoot pointed out that the state may be requiring districts to consolidate transportation services in the future, and that AAPS may end up ahead of the curve.

Stead identified the board’s current position as a “contraction stage,” and argued that AAPS needs to position itself for longer-term efficiency in light of education’s structural funding deficit. Calling the consolidation plan “the better option on the list of terrible options,” Stead also reminded the board that during the failed countywide schools millage campaign last fall, much of the feedback received from voters called for exploring new approaches to cost-saving, including consolidation. She pointed out, “It would be difficult to go back and ask for support in the future without having taken that feedback into account.”

Thomas thanked Marcel and Allen for their hard work, and said he does see the potential for tremendous benefit to the district in this plan. In considering the consolidation, he said, he keeps coming back to this year’s $20 million deficit, and a potential $15 million deficit for 2010-11. Though he said he has “serious misgivings” about this plan, he said he would support it, and that on the whole, consolidation is the way to go.

Baskett described the consolidation decision as a “tough call.” Privatization is not in anyone’s best interest, she said, and the district can’t stay with the status quo. That leaves the last two options, as she put it – working with the bargaining unit (the union representing bus drivers), while moving forward with the WISD resolution. She encouraged WISD to lower management salaries, and closed with, “I want to stress to the bargaining unit – we’re running out of time.”

Patalan stated, “We are very careful … My job is to keep my eyes on students.” She said she believed that consolidation would be shown to be more efficient, and appreciated that under the plan, drivers would be able to keep their pensions. Lastly, Patalan said, the “efficiency and ecology” of consolidating cannot be overlooked, and that she would support the plan.

Mexicotte asked for a roll call vote, and the trustees each formalized their support. Mexicotte closed by saying the board would expect to receive a contract for review by June 18, to be acted on at the next board meeting on June 23.

Outcome: The board unanimously voted to receive and consider a contract from the WISD to consolidate transportation services with surrounding districts.

2010-11 Budget and Millage Rates Set

Allen took to the podium to field any last questions or comments from the board regarding the district’s 2010-11 budget and accompanying millage resolution. There was little discussion, as the budget had been presented to the board at various stages of development throughout the spring.

Thomas asked about the impact of lower Schools of Choice enrollment than had been budgeted. A memo from Roberts to the board states that 94 students have accepted enrollment – 47 in kindergarten, 27 in 1st grade and 20 in 6th grade. His memo also says that the district is requesting that the state allow a second Schools of Choice application window in August, but that the request might not be approved.

Allen confirmed that if the district is not able to increase Schools of Choice enrollment, it could adversely affect the budget by up to $500,000. He also pointed out that the Options Magnet enrollment is expected to meet its target.

Nelson noted that the millage associated with the 2010-11 budget will be a significant tax rate reduction. In 2000, he said, homeowners in the AAPS district were levied 12.8 mills, including the WISD special education millage. In 2005, the same homeowners were levied 12.7 mills, and in 2010, homeowners will be levied at 11.5 mills.  Nelson summarized by saying, “If we … say we want to pay fewer taxes, we are saying we want to support schools less than those who came before us.”

Nelson then apologized in advance for going off-topic, and proceeded to ask Allen how the new stormwater retention project just completed at Pioneer High School had fared during the storm the previous weekend.

Allen noted that Nelson was referencing the Allen Creek Watershed Project, and said that whether it made a difference depends entirely on where people live. Those who live closer to Pioneer might have noticed a decrease in flooding near them. Noting that he is not a watershed expert, Allen described the project as “collecting the first inch of rainwater, and regulating how it flows back into the system.”

[In response to an emailed query from The Chronicle, Janis Bobrin, the county's water resources commissioner, wrote that the project is designed to help with some quantity management for smaller storms, but is focused on improving the quality of the stormwater flowing from Allen Creek into the Huron River.]

Outcome: The 2010-11 budget was approved as part of the consent agenda described below.

Revised AP Biology Textbook Adopted

It was after midnight when the board opened discussion on the possible adoption of a revised textbook for the district’s AP Biology classes. Pioneer AP Biology teacher Dolores Kingston was still at the meeting – she wanted to be there for the final approval. When the board noticed her, they thanked her for her good work on this issue. Kingston replied, “I’ve been working since November on this – I’m going right to the end!”

Outcome: The consent agenda, containing the 2010-11 budget, the millage resolution, the textbook adoption, and minutes approvals, was moved by Stead, seconded by Patalan, and unanimously approved by trustees Nelson, Mexicotte, Lightfoot, Patalan, Thomas, Stead and Baskett.

Additional Action Items

The board considered two direct action items at this meeting – a resolution to support continued, dedicated funding of the School Aid Fund, and a resolution to hold an executive session to conduct the annual evaluation of AAPS superintendent Todd Roberts.

Resolution to Support the Michigan School Aid Fund

Nelson introduced a resolution, saying it was meant to “put on record” that the board supports the School Aid Fund as it is currently used by the state, which is solely for funding pre-K through 12th grade. Referencing suggestions currently being made by the governor and members of the state legislature to do otherwise, Nelson argued that it was important for the board to state unequivocally that it opposes transferring money out of the School Aid Fund into the general fund, and that it opposes adding other functions to the School Aid Fund. The governor has suggested, for example, that since the School Aid Fund currently has a surplus, perhaps it could be used to add funding to community colleges.

Thomas concurred, saying that this is an example of “not only counting your chickens before they’re hatched. Even after they’re hatched, there are a lot of chicken hawks … out there.”

Baskett and Patalan thanked Nelson for taking the lead on writing the resolution.

Nelson suggested that the signed resolution should be distributed to local elected officials and Gov. Jennifer Granholm. He also encouraged citizens to contact their legislators, and demand that they use the School Aid fund for K-12 education.

Outcome: The motion to support the School Aid Fund was moved by Nelson, seconded by Lightfoot, and unanimously approved by trustees Nelson, Mexicotte, Lightfoot, Patalan, Thomas, Stead and Baskett.

Superintendent Evaluation

Patalan moved to hold an executive session for the purpose of evaluating Roberts at 5:30 p.m. before the next regular meeting, which begins at 7 p.m. on June 23. It was seconded, and approved unanimously.

Outcome: The motion to hold an executive session was unanimously approved by trustees Nelson, Mexicotte, Lightfoot, Patalan, Thomas, Stead and Baskett.

Public Commentary

Several speakers shared thoughts with the board during public commentary. In addition to the responses to possible countywide transportation consolidation reported above, the board heard concerns about privatizing child care, the Thurston driveway project, and needed education reform.

Public Commentary – AAPS Child Care Privatization

Before the meeting, AAPS child care staff members were demonstrating outside the downtown library, where the meeting was held. When approached by The Chronicle, they said they had heard that their jobs were being privatized. Three people spoke to the board with concerns about the possible privatization of the district’s before-and-after-school child care program.

Demonstrators against possible privatization of the AAPS child care program. District official say they are not contemplating the privatization of child care.

Kent Olsen asserted that privatizing the school-aged child care program (SAC) would lead to inconsistency in staffing. He contended that the director of community education and recreation, Sara Aeschbach, had turned in a budget that she knew was not balanced, and questioned how such a budget could be used to cut staff. Olsen contended that the privatization of SAC had been kept quiet by the board possibly because it wanted to prevent a loss of trust on the part of AAPS parents who use the program. Olsen said SAC staff wants to work with the community and the board to address their budget, and thanked the trustees for their time and “serious consideration” of his concerns.

Connie Devine, a child care supervisor, then spoke, saying that she opposed the privatization of child care. She argued that the child care staff has been greatly overlooked, and that they have been given no opportunity to negotiate.

Finally, a Dicken Elementary School parent spoke. She said that, as a working parent, she chose AAPS in part because of KCare’s reputation as high-quality child care, and expressed concern that the quality would suffer if the service was privatized.

After the meeting, The Chronicle spoke with Roberts and Mexicotte about these public comments. They confirmed that, though there had been some consideration of privatizing child care services, there are no plans to do so at this time. Mexicotte added that such a move would have to be a part of the budget discussion, which it was not.

Public Commentary – Thurston Driveway Project

Kathy Griswold spoke again regarding her concerns about the paving project to be completed this summer at Thurston Elementary School. Saying that the Transportation Safety Committee had met the day before, she requested that the board “issue a change order” to fix a significant vehicle-pedestrian conflict. This design was a compromise, she said. It is better, but not good, Griswold continued, and “we cannot compromise on student safety.” Lastly, Griswold argued, the design is ugly, too expensive, and will have a negative impact on future sinking fund campaigns.

In response to Griswold’s attempts to revise the paving project, on Friday, June 11, Thurston’s principal Patricia Manley issued a statement via email on behalf of the Thurston community stating that she believed that the design they had was the one they wanted. Manley included a .pdf attachment with a memorandum from Brad Mellor, who chairs the transportation safety committee. [The email exchanges between Griswold and school officials last week provide additional background on the Thurston driveway project.]

Public Commentary – Advice from Thomas Partridge

Thomas Partridge frequently speaks at public commentary of other Ann Arbor public bodies, such as the city council, the county board of commissioners and the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority board. At Wednesday’s AAPS meeting, he introduced himself as “Thomas Partridge, AAPS resident, father, grandfather, and advocate for the most vulnerable.” He said he supported the consolidation of transportation services, but urged the board to “keep as many jobs as possible.”

Partridge then went on to other topics, suggesting that AAPS transfer money and attention away from competitive sports and toward music. He stated that he supports increased funding for education, and is an opponent of the “tea-baggers.”Partridge asserted, “Freedom does not come from cutting out opportunity,” and argued that “we need true reform.”

First Briefing Items

The board heard three items at first briefing, meaning they were introduced, and will be placed on the agenda for a second briefing and vote at the next regular meeting on June 23. The board considered renewing its food service contract, as well as its membership in the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA). Trustees also discussed the degree to which pilot programs in the district need to be monitored by the board, as reflected by board policy.

Food Service Contract Renewal

Allen presented a resolution asking the board to approve another year of food service provided by Chartwells School Dining Services. He explained that the board approved a five-year contract with yearly renewal requirements in 2009, and this is the first of the four annual renewal requests.

Both Lightfoot and Baskett asked about the feedback on Chartwells’ services received from parents and students, as well as the process for incorporating that feedback. Allen noted the existence of a districtwide committee on nutrition, but allowed, “I still think the [parent] survey needs some work.” The chief complaint he received about the food, he said, was the menu repetitiveness, which repeats on a 30-day cycle. Student feedback, Allen said, comes chiefly by tracking the number of meals purchased.

Baskett noted that national concern about childhood obesity is growing, and Lightfoot questioned food quality, noting that she has heard complaints regarding an overabundance of carbs, or starches. She also stated that, for parents, “There is no mechanism by which they can make actual change.”

Allen countered that many of AAPS menu choices exceed government requirements set by the USDA, and pointed out that AAPS menus include whole wheat options, and an increased presence of fruits and vegetables. The constraints on further improving the menu are cost-related, he said. Allen continued, “If we want to provide filet mignon, [Chartwells] will do it, but they will charge us.” Lightfoot suggested that savings earned by outsourcing food service could be redirected back into the program to increase the quality of the food, and Allen said that could be considered.

Baskett asked how programmatic changes, such as price increases, would be communicated to parents. Allen noted that no price increases are planned for next year, and added that all families with students in the lunch program receive a letter regarding the program over the summer.

Allen also noted that Chartwells’ annual evaluation by AAPS will take place in July. Thomas questioned whether the review would be financial or regarding customer satisfaction. Allen answered that it will be both – finances will be reviewed, but also complaints or concerns brought by AAPS.

Baskett asked how well the Chartwells food service program had done at increasing the number of students receiving free and reduced lunch, which had been one of the goals in hiring the company. Allen replied that the numbers of applications for free and reduced lunch has been rising steadily for the last two years, and that he would be able to bring back those statistics to the board after the July review.

Mexicotte suggested that it would be helpful if the renewal process could be tied to the evaluation process by having AAPS be proactive in surveying, rather than waiting for the end-of-the-year report from Chartwells. She requested that Allen look at using surveys to assess customer satisfaction with the food service program on a regular basis.

MHSAA Membership Renewal

Roberts introduced the MHSAA membership renewal resolution, which would commit AAPS to comply with all MHSAA regulations in exchange for being allowed to participate in post-season play. He noted that this renewal is required annually by Aug. 1, that there was nothing new to the resolution that the board has not approved in previous years, and that there was no cost associated with the membership.

Stead noted that it was exciting to see Skyline High School listed as a member school.

Pilot Projects and Other Policy Considerations

The board was asked to temporarily reauthorize four board policies – two reviewed by the performance committee (4300 & 7220), and two reviewed by the planning committee (3760 & 6120) – with no changes until the end of the calendar year. Committee chairs Baskett and Patalan stated in memos to the board that the extensions would allow “further administrative/committee review” of the policies.

Policy 4300 covers employee evaluation, and Baskett suggested that it would be important to see what happens with the federal Race to the Top legislation – which may cause changes to the evaluation system – before recommitting to the policy.

Policy 7220 covers parent and booster organizations. Baskett reported that the booster clubs operate differently at each school, and that no consensus has yet been reached among school staff regarding the policy, so the performance committee would like more time to work on it.

Policy 3760 covers transportation, which Patalan pointed out is in flux; therefore, her committee requested the extension to craft the policy in light of what happens with possible consolidation of services.

Policy 6120 requires board approval of all “pilot projects” in the district, and annual board evaluation of such projects for their first three years. Patalan said her committee had “done a lot of talking” about the policy, but that they were not ready to recommend a revision.

Mexicotte added some history to the board’s ongoing debate about the pilot project policy, beginning, “A million years ago, I wrote this policy to ensure that new ideas would have some level of accountability.” When it was originally drafted, she said, there were many programs with unclear effectiveness. Now, she said, the board is better apprised of new programs and how they align with the district’s curriculum, thanks to the current administration’s commitment to providing information. In addition, she said, fewer new initiatives have been labeled “pilot projects” in order to avoid the added oversight accompanying that designation. Mexicotte concluded, “I am okay with us undoing the need for this oversight … If the committee thinks it’s obsolete, I’m okay with it.”

Nelson pointed out that there are many new board members who may have new ideas, and that this topic has “a lot of nuances.” He argued that it deserves the “low-stakes” brainstorming that occurs in committees, and suggested that both the performance and planning committees review the policy in the fall.

Thomas added, “I don’t think the need for this policy has gone away.” In a reference to the disbanding of a lunch program at Dicken Elementary School aimed at raising the test scores of African American students, Thomas argued, “The district recently experienced the effects of a ‘pilot project’ that did not go well.” He suggested focusing on better adherence to the policy as written.

Roberts resisted, saying that for the board to monitor every program at every school would be too time-consuming. He asked what the policy would label a “pilot project.”

Lightfoot agreed with Thomas, saying that the policy is fitting, and that she is still astounded at the number of programs in the district. “I understand how time-consuming it would be to lay that all out, but we need that,” she said. “There is room to improve on getting a handle on all the programs going on at all the schools … The program at Dicken is an example of exactly what we need to be aware of.”

Mexicotte jumped in, “Just for the record, I think this is a beautifully written policy.”

Baskett – who had also aided in the original drafting of the policy – concurred, smiling, “I, for one, don’t want to change a word.” More seriously, she said she would, however, like better adherence to the policy, and pointed out that a participant at the recent achievement gap meeting at Mitchell Elementary asked for an inventory of district initiatives on that topic, but that she and Lightfoot, who were chairing that meeting, “didn’t know where the master list was.”

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. At this meeting, the board heard reports from the Youth Senate, the AAPAC, and the PTOC.

Youth Senate

Youth senators suggested aligning the Pioneer High School bus schedule with its media center hours, so that students who arrive early on the bus can consistently use the media center before school. They also expressed concern about the new math graduation requirements, and the Skyline High School final exam schedule, which does not include a half day off for studying like the schedules at Pioneer, Huron, and Community high schools do.

Ann Arbor Parent Advisory Committee Report

Ann Telfer reported for the AAPAC. She stated some concerns regarding the high turnover of speech pathologists at Huron High as an example of “ancillary services” that she argued could use more oversight at the central and building levels. Teacher consultants, she said, should be able to report any gap in service delivery directly to parents.

Telfer also noted a trend in AAPS, in which graduating seniors from the special education program cannot pass the COMPASS test at Washtenaw Community College, which is used to determine academic placement. The AAPAC would like to be invited to discuss the “false sense of academic achievement” given to AAPS students with IEP or 504 plans, as well as how the personal curriculum option could be used for these students. The AAPAC is also looking forward to being part of the hiring process for a new director of student intervention and support services, Telfer said, and gave the retiring Larry Simpson best wishes.

PTO Council Report

Bill Ebright reported for the PTOC, saying that they filled their officer slate for 2010-11, and that the PTOC advocacy has begun a postcard campaign to keep pressure on the state legislature to ensure adequate school funding.

Special Presentations

In addition to the Skyline High School update, which The Chronicle intends to report on side-by-side with the other high school updates coming later this month, the board heard two special presentations about programs that operate in the district: USA Hockey, and the Intergroup/Social Change Agents. Both were given solely for the board’s information, and required no action.

USA Hockey

Pioneer High athletic director Lorin Cartwright introduced the USA Hockey National Team Development Program (NTDP), which is housed at the school. The NTDP is a program to develop national hockey players under the age of 18. Roberts explained that these 44 players come mostly from outside of AAPS, and make a two-year commitment to the program. They enroll at Pioneer, and have earned an average GPA of 3.25, while performing local community service projects in addition to training as world-class athletes. Over 98% of the players leave the program with a college commitment.

Nelson and Patalan thanked the students for their hard work, and for inspiring AAPS students to do community service by their example. Cartwright summarized, “These are outstanding young men in an outstanding program housed in AAPS.”

Intergroup/Social Change Agents

Naomi Warren, a research assistant at the University of Michigan’s Program on Intergroup Relations, introduced the Intergroup/Social Change Agents (Intergroup) program to the board as “a program to help students learn how to talk across difference.” It has been a part of AAPS for eight years, she said. Warren thanked the board for its support.

A recent Huron High School graduate described how the program had taught her to listen from her heart, and to dialogue rather than debate when it came to issues of social identity. Another student said a joint workshop with students from Huron and Stone schools helped them to break down stereotypes held by the students at those schools regarding each other. And a third student asserted that Intergroup had taught him how to understand others’ points of view.

Mikel Brown, who co-facilitates Intergroup along with Warren, explained that the program helps kids to understand and manage conflict. “You can be a bunch of pieces of a puzzle in one box and make no sense at all,” Brown said, “or, you can figure out how you’re supposed to fit together with other people.”

Stead thanked the three students who spoke, affirming that the ability to listen really is a life skill.

Nelson said he appreciated the work of Intergroup, adding that it’s a good reminder of what’s important beyond the academic core.

Baskett asked how the program is funded, and how students can get involved.

Warren explained that funding was piecemeal – AAPS pays a portion as a stipend to a school liaison, and the program is partly supported by Dr. Michael Spencer at the UM School of Social Work and outside grants. Currently, Brown added, the program takes place at Huron and Stone schools, and meets after school. He said it’s been a challenge to make the program more mainstream, but that he wants it to move forward and have more impact, noting that prevention is a cost-effective means of preventing more harmful conflict in the future.

Lightfoot thanked the Intergroup presenters for coming, and asked that they “stay in touch with us. We too are in conflict, so we can be in conflict together.”

Awards and Accolades

The board typically recognizes a variety of organizations and individuals at each meeting for a range of different awards and achievements.

Kiwanis Club Scholarships

Ann Mattson, president of the Kiwanis Club of Ann Arbor, made a special presentation to the board to report on its scholarship program. This year, Mattson said, Kiwanis awarded 29 $1,000 scholarships to AAPS students, funded primarily by the thrift sale it runs on Saturdays. Mattson also mentioned that six students from AAPS middle schools were given scholarships to attend music camp this summer.

Mexicotte thanked Mattson and Kiwanis for their support of AAPS students.

Superintendent’s Report

Roberts issued congratulations to all 2010 graduates. He also thanked the 450 parent volunteers who made the elementary Science Olympiad possible, and noted many awards earned by AAPS students and staff, including Atulya Shetty, a Clague Middle School 8th grader who will represent the U.S. in the World Youth Chess Championship.

Items from the Board

Lightfoot mentioned that she and Thomas had attended another board member training by the Michigan Association of School Boards that was “fabulous.” She also mentioned visiting Thurston Elementary,  how excited they are about getting their new driveway, and how retiring Lakewood principal Rick O’Neill will be a real loss to the district. Lastly, Lightfoot thanked participants of a recent meeting held at Mitchell Elementary to discuss the achievement gap, saying that many have asked for that dialogue to continue. She also reported that many board members have expressed a willingness to formalize work on the achievement gap.

Baskett reported that she has visited three of the five middle school planning centers, and suggested, “We need to put some consistency around these.” When asked by The Chronicle after the meeting what her purpose was in visiting the planning centers when they are being eliminated in place of the new “positive behavioral support” initiative beginning next year, Baskett responded that she is interested in collecting baseline impressions of the centers before the transition.

Agenda Planning

Neither the performance nor planning committee made reports at this meeting, other than to invite the public to their final meetings of the year. The performance committee met on June 10, and the planning committee will meet on Wednesday, June 16 at 6:30 p.m. in the superintendent’s conference room at the Balas Administration Building, 2555 S. State St. After the meeting, Lightfoot said the planning committee will consider how the board should move forward in supporting work on closing the achievement gap among students of different races.

Nelson announced that he and Patalan, the only two board members not up for re-election in November, would be holding an information session for prospective board members on Wednesday, June 30 at 5:30 p.m. at the Balas Administration Building.

Mexicotte announced that the board would meet for a full-day retreat on Friday, July 23.

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, superintendent of AAPS.

Next regular meeting (and the last one of the 2009-10 school year): June 23, 2010, 7 p.m., at the downtown Ann Arbor District Library, 4th floor board room, 343 S. Fifth Ave. [confirm date]

Glenn Nelson addresses his fellow AAPS board members during last Wednesday's meeting. (Photos by the writer.)

Also mentioned was the possibility that layoff notices could be issued – and, in fact, about 190 teachers have received letters stating that they might receive such notices. If approved by the board at its meeting on Wednesday, notices could go out later this week.

The board also swore in its newest member, Christine Stead, as treasurer, replacing long-time board member Randy Friedman, who resigned earlier this month. His resignation adds a fifth seat to the election slate this fall.

Updates were given to the budget plan, and a bid for summer construction projects at Pioneer High School was given a first briefing by the board. That marked the final phase of the comprehensive capital improvements program approved by the community with the passage of the bond and sinking fund millages in 2004.

Peer mentoring was applauded as part of middle school programming, and a personal curriculum option and additional facilities projects were also discussed at first briefing.

AAPS Recommendation: Privatize Custodial, Maintenance Services

Bids to privatize AAPS custodial and maintenance services were brought as a first briefing item by executive director of physical properties Randy Trent. If approved, the bids would award a $5.3 million contract to GCA Service Group for the district’s custodial services, and a $1.3 million contract to Great Lakes Environmental Services (GLES) for the district’s maintenance services. Overall, this would save the district $2.4 million next school year, with additional savings accumulating, as four remaining supervisory positions are phased out by the 2012-13 school year. Details of the bids were included in a memo to superintendent Todd Roberts provided in the board’s information packet, and additional details were added during Wednesday’s meeting.

Privatization: Description of Custodial Bid

The district currently employs 139 custodial workers and six custodial supervisors. Custodians work 260 days a year, and are allowed paid time off ranging from 4-10 weeks per year. Current wages are broken into two tiers – the higher wage range is $14.26 to $18.11 per hour, and the lower wage range is $9.85 to $10.97 per hour. A Blue Preferred PPO family health insurance plan is offered to all custodial services staff for $560 per year, and custodians are part of the state retirement system.

Under the GCA bid, custodians would work only 240 days a year, and receive no paid time off. Higher-paid workers would receive $12.12 an hour, and lower-paid workers’ wages would remain the same. An HMO family health insurance plan would be offered to all custodians for $1,000 per year, and they would no longer accrue a retirement pension through the state system.

GCA would also plan to hire two of the six AAPS custodial supervisors, if they meet certain requirements. If the transition to privatization is successful, AAPS would eliminate two more of the supervisory positions in 2011-12, and the last two in 2012-13.

Privatization: Description of Maintenance Bid

The district currently employs 25 maintenance workers and one maintenance supervisor. Maintenance workers currently work 260 days per year, and higher-paid workers average seven weeks of paid time off per year. Wages for maintenance workers range from $16.35 to $21.90 per hour. They receive the same health insurance benefit as custodians, a PPO plan with coverage for their entire family for $560 per year, and accrue retirement savings through the state pension system.

Under the GLES bid, maintenance workers would become part of a different local labor union. They would work nine-hour days for four days a week, totaling 1,800 hours over the year. All employees would make $17 per hour, and would have no paid time off. GLES would offer a similar health care package as GCA, for which an HMO family health insurance plan would cost each worker $1,000 per year. Workers would also stop accruing retirement savings in the state retirement system.

If the bid to privatize maintenance services is approved, GLES would also plan to hire the AAPS maintenance supervisor, as long as that person meets certain conditions of hiring.

Privatization: Board Questions and Discussion on Bid Package

Randy Trent, AAPS executive director of physical properties, argued that the combination of hiring GCA for custodial services and GLES for maintenance services would be the best option for the district. He explained the reasoning behind his recommendation, touting GCA’s extensive experience in over 1,400 schools across the country, and mentioning the “outstanding” reference GLES received from the University of Michigan. Trent said that GLES had responded to the custodial services RFP (request for proposals) as well, but that he believed GCA’s use of newer technology, as well as the positive local history GLES had in environmental services,  meant that the two companies could best meet the district’s needs as recommended: GCA for custodial work, and GLES for maintenance.

Simone Lightfoot questioned the scope of work outlined by the contracts, asking, “What costs will we incur when we need them to do work that was not in the RFP? … They’re only going to do what we’ve ‘RFPd’ them to do.” Trent assured the board that both companies will do whatever needs to be done during standard work hours, and that they have an overtime rate for any coverage needed outside the work day. He gave the example that both companies have new ideas they would bring to the district to increase efficiency, and that those procedures were not delineated in the RFP.

Glenn Nelson asked Trent if he was correct in interpreting that the bid has built-in increases in savings over time, as AAPS would eliminate the remaining four custodial supervisory positions over three years. Susan Baskett asked about the rationale of retaining these four supervisors at all: “Would we really still need six – four of ours and two of theirs?” Conversely, Lightfoot questioned, “What might we face as a backlash of ‘brain drain?’”

Trent explained that the four custodial supervisors remaining on the AAPS payroll, as well as the two who would move to GCA, would all be necessary during the transition to privatization in order to “train the new folks.” Nelson added that temporarily retaining the supervisors was “a form of insurance,” and that removing them all from the AAPS payroll on day one “would make [AAPS] very vulnerable if this didn’t work out for some reason.”

Deb Mexicotte asked for clarification on the effects to retirement earnings. Lightfoot and Baskett asked clarifying questions regarding the wages and benefits that would be offered to workers if they were hired by the contractors. They pointed  out that workers would be asked to pay almost double in health insurance costs, while receiving significantly lower wages, no paid time off, and no state retirement pension.

Trent countered that with each company, the benefits are automatically offered, and not tied to hours worked. He also mentioned that the workers would not lose the state retirement savings they had already accrued, but that their “years of service” – a multiplier in the formula for calculating a worker’s pension – would be frozen (meaning they could not accrue any additional savings). Trent also said that he believed GCA would likely offer a 403b retirement savings plan, with some employer matching of employee contributions.

Christine Stead pointed out that conversations with labor unions are still ongoing, and she and Mexicotte both asked for clarification on the timing involved in outsourcing versus reaching a negotiated settlement with current AAPS custodial and maintenance staff.

Trent answered that an April 28 deadline has been set for negotiations to conclude, and that if an agreement with the union has not been reached by then, the district would hope to move forward with outsourcing. Approval of these bids would then be slated for second briefing and a definitive vote at the April 28 board meeting. In part, Trent explained, the April 28 date was set to ensure a smooth transition if privatization does occur, so that the companies have sufficient time to interview and hire a full staff to be able to begin work on July 1.

Baskett asked whether all AAPS employees would be able to transfer directly to the new companies if they chose to do so. Trent clarified that AAPS workers would need to interview, but that they would be hired as long as they passed a drug test (which the district does not currently require of all employees), and as long as they had maintained a good attendance record during their tenure in the district.

Lightfoot expressed concern that not enough staff would transfer to meet the district’s needs, given that the wages and benefits that would be offered are “not attractive.” Trent assured the board that choosing which direction to move by April 28 would allow the companies to fill their staffs “even if they have to hire all new workers.” He also mentioned that the district would cooperate with each company to get all employees trained, and that each contractor has a training plan ready to go.

Baskett asked Trent why GLES was chosen over Aramark, when Aramark came in with a lower bid. Trent explained that Aramark’s bid was misleading and incomplete, since it did not include payment for substitute costs while the other bids did. Baskett also questioned, “Is there any relationship between a member of your staff and the president of GLES?” Trent said no, and denied that there were any conflicts of interest in the decision-making process he and his staff had used.

Outcome: Both Roberts and Trent stressed that this bid would only be acted on if negotiations with the local custodial and maintenance workers union could not reach a settlement before the April 28 board meeting.

Privatization: Public Commentary

Two speakers offered opposition to privatization at Wednesday’s meeting during public commentary.

Percy Brown, president of the Ann Arbor Education Association of Paraeducators (AAEA/P), argued that the district’s overall mission was to improve student achievement, and that this could not be done without paraeducators. He added that paraeducators are “ambassadors” and that they are assuming increasingly greater responsibility as teachers’ focus is being pulled toward standardized testing.

Chai Montgomery, an AAPS bus driver, also argued that privatization was a “misguided” solution to the district’s financial problems. He mentioned that there are other ways to cut costs, and that the threat of privatization is ongoing. Montgomery asserted, “We have to change the status quo and make education freer … I don’t like privatization – I don’t think it’s fair.”

Friedman’s Resignation

Directly after public commentary, board president Deb Mexicotte announced that the board had accepted the resignation of long-time board member Randy Friedman. Saying she would speak later to his service, Mexicotte said simply that Friedman had resigned, and gave no further details.

Stead Installed as Board Treasurer

Without missing a beat after announcing Friedman’s resignation, Mexicotte facilitated the selection and swearing-in of Christine Stead as a board officer. Stead had nominated herself to be considered for the board treasurer position that Friedman had held.

Outcome: Stead’s appointment to the treasurer position was unanimously approved by a roll call vote of all board members present, and she was installed by board secretary Amy Osinski.

Five of Seven Board Seats to Be Open in November’s Election

Friedman’s departure from the board marks the third change in the makeup of the board this school year – Simone Lightfoot and Christine Stead were chosen to replace resigning board members in December and March, respectively. Lightfoot and Stead will join whoever replaces Friedman in running for re-election this November, along with Mexicotte and Baskett, whose terms expire at the end of the calendar year.

Later in the meeting as part of his report for the PTO Council, Andy Thomas said he believed having five of the seven board of education seats open at once was unprecedented, and mentioned that the PTOC would be inviting all those running for board positions to attend a candidate forum in the fall.

The AAPS has posted information on its website on how to apply for the seat vacated by Friedman. During agenda planning at the close of Wednesday’s meeting, Mexicotte announced that candidate interviews will take place on Thursday, May 6 at 6:30 p.m. at the Balas Administration Building, 2555 S. State St. Candidate presentations and selection will take place at the regular May 12 board meeting.

The Budget Plan: A Second Briefing

Based on board response to the budget plan as presented in March, superintendent Todd Roberts reviewed the proposal as a second briefing item, highlighting the few updates made to the original budget proposal. [Previous Chronicle coverage: AAPS Budget Would Cut Positions, Add Fees]

At Wednesday’s board meeting, Roberts essentially repeated the presentation he had made at the community meetings held the two previous evenings, pointing out the few changes made since the board last met. The very newest change – the elimination of middle school planning centers – had not been mentioned at the budget meetings.

Roberts’ revised presentation also included more details on the impact of the proposed cuts on students, highlighting the increases in class sizes, and elementary-level split classes that would be necessary, depending on how negotiations with the teachers’ union conclude. Roberts has placed the bulk of a remaining $4.4 million shortfall not addressed by “part one” of his proposed budget on the shoulders of the teachers to absorb. “Part two” could include layoffs of teachers, with an impact on class sizes, depending on how negotiations unfold.

Both Roberts and teachers’ union president Brit Satchwell, who attended the April 12 community budget meeting, have reported that negotiations are proceeding amicably, but that some number of teachers will likely need to be “pink-slipped” in case layoffs turn out to be necessary. AAPS is required to issue layoff notices to any teacher who might not be returning the following year by 60 days before the end of the current school year.

Late last week, about 190 teachers were notified that they are on a list to receive layoff notices. The board meets on Wednesday, April 21, and will vote on whether to issue those notices – if approved, the notices will likely be sent out later this week. Speaking to The Chronicle on Monday, AAPS spokewoman Liz Margolis said the hope is that the majority of those notices, if not all, will ultimately be rescinded.

The budget amendments made since the last board meeting are as follows, along with any additional cost savings brought by each:

• In middle school programming, the middle school planning centers were replaced with a positive behavioral support model, eliminating an additional 1.6 teaching positions, and saving an additional $10,000;
• In elementary programming, more detail was given on the nine planned staff reductions – they would be 4.6 media specialists, 2 computer lab teachers, and 2.4 music or physical education teachers; and
• In district instructional support, summer school would be funded through American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding instead of charging tuition.

As he stepped through the budget again, Roberts highlighted schools of choice, and cooperative agreements with other districts and the county as possible sources of new revenue and savings. He also stressed how much uncertainty there still was in many directions. At the state level, retirement reform and health care legislation could still add mandates that would have a large impact on the district, such as requiring outsourcing or consolidation. Roberts noted that 51 teachers have currently applied to retire this year, but that the number could be significantly impacted depending on what happens to the pending legislation.

At the local level, Roberts said, given that it is anticipated that the districts will incur another $265 per-pupil cut, “we’ve had to go ahead and plan for the worst-case scenario.”

Budget Plan: Educational Impact

Roberts highlighted the impact that the two parts of the budget would have on class sizes and the number of split classes. Here’s how the numbers compare.

Currently, elementary class sizes average 24 at the K-2 level, and 26 at the 3-5 level. Part one of the budget plan keeps those numbers the same, but adding part two as well would bump them up to 26 and 28, respectively. Also, at the elementary level, there are currently three split classes, that is, classes with more than one grade level represented. If part one of the budget is approved, the number of split classes will rise to eight, and if part two is also necessary, the number could reach 13.

At the middle school level, current class sizes average 26. They would increase to 28 with part one, and to 30 if parts one and two of the budget are necessary.

High school level class sizes would sustain the most dramatic increase if this budget passes. Core high school classes currently average 28 students in all grades. With part one of the budget, ninth grade class sizes stay the same, but tenth through twelfth grade class sizes would rise to an average of 31. If part two of the plan is also enacted, all high school class sizes would move from an average of 28 to an average of 33.

Budget Plan: Contract Lengths

Stead pointed out how the biggest difference in impact has to do with whether or not part two of the budget plan will need to be enacted, which would eliminate an additional 36 teaching positions. She argued that the district would hardly be able to measure the effect of the increased class sizes and split classes for years, and that she hoped the teachers’ union and administration were able to achieve a 4% across-the-board reduction of teachers’ salaries. Stead then asked Roberts about the duration of the contract under negotiation.

Roberts clarified that the $4.5 million in savings brought by part two of the budget plan includes all employee groups, and that in these “uncertain times … it’s unlikely that either party would want to commit to more than a two-year contract.”

Budget Plan: Planning Centers Out – Behavior Model In

Lightfoot mentioned that she was pleased to see the middle school planning centers being recommended for elimination, which had been suggested at the last board meeting. She asked whether or not community assistants had been considered for use in the middle schools, as had also been mentioned earlier.

Roberts confirmed that using community assistants had been part of the conversation, but that nothing has been decided yet. He pointed out that some money was left in the budget in order to effectively implement a positive behavior support (PBS) model in the middle schools, which may need to include hiring some staff, such as community assistants or “someone like that.” Roberts said a plan would be coming back to the board once developed.

Mexicotte expressed her pleasure at the administration’s response to the concerns stated at the last meeting: “Positive behavior support is fabulous – thank you so much! Moving toward a PBS model is absolutely where we should be headed. It’s a distributed model – everyone is responsible.”

Budget Plan: Musical Instrument Fee

Mexicotte repeated her concern from the last meeting regarding musical instrument rental fees: “I’m still not sure we can charge for musical instruments without violating board policy.” Roberts then countered that it depends how AAPS board policy is interpreted, and that “we would have to look at our own board policy closely.” Roberts also mentioned that some other nearby districts do charge such a fee.

Nelson pointed out that state law says, “if it’s part of the curriculum, as we are proud to say our fifth grade instrument program is, than I don’t think we can charge.” But Nelson was quick to add that he is not a lawyer, and that this policy should be reviewed by the district’s legal counsel.

Mexicotte referenced a court case involving a graphing calculator as the impetus for “why this came up,” and pointed out that the board has a policy on equity as well as materials that would be implicated. She asked Baskett to lead the performance committee in reviewing these policies along with administration, to see if “there is a change or adjustment we need to make to the budget.”

Nelson agreed that it warrants a closer look, and thanked Mexicotte for the “heads up.”

Budget Plan: Board Concerns

Stead and Mexicotte made brief comments concerning the impact they feared this budget could have on students. Stead stated, “We’re almost underestimating the possible impact this could have. We’re constantly being asked to do more with less.” Mexicotte added, “These are uncertain times. The numbers are still surprising, even though we’ve seen them a lot. There is no doubt these changes will impact students, staff, and the community.”

But the most detailed concerns came from the longest-serving board member, Glenn Nelson, who worried if the administration was doing such a good job at figuring out what to cut, it would lead the community to think “we’re coming through [this] relatively unscathed.” He gave three examples of why he was “very concerned with what’s happening to education in this community.”

First, he pointed out that the best-case scenario still raises class size by 8% in middle school, and by 15% more if part two becomes necessary. “These are real impacts on the climate in the middle school,” Nelson asserted, “that may or may not show up in the MEAP.”

Secondly, he argued that split classes were not good for individualizing education, which is a goal in the district. Finally, Nelson cited concerns with requiring payment to participate in athletics, saying, “I know we’ll implement it the best way we can, but there will be some people who don’t apply, and we’re going to lose a few kids.”

Nelson closed with a plea for taking greater responsibility for education at the local level, while working for change at the state level, and claimed that education is at a “dangerous fork in the road” between lower quality and higher quality.

Budget Plan: Budget Approval Process

Mexicotte requested that the budget plan be removed from the consent agenda, saying that the board should only be suggesting to the administration whether or not they are “on track” for what may come next, “such as layoffs, TAs [tentative agreements with labor unions], or consolidation agreements.” She pointed out that there will be a public hearing on the budget on May 26, and that the board does not have to officially approve it until June 30.

Nelson said that his understanding, too, was that the board was to approve a guideline that night – not line items, but an overall plan. He asked Roberts, “Do you have any concerns if we remove this from the consent agenda? Do you feel you are lacking in any authority to move forward?”

Roberts answered that any items for which he would need specific approval he would bring back to the board individually, and confirmed that discretionary items in the budget were not “set in stone.” He also argued that the staffing process has to move forward, including making transfers – both voluntary and involuntary.

Mexicotte then wrapped up by saying that the board was now in the final “influence and suggestion stage” of developing this budget, and Nelson and Stead explicitly stated their support for this framework.

Mexicotte added, “You have my support, but I am dismayed.”

Outcome: Even though this was a second briefing item, there was not a formal vote. The board signaled its approval that AAPS administrators continue to move in the direction outlined by the budget plan as presented.

Peer Mentoring

Numerous references were made during the meeting to a peer mentoring program at Forsythe Middle School in which cognitively-impaired, physically-impaired, and/or hearing-impaired students are mentored by general education students in an adapted physical education class developed and taught by Kelli Bert. The peer mentoring program was started in 2004-05, and had been considered for reduction by Forsythe’s principal. But in response to a notable outcry of support for the program, it has been reinstated and will continue next year.

Two public commentary speakers – one parent and one student – spoke on behalf of the program. The parent noted that her son, who is hearing-impaired, had been helped tremendously by the program, which she also credits with stimulating age-appropriate social interactions, promoting self-esteem, and increasing empathy for and tolerance of special education students. She applauded the decision to continue supporting the program.

The student who spoke is currently a junior at Pioneer, and had been a peer mentor in the program during his seventh grade year. Calling it an experience he’d never forget, this student asserted that all the peer mentors he knew from that class have gone on to participate in social service projects, and that the program helps able-bodied students to overcome stereotypes.

Barb Byers, vice chair of the Ann Arbor Parent Advisory Committee for Special Education (AAPAC), used her association report to express gratitude that Forsythe’s peer mentoring program had been preserved, and added that a similar program had been started at Clague this year. She credited Clague’s program with bringing special needs students into the school community, and argued that relationships developed during peer mentoring can be “life-changing for all involved.” Byers also advocated for including peer mentoring in a systematic and effective program to dealing with middle school bullying, including the bullying of special needs students.

Other First Briefing Items

In addition to the custodial/maintenance privatization bid, the board considered a number of other items at “first briefing,” at which no action is taken. Action is usually taken at “second briefing,” or the second time the board reviews an item.

Personal Curriculum

Superintendent Todd Roberts introduced the personal curriculum (PC) being presented to the board at this meeting as being a necessary option for AAPS to offer to be in accordance with state law. A personal curriculum allows students to deviate from state graduation requirements, known as the Michigan Merit Curriculum (MMC) if they meet certain parameters.

Joyce Hunter, administrator of middle/high schools and career and technology education, then came to the speaker’s podium. She explained that a personal curriculum can be requested on an individual basis by parents/guardians, school personnel, students over age 18, or emancipated minors. It leads to a regular high school diploma if successfully fulfilled. Hunter then reviewed the following allowable modifications to the MMC:

• After completing at least 1.5 mathematics credits, students can request to exchange one credit of Algebra II for .5 credit of Algebra II;
• After completing two social studies credits, including civics, students can request to exchange one credit of social studies for an additional language arts, math, science, or world language credit; and
• Students can request to exchange either or both of the required credits in physical education & health, and visual, performing, and applied arts for additional credits in language arts, math, science, or world language.

The parts of the MMC that cannot be modified, except for special education students or students who transfer to AAPS after attending two years of high school somewhere else, Hunter explained, are as follows. All students are required to complete:

• Four credits in English/language arts;
• Three credits in science, including biology and either chemistry or physics;
• At least 3.5 mathematics credits (four without a PC);
• At least two credits in social studies (three without a PC), including .5 credit in civics;
• An online learning experience, as incorporated into one or more required credits; and
• Two credits in world languages (beginning with the class of 2016).

One modification the district allows, which does not require a personal curriculum, is to spread algebra II over two years instead of the usual one year. This allows students to earn two math credits for Algebra II.

In addition, Hunter explained that the district is moving toward allowing students to take more advanced classes in high school by meeting some of the MMC requirements in middle school. Students who are ready can already take Algebra II in eighth grade, and Hunter is proposing that the district allow the same for world languages.

Hunter noted that Lisa Bares, the district’s world language coordinator, is  working on standardizing and creating common assessments for the first high-school level of each of the world languages offered by the AAPS – Spanish, French, German, Latin, and Mandarin Chinese. This standardization would allow AAPS to begin offering high-school level language classes to eighth graders as early as next fall.

Roberts added that next year’s sixth graders will be the first class to have to meet the MMC world languages requirements. So the district would like those students coming into middle school next year to have the option to build toward taking their first high-school level language class during eighth grade.

Glenn Nelson commented that it was “a credit to our system that we continue to look for ways to enrich the curriculum.” Simone Lightfoot added that, while she appreciated the increased curricular rigor, she was concerned about the social implications of having “smarter but less socially acclimated students.” As a parent, she said, she is trying to balance her child’s need to meet these requirements with helping her child to succeed in other aspects of life. “Good job to you, and more work for me,” she quipped.

Deb Mexicotte asked for clarification on whether or not having a personal curriculum would prevent a student from going on to play collegiate sports. She also questioned whether students with 504s – such as students with long-term illnesses – would be allowed to modify their MMC requirements like students with individualized education plans (IEPs) can. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 requires federally-funded schools to create a written plan to meet the needs of students who require extra accommodations, but who do not qualify for a special education IEP.

On both counts, Hunter said she would need to double-check, and that she would follow-up with the board. She did mention that the district “has been in close contact with the NCAA for a few weeks.”

Hunter also reviewed the state guidelines for school boards in developing a personal curriculum, and gave examples of how the district had met these guidelines. One of the elements of the district’s PC option that requires school board approval is how the content expectations within subject areas are met by specific classes. Hunter mentioned that a committee is working on identifying classes in career and technical education that the district could allow to meet certain MMC requirements. Roberts also mentioned that detail about the PC process will be included in the Student Services Guide, and emphasized that AAPS “need[s] to allow this to happen, based on state law.”

Pioneer Summer Construction: A Bond Comes to Fruition

Randy Trent then returned to the podium to present a set of bids for summer construction projects at Pioneer High School. Removing the portable classrooms and creating a student courtyard area are significant parts of this final project in the district’s five-year capital improvement program. In 2004, Ann Arbor voters approved two millages to fund a $255 million initiative to improve the facilities at every school, as well as build a preschool and a third high school. The money received by AAPS from these millages has been able to be used for capital improvements only. This is in contrast to the countywide millage which failed last November, which would have provided additional funding for operating expenses.

A view to the southwest of Pioneer High School temporary trailers. (Image courtesy of AAPS.)

Trent showed a current picture of the area Pioneer is currently using for its portable classrooms, and then contrasted it with a drawing of the renovated space. Trent referenced a memo included in the board packet and pointed out parts of the drawing as he outlined the project, which includes, “the removal of portable classrooms, the creation of a student courtyard area, tunnel improvements, including waterproofing, piping, and lighting replacement, creation of a culinary arts classroom space and renovation to create business and SISS spaces.”

Granger Construction would be coordinating the work, Trent explained, with bids going to nine separate companies responsible for different aspects of the project. In total, the project will cost $1.7 million. Trent indicated that Granger  recommends the following contractors (bid amounts in parentheses):

• Merlyn Contractors for site demolition & earthwork ($270,000);
• McCarthy Construction for site concrete and asphalt ($315,804);
• Mid-Michigan Turf Care for landscaping and irrigation ($71,900);
• Baker Construction for masonry ($58,950);
• Beal Inc. for general trades ($407,060);
• DRV Contractors for tunnel waterproofing ($38,335);
• Shock Brothers Floorcovering for resilient flooring ($22,000);
• Mills Mechanical for mechanical work ($370,000); and
• Huron Valley Electric for electrical work ($158,400).

Susan Baskett asked about the timing of the project, and Trent answered that the roadway would be done this summer, and that by next spring once the sod has been able to take root, students would be able to “play Frisbee or read” in their new courtyard.

Lightfoot asked if any of the contractors were recognized as “historically-underutilized businesses,” which could refer to being minority or woman-owned. Trent answered by enumerating the geographical coverage area of each contractor. Documents included in the bid don’t indicate any contractor as having “HUB” status, though Baker, Beal, DRV, Mills, Mid-Michigan, and McCarthy as listed as being “small businesses.”

Nelson stated, “It is exciting to see this come to fruition for those of us who put the bond together … It really is ‘last but certainly not least.’” Acknowledging that the portable classrooms did have their charm for some people, Nelson concluded, however, that the renovations would make Pioneer “much more attractive.” Nelson also thanked Trent for his orderly reports and leadership.

Trent insisted that the bond work had been a team effort, saying that “everyone from the superintendent to the teachers in the rooms” had participated to get the program this far. Trent suggested coordinating a photo shoot in the fall to showcase the bond’s improvements and, “to reminisce on all our work.”

Roofing Supplier Bid & DTE Energy Easement

Trent then went on to present the first briefing of a bid to approve MWA/ Firestone as the singular roofing vendor for roofing work to be done this summer at Pioneer, Huron, Forsythe, Slauson, Mitchell, Clague, and Northside schools. He explained that the 2010 sinking fund will pay for necessary roof repairs this summer, and mentioned that most roofs in the district have a 15- to 20-year lifespan. In a memo to the board, Trent explained that he would now be soliciting bids from installers, but that only contractors certified by MWA as qualified installers would be allowed to bid on the work.

The final first briefing facilities item discussed at this meeting was the approval of an easement to DTE Energy on the southeast corner of Seventh & Stadium, part of Pioneer’s property. Trent explained that the easement would be used by DTE Energy to service an existing power pole, and mentioned that it had been reviewed by legal counsel.

The only question asked by the board on these items was by Deb Mexicotte, who asked about the longevity of the easement, if approved. Trent answered that it would be permanent.

Policy Updates

Baskett listed a series of policy updates which had been reviewed by the board’s performance committee, which she chairs. Other than recommending policy #5720, Healthy Foods and Beverages, for deletion, the committee made no other changes to those policies they had reviewed. The policies will be coming back to the board for a second briefing and vote at the April 28 meeting. Baskett explained that the food policy was no longer necessary, as it is superseded by policy #5700, Local Wellness.

In response to questions she had received regarding policy #4700, Enrollment of Non-Resident Children of Employees, Baskett clarified that state law would not allow AAPS to retain students of non-resident employees if those employees’ positions were outsourced.

Stead asked how many students this would affect, and Mexicotte asked whether students could stay if their parents’ positions were outsourced to the county as part of a multi-district consolidation, which is being considered for transportation. No one at the meeting was able to answer either question with certainty.

Baskett said she had heard from the bargaining units that as many as 80 students would have to leave the district. Jane Landefeld, director of student accounting, came to the podium, and reported that the district as a whole currently has 130 non-resident students, but not all of them are children of non-resident employees; some are in AAPS for other reasons, such as receiving certain special education services. Landefeld said that she thought there were only seven students who were non-resident children of custodians, but she did not know how many non-resident children of bus drivers attended AAPS. Baksett repeated that she had heard it was 80 all together.

Nelson asserted, “I do think we want to know what that number is exactly by our next meeting.” Landefeld answered that she would go back and check, and Roberts assured the board that that number would be in the board packet.

Association Reports

In addition to the AAPAC report described above, the board received reports from the Youth Senate, and the Parent-Teacher-Organization Council (PTOC).

The Ann Arbor Administrators Association (AAAA), Ann Arbor Education Association (AAEA), and the Black Parents Student Support Group (BPSSG) did not report at this meeting.

PTO Council Report

Andy Thomas reported for the PTOC, introducing it as having a “traditional mission,” to help local PTOs and serve as a liaison with AAPS administration. Thomas urged parents to get involved in local and state-level lobbying efforts, including a “massive letter-writing campaign,” and posted information about how citizens could contact their legislators about stabilizing school funding. He also mentioned that the PTOC will be holding officer training for local PTO officers in late April.

Youth Senate Report

The Youth Senate report was two-fold, and at first offered a bit of levity. The report blamed the district’s automated “phone home” system for causing “familial strife,” and suggested that the system call students’ homes only if they are habitually absent, rather than to notify parents of every unexcused tardy or absence. The suggestion elicited chuckles from many board members, administrators, and community members present.

The report then continued in a more serious tone, pointing out the significant difference in class failure rates among upperclassmen at Pioneer compared to Huron, and requesting administrative assistance in reviewing and interpreting the data they were given. The Youth Senate’s speaker described the motivation for looking at failure rates as wanting to make the best use of its Achievement Solutions Teams (AST), which offer academic peer support, and have shown to be successful in reducing failing grades.

Board Committee Reports

The board has two standing committees, through which many items on the board’s agenda get a first look – performance and planning. Each board member except for the president is assigned to one or the other – Baskett, and Nelson sit on the performance committee, and Irene 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 her committee to have focused on reviewing a “slew” of policies at its most recent meeting, as well as having been introduced to the personal curriculum presented by Hunter as a first briefing item at this meeting, as described above.

Planning Committee Activities

Stead reported for Patalan, who was not in attendance. She noted that the planning committee had also reviewed the personal curriculum brought by Hunter, as well as the series of items regarding facilities brought as first briefings to this meeting by Trent. Stead mentioned that Lightfoot had questioned Trent about process and due diligence at the committee meeting, and that the meeting had been attended by some students and community members as well.

Also in reference to previous planning committee discussions, Lightfoot announced later in the meeting that the district would be holding a “college and career-ready” review on April 29, at which AAPS will present achievement gap data to the public, and lead the analysis of such data.

Second Briefing Items Approved on Consent Agenda

With the budget plan removed, the consent agenda contained the second quarter financial report, 15 policy updates, and four sets of minutes. Aside from a reading of the list of policy titles by Stead, there were no questions or discussion on any of these items.

Outcome: Approved. Nelson, Mexicotte, Lightfoot, Baskett, and Stead voted yes.

Awards and Accolades

Tributes to Randy Friedman

Glenn Nelson started a string of tributes to Randy Friedman, saying he was missing the former board member of nine years, who stepped down from the board on April 12. Nelson commented that Friedman had played a very important role in helping the board to transition “between two different regimes,” putting the bond together, hiring Todd Roberts, and supporting the enhancement millage. On a personal note, he said, “Our relationship really evolved … He taught me a lot … I did not always agree, but I always learned from him. I, for one, am going to miss him very much.”

Christine Stead also thanked Friedman for his years of service, and reassured the public that “While we’ve had a lot of change, this board works well together.” She added that the longer-term trustees have devoted many hours to supporting her and trustee Simone Lightfoot, the board’s two newest members, and said she hoped more strong candidates would come forward.

Deb Mexicotte added her thank-you to Friedman for his years of service, and added some historical perspective: “My first interaction with [Friedman] was trying to get on to this board when he did … Randy never brought it up.” She reminisced that there were times she and Friedman were “responsible for keeping each other in our seats, [but that] he was very gracious when his voice was not the one that carried the day.” Mexicotte noted that when she had asked Friedman if he had wanted to say good bye, he declined, saying he had said what he’d needed to say. Still, she said, “I hope he hears these things.”

Lightfoot contributed her first impression of Friedman, “I understood very quickly the power that he wielded,” and that she thought Friedman had the “kind of personality where you never felt he was listening to you” but that’s because he could “split his brain.” She added, “I loved his smile. I loved that he could say he was wrong. I will miss the opportunity to know him better.”

Celebration of Excellence Awards

Two celebration of excellence awards were presented at Wednesday’s meeting. Molly Crankshaw, a veteran third grade teacher at Burns Park, was nominated for an Excellence in Customer Service award by a parent of two children she has taught. The nomination noted that children blossom as individuals under Crankshaw’s care, and provided many examples of how she excels in her role. Also honored was Robert Kokoszka, a special education teacher at Huron, who was lauded for always having faith in students, even when they don’t have faith in themselves.

Superintendent’s Report

Todd Roberts listed multiple high school, middle school, and elementary level awards and achievements, including those of staff, students, and schools as a whole. He thanked the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority for hosting student artwork, and University of Michigan Health System for partnering with AAPS around education about depression. Lastly, Roberts thanked all those who attended the recent budget meetings.

Deb Mexicotte suggested moving the superintendent’s report to earlier in the meeting. Susan Baskett and Christine Stead agreed, with Stead arguing that any one item from the report would be amazing, and that every single meeting there are many amazing items to share.

After confirming with Roberts, who consented, “I’ll do it anywhere,” Mexicotte said she would move the superintendent’s report higher up on the agenda, likely right after public commentary.

Items from the board

Glenn Nelson echoed Roberts’ mention of Youth Art Month in downtown Ann Arbor as “really wonderful.” He also praised AAPS parent booster club volunteers, as well as the AAPS Educational Foundation, for their fundraising efforts.

The meeting was adjourned by president Deb Mexicotte.

Present: President Deb Mexicotte, secretary Glenn Nelson, newly-installed treasurer Christine Stead, trustee Susan Baskett, and trustee Simone Lightfoot.

Absent: Vice president Irene Patalan.

Also present as a non-voting member was Todd Roberts, superintendent of AAPS.

Next regular meeting: April 21, 2010, 7 p.m., at the Downtown Ann Arbor District Library, 4th floor board room.

Christine Stead is sworn in after being appointed to fill the opening on the Ann Arbor Public Schools board of trustees left by Adam Hollier's resignation. (Photos by the writer.)

Her first vote as a board member was to support the meeting’s consent agenda, including a bid to outsource $135,000 in low-voltage electrical work to a local company.

Also at the meeting, the board heard a recommendation from AAPS superintendent Todd Roberts to open the district to students from all of Washtenaw County. If approved at the next board meeting, this “Schools of Choice” program could result in 170 new students being added to AAPS kindergarten, first, and sixth grade classes, bringing with them an additional $1.1 million in revenue for the upcoming school year.

Bus drivers and custodial/maintenance workers again held signs outside the meeting at the downtown Ann Arbor library, as they have for the last few months. They collected signatures to petition the board not to privatize any AAPS services. They were joined during public commentary by a University of Michigan research scientist, who likened the district’s contention that outsourcing has saved AAPS money to “a rooster getting credit for the sunrise.” Public commentary also included representatives of opposing positions in the local debate over school funding, and both sides called on the board to make fully transparent the decision-making process used to set the upcoming budget.

And, as numerous educators were commended for their service to public education at the meeting, both the board and PTO Council took steps to increase their advocacy efforts at the state level to ensure that funding that level of service can continue.

Selection of New Board of Education Trustee

In the wake of trustee Adam Hollier’s resignation, which he announced at the board’s Feb. 3, 2010 meeting, the board set in motion a process to fill the vacancy. The board’s Wednesday decision to appoint Christine Stead began with a review of the process, was followed by presentations from all eight candidates, and wound up with the board’s vote.

Selection and Voting Process

Board president Deb Mexicotte reviewed the selection process for filling the board seat vacated by Adam Hollier. She described how all candidates had already sent letters of interest, resumes, and recommendations to the board, and that they had each been interviewed on Monday evening, March 8.

AAPS board candidates from left to right: Christine Stead, Andy Thomas, Victoria Haviland, Jack Panitch, Margy Long, Jeff Sabatini, James Corey, and Susan Collet.

At that night’s meeting, she said, each candidate would have an opportunity to make a presentation to the board and public in which they shared their perception of the district’s strengths and weaknesses in student achievement.

Mexicotte then spoke briefly to the voting process, saying the board had changed it a bit since the recent appointment of another board member – Simone Lightfoot – last December. [Chronicle coverage "AAPS Board Interviews Go Back and Forth"] However, she clarified that the new process  would have resulted in the same outcome during Lightfoot’s selection to the board last December. She explained, with clarification added by board secretary Glenn Nelson, that the board would vote without eliminating any candidates in the first two rounds [.pdf of the AAPS summary of the voting process].

If trustees became deadlocked, Mexicotte said, there might be a short recess during which trustees’ behavior would conform to Open Meeting Act rules. If necessary, Mexicotte would break the deadlock as board president. Lastly, Mexicotte reminded everyone that the voting would end at any point when a candidate received four votes, and at that time, the new trustee would be sworn in, seated at the table, and have full voting privileges for the remainder of the meeting.

Candidate Presentations

Candidates made their presentations in the same randomly selected order in which they had been interviewed – Victoria Haviland, Jeff Sabatini, James Corey, Susan Collet, Andy Thomas, Jack Panitch, Christine Stead, and Margy Long. The assigned presentation prompt was this:

Although the board spends a great deal of time on financial, policy, and other business issues, the center of our work is focused on student achievement. Could you split your presentation evenly between speaking about what, in your opinion, we do well in the district from the standpoint of student achievement, and what areas we need to work toward improving.

Victoria Haviland began by saying that she was glad to have a chance to talk about student achievement, as it was a daily focus for her in her professional life. She praised AAPS for maintaining its vast array of flexible and innovative academic programs despite pressure from the state, meeting the needs of students with all learning styles, and supporting outstanding teachers and support staff at every level with a strong curriculum. Haviland credited these successes as resulting in high graduation and college enrollment rates for AAPS students.

She named the acknowledgment of the achievement gap among students as a strength, and the gap’s existence as an opportunity for improvement. Haviland suggested that to eliminate the achievement gap, “we need to move this work into the classroom.” She gave the example of Dicken Elementary providing mini-grants to its teachers to address the achievement gap at the classroom level.  Then, Haviland suggested, AAPS should redistribute funds it spends on outside vendors to teachers, and document the success of such a move in order to inspire and enable other districts to do the same.

A second improvement Haviland suggested was for AAPS to focus its communication and public message. In particular, she said, the district could do a better job of helping concerned parents know the full range of options available to help their students who are struggling or unchallenged.

Jeff Sabatini began by referring to a comment made earlier in the meeting by Rob Lillie – who was being honored at the meeting with the naming of Tappan Middle School gym after him. Lillie had likened his anxiety about speaking to the board to feeling like “the tin man, scarecrow, and lion combined.” Sabatini said, “If Rob Lillie felt like [those characters in The Wizard of Oz], I feel like Toto right now – in the tornado.”

Sabatini allowed, “I don’t really know what [the board] does well,” saying he had not yet joined the PTO or volunteered in the classroom. He offered, “I’m not going to pretend I have solutions or miraculous fixes … Many other candidates are better qualified … I wish whichever one gets picked tonight the best of luck.”

However, Sabatini stated, “I do think I’m representative of your typical taxpayer,” and described his vision for the future of AAPS as not just weathering this budget crisis, but seeing it as an opportunity to make the district even better. Sabatini argued for even more alternative education programs, and pointed out that current programs such as Ann Arbor Open @ Mack and Community High School are “oversubscribed.” He suggested that the board encourage the development of pilot programs in areas such as year-round schooling, “theme schools,” and multi-age programs, and evaluate them according to two metrics: (i) Do the students do as well? and (ii) Does the program cost less than traditional education programs?

Sabatini closed with a call to reexamine public education at its core: “Let’s get together and figure out how to do this.”

James Corey named elementary school teachers, a community that is involved in the education of its children, and diversity of programs as strengths of AAPS. On the flip side, he focused mainly on communication in the district, saying teacher-to-teacher, teacher-to-parent and parent-to-board communication could all be improved. Also, regarding the speed of communication in the district, Corey contended that the district should “adapt before we need to adapt.”

Corey then presented a humorous, analogy-laden, slideshow highlighting key political and cultural events over the last 18 years as a way of characterizing today’s student body. As students of days past are to today’s students, Corey argued, mixed tapes are to iTunes, photo albums are to Picasa, and Christmas cards are to Twitter, “because if you can’t say it in 140 characters, is it really worth saying?”

Therefore, Corey continued, this is the time to invest in technology, and to use technology to increase communication within all subsets of AAPS. He quoted Rupurt Murdoch, who said, “Big will not beat small anymore. It will be the fast beating the slow.” Corey then closed with, “I am part of the information age, and I hope this is why you’ll allow me to serve on the school board.”

Susan Collet listed principal leadership, motivating teachers, extracurricular offerings, incredible parent involvement, safety, discipline, and the diversity in types of classes offered as “what the district does well.” She also mentioned the 2008 graduation rate of 88%, and that Huron and Pioneer high schools were rated in the top 6% of schools in the nation.

In terms of what the district could improve, Collet said it should deal better with struggling kids, and suggested that perhaps creating individualized learning plans, as outlined in the district’s strategic plan, could help. She pointed out the achievement gap in Michigan Merit Exam scores, called for more guidance counselors, and advocated for “restoring excitement” for studying math and science, saying that students needed to be shown how science and math can be used to solve human problems and create a better world.

Andy Thomas listed four areas in which AAPS is excellent and four clear challenges. He named high student achievement, the many electives available at every level, the rejection of a “one size fits all” program of education, and teachers – especially those at the elementary level – as areas in which AAPS excels. In addition, Thomas credited superintendent Todd Roberts with fostering parent involvement, and pointed out that it’s the tremendous dedication of the elementary level teachers that makes achievement at the secondary level possible.

As challenges, Thomas began by naming the “serious gap” in achievement between whites and African-Americans in the district. He argued that too many interventions are evaluated by what Carolyn Hoxby, a Stanford economics professor, calls “the cardiac test.” That refers to well-meaning reformers who “just know in their hearts” that an intervention will work. Thomas called instead for data-driven solutions to the achievement gap.

Next, he joked that his middle-school-aged son may hate him for saying so, but that AAPS needs to “insist on greater rigor at the middle school level,” including meeting the needs of struggling students, those who are proficient and bored, and those in the middle who meet only the minimum requirements. Thomas also pushed for the development of individualized learning plans for each student, and acknowledged that, while this idea was already in the district’s strategic plan, “we need to move this to the fast track.”

Lastly, Thomas mentioned his support for alignment with the standards of the International Baccalaureate (which he noted is also part of the district’s strategic plan), sharper math and science curricula, and additional world languages. He argued that AAPS needs to “do a better job of preparing for the future.”

Jack Panitch stated that student achievement throughout AAPS was “awesome,” beginning in early childhood and continuing though high school. Panitch praised the district’s website, pointed out that achievement data were “all there on the [AAPS] website for all to see.” He cited several district achievements from the district’s in-house newspaper, AAPS News. Panitch showed articles about the Tappan law club, the homebuilding program, and the Community High School journalism award as examples of high achievement in the district. He concluded, “No one can say there is no transparency. All the data anyone could need is in the [AAPS] annual report.”

Panitch then listed three issues to focus on: the achievement gap among AAPS students; what he called the “global achievement gap;” and the current attempts to link student achievement to teacher evaluation stemming from the federal Race to the Top (RTTT) initiative.

He did not elaborate on the achievement gap issues, pointing to the district’s website for information on those issues. He stated: “We need to graduate kids capable of critical thinking.” Regarding the RTTT legislation, Panitch supported recent comments made by Brit Satchwell, president of the district’s teachers’ union. Panitch noted Satchwell’s concern for the idea of annual teacher evaluations that are part of as-yet unfunded new state legislation – passed to support Michigan’s RTTT application – saying that it was not a good use of principals’ time. Instead, Panitch suggested, AAPS should institute a peer review system of evaluation, though he acknowledged there would be costs involved in hiring substitutes to cover for teachers while they were evaluating their colleagues.

Panitch closed with a few personal slides of himself, and asked that the board consider him based on his sensitivity, courage, and willingness to deal with the equity issue.

Christine Stead began her presentation with a Powerpoint slide containing two images: a red apple and a globe with data swirling around it. She pointed out how both images speak to how AAPS is operating right now: Even while the positive image and day-to-day work of educators (represented by the apple) continues, the district is caught up in the chaos of the larger funding issues beyond its control (represented by the swirling globe).

Christine Stead, newly appointed member of the AAPS board.

Stead noted four categories in which the district is doing well. First, she praised AAPS administrative leadership – citing superintendent Roberts and deputy superintendent Robert Allen as particularly responsive to the community. Stead also pointed out Roberts’ large role in developing the district’s strategic plan, which she called “ambitious” and “inspiring.”

Like other candidates, Stead then argued that the district’s strength in part came from its incredible number of varied program offerings, as well as the systemic diversity in types of schools. Naming Ann Arbor Open @ Mack as an example, she noted, “It’s profound to be able to offer that when our resources are challenged.”

And, Stead pointed out, AAPS is still outperforming the state in terms of achievement, “even at a time when we are constantly doing more with less.” She showed charts of MEAP data, percentage of students taking the ACT, and graduation rates, expressing her interest in keeping data in the forefront: “If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.”

Lastly, Stead mentioned that AAPS could improve by decreasing achievement disparities among ethnic groups, and by following through on what she named as two key elements of the district’s strategic plan: aligning AAPS curriculum with international standards, and creating personalized learning plans for all students, including those who are high-achieving.

Margy Long gave the final candidate presentation, and she began by saying she felt “somewhat inadequate” and “unqualified” to evaluate student achievement, and that what she was about to say was just her opinion as one parent.

She pointed out that the achievement gap has “been on the radar” for a while, and noted that in her work on school improvement teams (SITs), she has seen a shift. That shift was from each building having its own goals to the district taking a lead in coordinating among building-level SITs to create a district-wide plan – within which each building then develops specific strategies.

Long also expressed pride at the district’s commitment to improving education for all students through an evidence-based Equity Initiative, and at the continuous expansion of program offerings. She listed the preschool, the inclusion of World Languages, and Project Healthy Schools as excellent programs that have been expanded since her kids began school.

Long then cited a recent New York Times feature entitled “How to Build a Better Teacher” in arguing for investment in the professional development of teachers. She said that teaching is a highly specialized skill, and that it needs to be supported as such.

In closing, Long warned that in the midst of the budget cuts that will come, AAPS needs to remain focused on leadership, equity, and increasing teacher effectiveness.

Break Following Candidate Presentations

After the candidate presentations, Deb Mexicotte called for a brief break, and reminded trustees “not to discuss in groups” what was an open issue on the table. The eight candidates, who had been sitting front and center in a row behind the speaker’s podium, began talking among themselves. A few of them gestured to the camera pointed at them – the meeting was broadcast live on Community Television Network (CTN) – and then the eight of them moved to the side of the room, off-camera. Meanwhile, individual trustees milled in and out of the room, mingling with each other and with AAPS administrative staff attending the meeting.

Trustees Remarks to Candidates

After the break, there was no public discussion regarding specific candidates, but before voting, all six trustees offered encouraging comments to the candidates as a group.

Susan Baskett said, “You are all wonderful – truly … Please do not take it personally if you do not rise to the top.” Baskett thanked them all for coming and appealed to the candidates who would not be selected to stay involved: “Don’t hate us.”

Irene Patalan offered that she hoped the candidates had felt welcomed by the board and that the process was “not too frightening.” She said she absolutely appreciated the eight candidates and that they proved to her once again that there is a lot of talent in this community.

Glenn Nelson said that the work of the next 18-24 months was not just the work of the board, but of the whole community: “You are all extremely capable people – try to figure out how to make the best use of your talents in the district.”

Randy Friedman appreciated the efforts of the candidates, and asserted that “the enormous contribution [they] had already made by coming forward at this difficult time … is a message to the community that the best days still lie ahead … It’s a call to action to the whole community.”

Simone Lightfoot pointed out to the candidates that she had sat where they were less than 90 days ago: “We need you … Please be sure your perspective stays in the mix.”

Mexicotte closed with, “We are embarking on Phase II of our strategic planning process … [which] is where we’d like to see you.”

Voting and Trustee Assignments

Board secretary Amy Osinski passed out lavender-colored ballots for the first round of voting. Mexicotte instructed the trustees to write their names on the ballot as well as the name of the candidate for whom they were voting. Osinski collected the ballots, and read them aloud.

Stead received four votes – from the four board officers: president Deb Mexicotte, vice-president Irene Patalan, secretary Glenn Nelson, and treasurer Randy Friedman.

Haviland received a vote from Simone Lightfoot. Corey received a vote from Susan Baskett.

Mexicotte announced, “Trustees, we are about to welcome trustee Christine Stead.” Stead hugged her fellow candidates, moved to the board table, and was sworn in by Osinski. The board took another brief recess, during which many of the trustees said goodbye to the other candidates, Stead’s husband congratulated her, and the many friends and family of the candidates filed out. When the board reconvened to a much emptier room, Mexicotte quipped, “The lateness of the hour will give our new trustee a true taste of boardsmanship.”

Later, Mexicotte requested that Stead join the planning committee, and she accepted. Mexicotte also requested that Lightfoot take over former trustee Hollier’s role as parliamentarian, saying that her attention to detail and interest in process made her an excellent candidate for the role. Lightfoot accepted.

Schools of Choice Proposal Introduced

A proposal to open up AAPS to 170 out-of-district students was presented to the board as a first briefing item by superintendent Todd Roberts and Jane Landefeld, director of student accounting.

Schools of Choice Program Description

Roberts began by reminding the board that one of the areas being considered as a potential revenue generator for the upcoming year was implementing a targeted Schools of Choice program in the district. The 170 seats he proposed opening to students from Washtenaw County would bring the district an additional $1.1 million in revenue. This, Roberts pointed out, was a conservative estimate, based on the lowest per-pupil foundation allowance in the county. If an out-of-district student transferred to AAPS, he explained, AAPS would receive the state per-pupil allotment of that student’s home district, not the amount an AAPS student receives.

Roberts noted that the reason he was bringing this recommendation to the board ahead of the rest of the draft budget plan was because of the tight timeline the district would have in order to set staffing levels for next school year. [The draft budget will come before the board at the next meeting on March 24.]

In order for the Schools of Choice program to be possible, Roberts said, the board would need to approve it this month, so that applications could be received in April, and students could be notified of their admission to AAPS by mid-May.

Landefeld then spoke, giving a brief overview of how the Schools of Choice program would be implemented in AAPS [.pdf of AAPS Schools of Choice description]. Landefeld explained that the State School Aid Act allows for this type of program. The part of the act pertaining to the district’s plan is Section 105, which permits local school districts to enroll students who reside in the same intermediate school district.

The proposed district plan would open 60 kindergarten seats, 60 1st grade seats, and 50 middle school seats, explained Landefeld. Other program characteristics are set by state requirements, Landefeld said, such as: the enrollment period must be between 15 and 30 days long; the district is required to notify students of admission decisions within 15 days of the closing window; and the district must accept all students who apply (unless they’ve been suspended or expelled), up to the number of students that was published.

If the district receives more applications than it has seats available, seats will be assigned by random drawing, and a wait list will be started. Once a student has been accepted, they can stay within AAPS for the remainder of their K-12 education, even if the district decides not to continue to enroll new students through Schools of Choice in the future.

Ten elementary schools, each with 4-8 anticipated available seats, are: Abbot, Bryant, Carpenter, Dicken, Eberwhite, Lakewood, Logan, Northside, Pittsfield, and Wines. Roberts clarified that these schools were chosen based on enrollment projections, and stressed that no additional staff would need to be hired. Each of the five middle schools would be expected to take 10 students.

Questions from the Board on Schools of Choice

Susan Baskett asked about the priority of placing Schools of Choice students over in-district transfers, and about wait list procedures. Roberts mentioned that there will be a second round of in-district transfer applications accepted during the same window as the Schools of Choice applications, and clarified, “We will seat in-district students first.”

Landefeld confirmed that the original wait list would expire one week into the start of the school year, parents with children who were selected could not defer admission, and any students who were not selected initially could reapply for the second semester.

Randy Friedman asked what happened if the seats in the schools mentioned are filled with in-district transfer students, leaving spaces in other buildings that are not listed on the Schools of Choice application. Roberts explained that the administration’s projections lead them to anticipate that these schools will have spaces available even after the in-district transfers. Later, Roberts clarified further that AAPS legal obligations would be met once it had seated 170 students as advertised; it would not be legally bound to seat Schools of Choice students in particular schools, even if they were listed on the application.

Many of the trustees asked for confirmation of their understanding of the foundation allowance AAPS would receive from out-of-district transfer students. Roberts confirmed that state per-pupil funding is different for each district, and that Schools of Choice students would come to AAPS with their districts’ allocations. As long as students attend AAPS, Roberts continued, they would continue to bring whatever per-pupil funding they would have brought to their home districts, even if it goes up or down. He also acknowledged that the gap between the AAPS foundation allowance and that of other nearby districts is narrowing.

Friedman questioned whether there were long-term risks: “In all fairness, those metrics could change on us and be to our disadvantage. Isn’t it fair to say this is intended to address an immediate concern, but [that there could be] long-term risks?” Roberts responded that it was possible the program would not make financial sense in future years, but that AAPS can decide how many students to take each year. He stressed that even if the district eventually had to hire an additional teacher to cover the increase in student enrollment, there would still be savings overall: “It’s all revenue-generating.”

Irene Patalan questioned a provision in the State School Aid Act giving admission priority to siblings of School of Choice students in future years: “So, if we decide not to do it next year, the door to siblings would not open?” Landefeld confirmed that the provision for siblings would only apply if the district continues to offer the School of Choice program in general.

Simone Lightfoot asked why the number of proposed Schools of Choice students had increased since the budget forums, from 150 up to 170. Roberts explained that the 170 number came directly from revised enrollment projections. Christine Stead asked what the impact on student-teacher ratio would be in the participating schools, and Roberts answered that the ratio would be the same as across the district. As an example, he noted that the current districtwide student-teacher ratio for kindergarten was 22:1, and that would be the same in Schools of Choice schools. Roberts added that, overall, AAPS student-teacher ratios may need to increase, but that that they would remain standardized throughout the district.

Patalan asked which other districts in the county have Schools of Choice programs. Roberts listed six districts as having some version of Schools of Choice: Milan, Lincoln, Willow Run, Ypsilanti, Saline, and Whitmore Lake. Earlier in the meeting, Landefeld had noted that roughly 150 students living within AAPS boundaries attend a public school in a surrounding district.

Patalan asked whether the administration thought AAPS would receive enough applications to fill the seats. Landefeld confirmed that the district gets many calls seeking admission, and has received even more since the community budget forums – when the idea of instituting a Schools of Choice program was first mentioned as a possible revenue-builder. When Baskett asked how the program would be advertised, Nelson suggested getting the news to the AAPS parent network. Landefeld suggested only the AAPS website and regular media outlets, noting, “Schools in other districts will probably not put up our flyers.”

The board had a few questions about the program’s timetable. Baskett asked if a date had been set when parents would need to accept their children’s offer of admission. Landefeld said no, but that administration could get that for the board. Roberts suggested that the response window would be similar to the one used in the Skyline High School admission process, in which parents would have “about a week” to decide whether or not to accept, if their child was offered admission. There is urgency, Landefeld reiterated, because buildings are beginning to look at fall staffing.

Nelson asked if there were any concerns about the way the Schools of Choice timetable and the budget timetable did or didn’t “mesh.” Roberts replied that the Schools of Choice timeline had been set with the budget process in mind. Mexicotte followed up, asking, “If we take action at the next meeting, is that sufficient time?” Roberts confirmed that everything was “ready to go,” and pointed out that AAPS administration has already prepared the application paperwork, as well as a resolution for the board to approve, should it decide to move forward.

Outcome: The board does not vote on first briefing items. The first briefing is a mechanism for alerting the public that the matter will be coming before the board for a vote – at the second briefing.

Public Commentary

In the hours leading up to Wednesday’s board meeting, bus drivers and custodial/maintenance workers again lined Fifth Avenue as they have before previous board meetings. [The AAPS board holds its meetings on the fourth floor of the Ann Arbor District Library building.] In addition, two longtime bus drivers were collecting signatures on a petition urging the board not to privatize any of its employees.

Demonstrators against privatizing services outside the AAPS board meeting on March 10, 2010.

Four speakers at Wednesday’s meeting spoke directly against privatization – a labor researcher at the University of Michigan and three bus drivers.

In addition, there were calls for transparency in the budget process.

Public Commentary: Privatization of AAPS Food Service

Rolland Zullo spoke first, introducing himself as a researcher at the University of Michigan, and a parent of two kids at Ann Arbor Open School @ Mack. Zullo explained that he has studied the district’s privatization of food service to Chartwells, and has drafted a report which he has sent to AAPS administration for review before sending to the board. He stated that his report contains three major findings.

First, the food service expenditures have decreased, but not because of outsourcing workers. Zullo said that AAPS is spending less on food service because of increased revenue being sent from the federal government via the school lunch program. He likened the district’s claim that the privatization has saved money to “a rooster getting credit for the sunrise.”

Next, Zullo said, his study showed that the sales of food are in decline because people are not finding value in the food offered. He listed food service offerings as including corndogs, hamburgers, and chicken nuggets, “essentially fast food fare,” and contended that when districts privatize, they lose control over the quality of service.

Finally, Zullo stressed that it is “important to disabuse the board of the notion that the … workers were not harmed” by contracting with Chartwells. He said the jobs had been “seriously degraded,” that new hires were paid at $9 per hour, and that none of the workers could afford to use the health care offered to them – due to an increase in co-pays to $3,000 annually.

Zullo closed by saying that he was happy to be hearing the board use the word “community,” and argued that the community would be damaged if pieces of it were “peeled away” and given to people without a stake in it.

Public Commentary: Privatization of AAPS Transportation

The next speaker was Richard Miller, an AAPS bus driver with 18 years of service to district. He used his four minutes to discuss problems with each of the two companies being considered to take over district transportation services – First Student and Durham. Quoting from headlines and other news sources, Miller said that the board had not “done its homework” regarding these companies, and listed the following infractions, all of which have occurred, he said, since January 2007.

Regarding First Student and its drivers, Miller listed the following incidents of concern:

• cocaine-filled syringes were found on a school bus;
• a bus driver stopped at a liquor store and tried to encourage a student to help her cover it up;
• a drunk bus driver hit a student at a crosswalk;
• a bus driver was charged with first degree sexual harassment;
• a bus driver hit and killed a young girl;
• a driver was charged with possession of child pornography on the internet;
• First Student was put on probation for failing to do background checks on its employees;
• a student was dragged by a bus;
• a 13-year-old was lost, got frostbitten, and required hospitalization after a driver dropped her off at the wrong stop;
• and a driver with alcohol on his breath was allowed to transport a student before being arrested later that day for driving while intoxicated.

About Durham and its drivers, Miller contended:

• a bus driver was charged with three counts of raping a teenager;
• a bus driver rolled over the legs of a 7-year-old after failing to engage the parking brake;
• and a driver showed children sexually-explicit video clips on a cell phone.

Miller asserted that the things he shared were not by any means an exhaustive list, and closed telling the board, “If you want to save money, find another way. Here’s a clue: try justifying the salaries paid to the management of transportation.”

Public Commentary: Lack of Community Support for Privatization

Two other bus drivers spoke, each citing a handful of online comments they described as “blog posts” to show that many community members are opposed to privatization.

Thomas Wesoloski summarized comments he had collected: there is no way of getting around the cost of excellent employees; kids spend a lot of time with bus drivers; people would pay more in taxes to support schools; the services AAPS already has are excellent – why not keep them; and parents want to know who takes their kids to school. Wesoloski stated that, other than reducing overhead and cutting frivolous expenses, the only real solution to these budget problems is increased state funding.

Then, John Riedisser, a 21-year veteran of AAPS and an Ann Arbor homeowner, picked up on the string of “blog posts,” citing the following comments: in the long run, privatization sends the wrong message to our community; we need reputable and consistent service employees; privatization in other districts still causes divisions within the community 10 years later.

Riedisser also mentioned that he was 51 years old, and would like to continue working until he can retire.

Public Commentary: Demand for Transparency in Budget Process

Representatives from both ends of the school spending spectrum spoke during public commentary – Harold Miller from Ann Arbor Citizens for Responsible School Spending (A2CRSS), and Steven Norton, executive director of Michigan Parents for Schools. Though the two men offered different lines of rationale, their comments led to the same demand – that the board ensure complete transparency as it sets the budget for the upcoming school year.

Miller contended that at best the board was ill-informed, and at worst, it was actively hiding information from the public. He began with, “Here is the information schools are not presenting to the public,” and gestured to a chart on a poster held by Kathy Griswold, also of A2CRSS, who stood next to him.

The information on the poster was taken, Miller said, from a Michigan Department of Education finance survey, and showed the amount of per-pupil spending in Ann Arbor, compared to other local districts. Miller said that when A2CRSS began to ask questions about school spending, it was not looking for predetermined answers. It began by choosing to compare Ann Arbor’s school district to those in Plymouth-Canton, which is roughly the same size, and East Lansing, which is also situated near a large university. Then, they added 11 districts geographically close to Ann Arbor to the comparison.

Miller said his research showed that the other districts’ per-pupil spending averaged about $10,000, while Ann Arbor spends over $13,000 per student, and he questioned why that is. He encouraged the board and the public to verify the data he presented and requested that the board provide more of such background data to the public, so that it is clear what data was used in decision-making.

Steven Norton described himself as a parent, a voter, and someone who is dedicating his time to finding answers. He said the board meeting up to that point had showed him what can be achieved when the community commits the needed resources, and how this is threatened by the consequences of decisions which are “mostly not made locally.”

Norton urged the board to be as transparent as possible in explaining to the community how it makes the hard choices ahead in the 2011 budget: “The choices must be made openly, and in an environment of goodwill.” He stressed the importance of being sure the community understands both the rationale behind the choices made, and the reasons other options were passed over.

Norton warned that the legitimacy of the school leadership was in the balance, and said it would be “extremely dangerous” if people in the community were left with the notion that all the options were not considered. He warned the board against moving too quickly, and cautioned that “the process must not be short-circuited.”

Electrical Maintenance Contract, Consent Agenda

One second briefing item came to the board for action at Wednesday’s meeting. That was the approval of a bid for outsourcing the maintenance of low-voltage control systems. Examples of such systems, given by executive director of physical properties Randy Trent, are fire alarms and heating and cooling systems. Maintenance of these systems, Trent said, required “a specific type of work that no one on staff can address.”

Trent reviewed how the recommended contractor, Wiltec Technologies, did not submit the lowest bid. However, Trent said, the two lowest bidders either did not respond to the district’s follow-up questions, or were not able to have their experience with low-voltage systems confirmed. Trustee Irene Patalan mentioned that she had just found a letter from Wiltec in her old board files, in which it introduced itself to the board as a local company.

Susan Baskett commented that she loved the two-stage process the board used – a first and second briefing – as it allows for public comment on all issues before they are voted on. On this issue, she said, she had received questions from the community about whether AAPS really needs this service, and why these electricians cost so much more than the district’s in-house electricians. [The contracted electricians would be paid $67.50 per hour, compared to the highest paid in-house electrician, who is paid $21.90 an hour.]

Trent answered that the pay difference was justified because the contractor rate includes their own tools and trucks, and a true comparison would need to take into account the benefits paid to district electricians. He also confirmed that AAPS does need this service, reiterating, “Our folks are not trained to do low-voltage work.”

When questioned by Simone Lightfoot, Trent confirmed that the total amount of the contract would be the hourly rate of $67.50 multiplied by the 2,000 hours listed in the bid. Lightfoot also asked whether in-house electricians could be trained to do this work, and Trent replied, “We would need to work that out with the union, and we have not been able to do that.”

Outcome: The electrical maintenance bid – along with meeting minutes, trustee conference reimbursements, and gift offers – was approved unanimously as part of the meeting’s consent agenda.

Race to the Top Legislation = Unfunded Mandates?

The Michigan legislature passed a flurry of legislation to reform education in December, in order to increase its competitive edge in competing for the federal Race to the Top (RTTT) dollars. [See previous Chronicle coverage: "Revenue Bump in School Budget Draft"] Forty states applied for the first round of funding, and Michigan was not among the 16 states announced as finalists this month.

Now, Michigan is in the position of re-applying for the funding in the second round, which begins in June. The federal Department of Education will be making the scores and comments of all grant reviewers public, with the expressed intention of helping states who did not win to strengthen their applications for the second go-around.

During the “items from the board” part of Wednesday’s agenda, Simone Lightfoot shared “troubling feelings” about the federal RTTT initiative. She stated that “Race to the Top is not in the long-term best interest of public education,” and said that it was the opt-out language that had allowed her to vote in support of the district’s signing onto the application submitted by the state of Michigan.

Lightfoot listed “unfunded and underfunded mandates” as her main concern with the RTTT legislation, but also took issue with its emphasis on testing and its support of charter schools. The memo that superintendent Todd Roberts included in the board’s information packet for Wednesday’s meeting also expressed concern about these mandates: “Although the state was not selected, the legislation passed related to the application will still be in effect for districts.”

Lightfoot continued, saying that after spending all day in Lansing on Wednesday, she believed that the Michigan legislature was planning to enact additional laws regarding Michigan’s languishing RTTT application. “The legislators were talking about how much more they can add into the laws,” with no additional funding being considered, Lightfoot said.

She added that, while some of the vision and goals of RTTT are admirable, the process feels rushed. [The Lansing conference attended by Lightfoot, as well as by Susan Baskett, was the Michigan Association of School Administrators/Michigan Association of School Boards legislative conference.]

AAPS Board and PTO Council Increase Pressure on State

There was a notably political overtone to Wednesday’s meeting as speakers, administration, and board members alike all expressed frustration directed at Michigan legislators for failing to ensure sustainable funding for education statewide. The board’s planning committee, as well as the PTO council, reported out on their activities to increase the pressure on state elected officials to address funding problems. The planning committee’s proposed resolution was passed by the board, and the PTO’s newly-formed advocacy committee called on parents and staff to contact their legislators.

Resolution to Expand Allowable Sinking Fund Expenditures

Irene Patalan’s report on activities of the planning committee included a review of graduation requirements of foreign exchange students, and examination of the inclement weather policy in more detail. But the main focus of the committee’s last meeting, she said, was to brainstorm ways to build revenue. Patalan explained that, in addition to considering how the board could better support the work of the AAPS Educational Foundation to increase private giving, her committee asked, “How can we better partner with our representatives from this county who are in Lansing?”

This question led the planning committee to draft a resolution in support of funding for education, which was unanimously supported by the board. The resolution “encourages the Michigan Senate to approve Senate Bill #1059 which expands the use of sinking fund dollars to include all currently allowable bond expenditures.” Patalan explained that the Michigan House of Representatives had passed a bill approving this more generous allowable spending of the sinking fund, but that the Senate needed to pass its “sister bill” in order for it to be enacted into law.

Glenn Nelson and Deb Mexicotte both thanked the planning committee for its initiative and leadership in drafting the resolution. Mexicotte added, “The Senate has been sitting on this bill for far too long.”

Outcome: The resolution in support of SB #1059 was passed unanimously.

PTO Council Establishes Advocacy Committee

Martine Perreault, chair of the AAPS PTO Council, an umbrella organization representing the parent-teacher and parent-teacher-student organizations from all AAPS schools, began by reporting that Anne Brod was stepping down as the PTOC’s board representative, and that the seat would be filled on a rotating basis by other PTOC council members until a new representative was assigned.

After giving a brief recap of current PTOC activities, including offering training to PTO officers and reviewing their own bylaws, Perreault announced that the PTOC had established an advocacy committee to voice the concerns of AAPS parents on state-level school financing issues.

She described the work of the new committee as “active advocacy with Washtenaw County elected representatives … to express our desire for stable school funding and the high priority of education funding in the face of difficult budget decisions.” Perreault noted that the committee would not support specific bills or candidates, but that its goal was to ensure an adequate funding stream. She invited all parents and staff to join the committee.

To join, Perreault said, the contact person is Donna Lasinski, who can be reached at lasinski@mac.com or 734-997-7265. She also asked the community to email legislators about the importance of stable school funding. She showed the board a slide with instructions on how to “find your legislator,” and suggested a simple script.

Mexicotte thanked the PTOC, saying the board “appreciate[d] the work of the PTOC to educate the community” about funding issues faced by the schools.

MASA/MASB Legislative Conference

Susan Baskett reported on the Michigan Association of School Administrators/Michigan Association of School Boards legislative conference that she and Simone Lightfoot had attended earlier that day. In addition to an RTTT funding session, Baskett said she had attended a session on communication, which walked participants through how to get more politically active.

The session on communication, Baskett said, led her to question how well the board has done on this front, and how it could do better. She then reflected on advice given to her by state Sen. Liz Brater, who suggested that school boards would be stronger if they joined together in advocacy. Baskett suggested that the board might want to move in this direction, by talking to fellow school board members from other Michigan districts: “Perhaps we can motivate ourselves to encourage people to see how they can reach out to each other.”

Performance Committee, Association Reports

Susan Baskett, the chair of the board’s performance committee, announced that in all of the hub-bub surrounding that night’s meeting, she had left her notes at home, and had no report. She invited the public to attend the committee’s meeting the next day, which she described as being focused on “policy review.”

Noting that the Youth Senate and Ann Arbor Education Association representatives had left the meeting – which Deb Mexicotte surmised was likely due to the length of the meeting up to that point – she invited the remaining associations to give their reports. A Youth Senate report was submitted in writing, and is available on the board’s website.

The report of the Ann Arbor Parent Advisory Committee for Special Education (AAPAC) was given as follows: AAPAC reported that it had met with Yolanda Bell, AAPS transition coordinator, who had explained how students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) – and plans developed under Section 504 – transition into high school. They also thanked administrator Larry Simpson and superintendent Todd Roberts, who met with them to discuss the current budget issues and how they might affect student intervention and support services. They also said that AAPAC is advocating for a special education millage in 2011. Lastly, the group invited everyone to its upcoming disability awareness workshops, and mentioned that the goal of this work was to “spread the message that disability is a natural part of the diversity of all communities.”

Awards and Accolades

There has not been a regular board meeting in a month, and there were many special awards, honors, and recognitions included on Wednesday’s agenda.

Riot Youth

Glenn Nelson and Susan Baskett presented a plaque they received from the Neutral Zone Riot Youth program. Nelson described Riot Youth as “encouraging people to celebrate diversity of sexual orientation and increasing respect for different lifestyles.” The award – received by the board on behalf of AAPS –  thanked AAPS for its “dedication to improving the school climate for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered, Queer, and Questioning (LGBTQQ) students.”

Nelson said he was honored and touched to be part of the awards program, and Baskett added that the students were “very smart” to include action items in the event: “They put us to work and challenged us to think about how we could make things better.” Nelson added that in addition to the entertainment, the event included “… painful, sorrowful stories about what still happens in our schools.” He then vowed, “For all those listening, we’re proud of what we’ve done, but we realize there is still a lot to do. We’ll look forward to [the work], and we’ll do it with enthusiasm.”

At the podium is trustee Susan Baskett, right, who presented Beth Bernacki, left, with a celebration of excellence award.

Celebration of Excellence

Beth Bernacki, a history teacher at Skyline High School, was awarded a celebration of excellence award for outstanding customer service.

She was nominated by Katie LaCroix, her sister and 4th grade teacher at Logan, who said she has witnessed firsthand Bernacki’s commitment to her work, and her desire to engage and challenge her students to their utmost potential.

Bernacki thanked her sister, and said it meant a lot to be honored by someone who she respects as a professional, too.

Also given an outstanding customer service award through the celebration of excellence program was Pat Dombroski, a para-educator at Forsythe Middle School.

Pat Dombroski, "Mr. D," right, received a celebration of excellence award.

He was nominated by his co-workers, who stated that he “gives all of his heart and his energy to his job,” and that they had “yet to encounter a student who has not felt that ‘Mr. D’ made a difference in their lives.”

Kennedy Center Award Nomination and Burns Park Award

Robin Bailey, the district’s fine arts coordinator, shared that AAPS had been selected by ArtServe Alliance of Michigan to be considered for a Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education Network Award, an annual award recognizing a local school board “for outstanding support in the arts in education.” Bailey had sought the nomination from the state Alliance organization, and used the opportunity to thank the board for supporting the AAPS partnership with the University Musical Society, resulting in an “absolutely impressive fine arts experience in this district.”

If selected by the Kennedy Center as the award recipient, AAPS would receive $10,000 for use in its fine arts program. The application submitted by Bailey was included in the information packet for Wednesday’s meeting, and included a list of the district’s fine arts achievements, as well as superlative letters of recommendations, from the AAPS board and administration, current and past Ann Arbor mayors, and local and state music associations.

Omari Rush, education manager for the University Musical Society (UMS), then spoke, announcing that Burns Park was being awarded its 2010 School of the Year. Burns Park’s principal, Kathy Morhous, as well as its art and music teachers were invited to a gala to accept the award. Morhous thanked UMS for being a wonderful resource, and gave examples of how her fine arts staff had integrated the society’s recent focus on Arabic music and culture into their curricula.

Nelson asked the board to take a moment to reflect on the leadership shown by Bailey and Rush. Patalan added that being appreciated for the arts experiences that AAPS provides is “something you have to burst with pride about,” adding, “We have a wonderful history and a future also of the arts being important in this community – I am proud.”

Rob Lillie Recognition

Superintendent Todd Roberts pointed out the Rob Lillie had been out of town when the Tappan Middle School gym was named in his honor. Tappan assistant principal Rick Weiler, who nominated Lillie, said he had “finally talked him into coming” to the board meeting to be honored, and called him a role model for many students, staff, and parents.

Rob Lillie was recognized at the board meeting for an earlier renaming of the Tappan Middle School gym in his honor.

Lillie came to the podium, recalling the time he had to come before the board 30 years ago to explain how it would work to have a co-ed gym class, and saying that he felt like the Wizard of Oz’s lion, tin man, and scarecrow all at once. He thanked the board for the “awesome” award they had given him, and joked that after 40 years of teaching over 30,000 students, all he asked from his former students was “don’t play the name game with me – just tell me who you are.”

Susan Kielb, a math and science teacher at Tappan, then spoke on behalf of her colleague, describing how Lillie had started a program called “Division I” to help students who wanted to someday play in Division I sports, but whose academic standing and attitude challenged that dream. Kielb described Lillie as “firm, loving, and serious,” and said that if students were confused about an assignment, Lillie would sit down and figure it out with them. “Many people grew up with this steady guidance from [Lillie],” she said. Even now that he is retired, Kielb said you can’t help but feel Lillie’s influence on Tappan, making it a place where “kids are championed and honored.”

Lillie thanked his wife, who he said, “was only jealous of one thing in all her years and that’s Tappan.” Simone Lightfoot congratulated Lillie, who had been her teacher as well as her daughter’s, as looking “phenomenal. Where’s the gray?” she asked. Lillie quipped, “That’s why I had to leave Florida (where he had been when the gym was named in his honor) – I wasn’t old enough.”

Glenn Nelson added that it was wonderful to have this moment of recognition. Nelson said that, though the emphasis was on Rob Lillie tonight, this is really a community of excellence.

Deb Mexicotte led all present in a round of applause in honor of Lillie.

Other Items from the Board

Susan Baskett reported that she attended National African American Parent Involvement Day (NAAPID) Night at Roberto Clemente Student Development Center, and praised the school for significantly increasing some students’ GPAs over the course of 12 weeks. She mentioned she was excited to attend the upcoming Robotics competition at Skyline High School.

Glenn Nelson recognized the contributions of the Dispute Resolution Center, which he said does a very good job helping to mediate conflict over a broad array of issues, including periodic conflicts within AAPS involving parents or students. He also mentioned participating once again in a great book club discussion co-hosted by the AAPS, the Ann Arbor District Library, and the UMS, in which the role of the arts in education was discussed. Nelson then pointed out that a recent gala and silent auction at Pioneer High School was an example of the very important private support the district possesses.

Nelson shared his enjoyment of the recent Orchestra Night and Choral Cavalcade events. Of Orchestra Night, he said, “you get this sense of growth over time … Those larger instruments are an investment of our community, and these kids are enabled to develop their talent. Hurray to the community for paying for this!” He went on to describe the choral concerts as “an emotional experience that really touches your heart,” and said he “felt really thrilled and blessed to be able to be there.”

Irene Patalan mentioned that she was proud of Forsythe Middle School, having attended its recent science fair: “There’s nothing like middle schoolers – they’re not quite little and they’re not quite big … The work is honest.” Patalan also gave a “shout out” to the young artists at Haisley Elementary, and mentioned that some of their work would be on display as part of youth art month.

Superintendent’s Report

Wednesday’s report from AAPS superintendent Todd Roberts was a cavalcade of achievements, outreach, and improvements made by AAPS students and staff.

At the high school level, Roberts congratulated the district’s national merit scholars; U.S. Physics Team nominees; Community High School (CHS) for receipt of the Perfect 36 award; Pioneer students who received awards in the arts; a CHS counselor; Skyline’s forensics team; homebuilding students who competed at Washtenaw Community College; members of the U.S. Olympic ice hockey team who had attended AAPS; and a class at Huron High School, which participated in and won awards at the Michigan Special Olympics winter games.

Roberts praised the Clague Middle School student who was awarded Middle School Student of the Year, as well as the district’s middle schools that placed in the Michigan Chess Association competition, and the recent Mathcounts competition. He also congratulated Forsythe for participating in Project Healthy Schools, a wellness program to create a healthier school environment, and named numerous band awards, as well as awards received by teachers from the National Council of Teachers of English.

Many students at several schools have continued to support relief efforts in Haiti, raising thousands of dollars in aid, Roberts said. He thanked the students and staff for all of their great work, particularly those who “care for others and do community service in addition to the academic stuff.”

The meeting was adjourned by president Deb Mexicotte.

Present: President Deb Mexicotte, vice-president Irene Patalan, secretary Glenn Nelson, treasurer Randy Friedman, trustee Susan Baskett, trustee Simone Lightfoot, and newly-seated trustee Christine Stead. Also present as a non-voting member was Todd Roberts, superintendent of AAPS.

Next regular meeting: March 24, 2010, 7 p.m., at the downtown Ann Arbor District Library’s fourth floor meeting room, 343 S. Fifth Ave. [confirm date]

A sign at the entrance to Ann Arbor’s West Park, which will be closed in March through the summer for extensive renovations. (Photo by the writer.)

But commissioners heard updates on a range of issues, from capital projects – including the months-long closing of West Park, starting in March – to a report on the greenbelt program.

And though snow has blanketed the area, work is underway to prep for controlled burns throughout the city’s parks and natural areas. Commissioners got a report on that effort, which includes a public meeting on March 2 and volunteer training the following day. The topic also provided some fodder for puns – in introducing the presentation, PAC chair Scott Rosencrans joked that they’d be “burning with interest” to hear the report.

Natural Area Preservation: “Why Do We Use Fire?”

Dave Borneman, manager of the city’s Natural Area Preservation program, known as NAP, began his update on controlled burns by giving some history on the use of fire for clearing land, which he said dates back hundreds of years to when native Americans in this area used the approach.

Giving this “ancient pulse of energy” to the land has many benefits, Borneman said. It discourages the growth of most woody vegetation, takes care of the encroachment of non-native shrubs, and stimulates the growth of native wildflowers, among other things. He gave several examples, including the fact that the Upland Boneset – a wildflower not recorded here since 1937 – emerged after one of the city’s controlled burns.

The process starts with an inventory of the area to be burned, which is included as part of a more comprehensive burn plan. NAP staff get permits from the fire department, and permission from landowners, if access is needed through private land. They notify the public through letters to nearby homes and notices in the parks, and hold informational meetings two times a year.

The next public meeting is on Tuesday, March 2 at the Leslie Science & Nature Center, 1831 Traver Road, starting at 7:30 p.m. That will be followed on March 3 by a half-day volunteer training session, also at the center from noon-5 p.m. Borneman said that many people in the burn crew are volunteers.

To prepare for a burn, the crew surrounds the entire site with swaths of cleared land called burn breaks. They also use a leaf blower to remove leaves from logs, so they’ll be less likely to catch fire. Then they wait for the weather – burns are entirely dependent on weather conditions, Borneman said. The best days tend to be in late March and early April, then again in early November.

On the day of a burn, staff tries to get the word out – through announcements on the radio, signs in the park, and other means. They alert the city’s dispatch operations, in case residents call in, thinking it’s a real fire – “then away we go!” Borneman said.

There’s always a city PR person on site during a burn, to explain what’s happening. Borneman said schoolchildren sometimes attend – the April 1 burn in Buhr Park is especially popular, he said, as part of the Buhr Park Children’s Wet Meadow Project.

Some burns are more difficult than others. The small prairie along Huron River Parkway is tricky, Borneman said, because of its proximity to a heavily-used road. In general, smoke is more of a concern than fire, because smoke is harder to control. That’s one reason why most burn sites are fairly small, Borneman said – in the 5-10 acre range. They also burn during the dormant season, when plants are dry and therefore will generate less smoke. Burns are also done, whenever possible, on days when the atmospheric conditions maximize air lift, allowing the smoke to rise up and out of the area.

Responding to a question from commissioner John Lawter, Borneman said animals aren’t at risk from the slow burns that are done, since they burrow underground – even a quarter inch beneath the surface, the soil temperature can remain unchanged during the burn. Often the crew will see mice and toads scurrying around following a burn, he added – the threat to them is more from hawks than from the fire.

Commissioner Karen Levin asked how often areas are burned. It depends, Borneman said. Of the 150 city parks and nature areas, it’s not possible to do them all. Some sites are burned annually, some never, he said. In general, there are burns in 70-80 sites. Commissioner Gwen Nystuen asked about the burns done in the Ruthven Nature Area, near Gallup Park. NAP has done a lot of burning there with great results, Borneman said.

Lawter noted that others are doing controlled burns, not just the city – including private companies and the University of Michigan. That’s because there’s more interest in native landscaping, Borneman said. He gave credit to Bob Grese, director of UM’s Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum, for starting up burns in this area – Grese’s own front yard is burned each year. In addition to burns on UM and Washtenaw County property, the Ann Arbor Public Schools does one each year at the prairie next to Pioneer High School, Borneman said.

He concluded by urging residents to sign up for alerts about NAP activities by emailing nap@a2gov.org.

Greenbelt Update

At the September 2009 meeting of the city’s Greenbelt Advisory Commission, Scott Rosencrans attended and introduced himself as the new chair of PAC, and said he looked forward to the two groups working together. On Tuesday, Laura Rubin reciprocated.

Rubin, who chairs GAC and serves as executive director of the Huron River Watershed Council, gave park commissioners an update on the greenbelt program. She noted that an April 6 joint meeting of GAC and PAC has been scheduled, to talk about common issues for the two groups.

A 30-year millage at 0.5 mill was passed in 2003 to generate funds for the greenbelt. The greenbelt commission’s first strategic plan, approved in 2005, outlined priorities for the program. Those included a goal of forming 1,000-acre blocks of protected land, an emphasis on partnership and on leveraging funding from other sources. Rubin noted that three townships, for example – Scio, Webster and Ann Arbor – all have millages for land preservation, and have partnered with the greenbelt program on the purchase of development rights (PDR) in those areas.

Washtenaw County – specifically its natural areas preservation program – has been another partner. The greenbelt is also part of Preserve Washtenaw, a consortium of local groups working on land preservation.

The strategic plan gives priority to farmland and land along the Huron River, Rubin said. The deals are usually PDRs – buying the rights to development, which prevents the land from being used for purposes other than farmland or open space. The millage can only be used for acquisition, not management. In the cases where land needs to be managed, another partner – like Washtenaw County – takes the lead. The greenbelt program has partnered with the county on three purchases, Rubin said.

Since its inception, the greenbelt program has closed 15 transactions, spending $12.37 million and covering 1,782 acres. Those deals included an additional $11.85 million that came from other sources, such as the townships and federal funds.

As a result, Rubin said, “we are starting to see a greenbelt forming around Ann Arbor.” That includes nearly 900 acres in Webster Township alone.

Rubin outlined some recent changes in the program. For one, the market has changed dramatically over the past five years. Appraised values were far higher then, and there was competition from developers for many of the properties. Now, appraisals are dropping rapidly and the city’s greenbelt program is one of the only buyers in the market, Rubin said. In fact, they’re getting applications from developers who are trying to unload property previously set for development. [The implications of a drop in appraisals – which are affecting two deals that haven't yet closed – were discussed at the greenbelt commission's Feb. 10, 2010 meeting.]

The greenbelt commission is also putting more of an emphasis on the local food network, Rubin said. Farms must be 40 acres or more to qualify for federal funding for a purchase of development rights. In the greenbelt program’s previous scoring system – used to prioritize purchases – that size was give higher priority, because of the federal funds. The greenbelt commission has revised its scoring to give higher priority to small farms and community-supported agriculture, known as CSAs. Local residents buy shares in CSAs and receive produce from the farm. [See Chronicle coverage: "Greenbelt Explores Support for Small Farms"]

Rubin concluded by saying it’s an opportune time for land preservation, with less competition, lower land values and more funding coming in through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

Rosencrans asked how natural areas and open space fit into the greenbelt program. Rubin replied that the program has designated about 10% of the greenbelt funds for high-quality natural areas, but one hurdle is land management – they don’t have funds to maintain properties. Having a partner like Washtenaw County helps, she said – the county can manage properties through their natural areas preservation program.

Rosencrans also wondered whether agribusiness was a competitor in terms of acquiring farmland. Not really, Rubin replied – in the past, it’s mostly been developers who were buying property in the county. The other difficulty initially in signing PDR deals with farmers was a skepticism about the program itself, she added. They had concerns about the city coming out and managing their land. The first few deals were important in building the program’s reputation.

Sam Offen asked whether there was a requirement to continue farming the land, as part of the PDR deal. Rubin said there are restrictions on development – no more than 2% of the land can be an impervious surface – but the land could lie fallow.

Offen also wondered how much more land the greenbelt program could buy, given current market conditions. That was difficult to answer, Rubin said. There’s about $13 million left in the fund balance, but land prices vary – property that’s closer to Ann Arbor is more expensive. It also depends on how many matching funds are available.

Rosencrans noted that both the park advisory commission and the greenbelt advisory commission used the same consultants – The Conservation Fund – and that he looked forward to stronger communication and partnership. Rubin agreed, noting that there was a bit of gray area regarding land acquisition, and that she was looking forward to talking about these issues at their April 6 joint meeting.

Millage-Funded Land Acquisition: An Update

Highlighting the common ground shared by both commissions, Ginny Trocchio of The Conservation Fund also gave a presentation at Tuesday’s meeting. She updated commissioners on the city’s land acquisition efforts related to the open space and parkland preservation millage, which funds the greenbelt as well as land acquisition for parks. [She gave a similar report at the greenbelt advisory commission's Dec. 9, 2009 meeting.]

A goal for parks acquisition in 2008-09 was to complete one or two acquisitions, including at least one donation. The city completed the purchase of a conservation easement on 10 acres in Scio Township, in partnership with the township. Four other deals are expected to close this fiscal year, including the purchase of a parcel on Chapin Street near West Park, which the city council approved in December 2009.

Another goal for 2008-09 dealt was to rezone and annex 30 parks that had been acquired by the city. The rezoning of that annexed land to public land – was completed. The annexation of land that was previously in township “islands” within the city is in progress.

Trocchio reviewed financial statements for the millage, clarifying that one-third of the revenue is for parks, and two-thirds for the greenbelt. In fiscal 2009, land acquisitions for parks totaled $237,444. The fund balance for the parks share of the millage was $4.7 million as of June 30, 2009 – the end fiscal 2009.

Reviewing administrative costs, Trocchio noted that a cap of 6% had been put on those costs over the life of the bond, through 2023. At the end of October 2009, $3.1 million remained of that amount. [At its Dec. 21 meeting, city council approved a one-year contract with The Conservation Fund for $119,565, with possible renewals at $113,661 for a second year and $106,797 for the third year.]

Trocchio also showed calculations comparing administrative expenses to total expenditures. They’re hovering around 3-4%, she said. Total expenditures from the millage in FY09 were $4.26 million, for example, with administrative expenses of $184,924 – or 4.3%.

Several commissioners had questions for Trocchio. John Lawter asked about the jump in expenses for information technology – from $2,500 in fiscal 2007 to $12, 612 in FY08 and $21,540 in FY09. Trocchio said it reflected a change in the way the city charged for IT services to the different city units. Colin Smith, parks and recreation manager, added that it now reflects true IT costs, including the different software programs that are being used by Trocchio and Peg Kohring, a Conservation Fund manager who works with the city.

Sam Offen asked what was included in administrative expenses – did that include things like land appraisals? Appraisals are calculated into the cost of the acquisition, Trocchio explained. Whenever possible, expenses are allocated to specific properties, to make sure the true cost of the acquisition is known. She clarified that The Conservation Fund staff is paid on an hourly basis.

Capital Improvements

Parks planner Amy Kuras gave an update on capital projects that were completed in the city’s parks over the past year, and previewed those being considered for 2010. Some highlights:

• The ice rink floor was replaced at Buhr Park Ice Arena. It was a complex, labor-intensive project, Kuras said, involving two layers of piping – a lower layer for heating to prevent permafrost, then a layer of insulation, then piping for refrigeration and an 18” slab of concrete. The arena is open for skating again. The spring, they’ll add a barrier-free entry – a sloping sidewalk – to the pool and ice rink complex.
• A barrier-free sloping sidewalk was added to the Kempf House Museum, at 312 S. Division. A porch was replaced with a stoop and steps that are more historically accurate, Kuras said.
• Most of the steel beams and decking were replaced at Bandemer Park bridge. The vehicle bridge at Gallup Park was also repaired – railings on that bridge will be replaced later this year.
• Pathways were renovated in South Maple, Huron Highlands and Sugarbush parks. Renovations at Leslie Park Golf Course included path upgrades, benches, installation of “very fancy pit toilets,” an expanded tunnel and replacement of a bridge.
• One shade structure was added near the vending machines at Fuller Park Pool, and another one was extended.
• At the Ann Arbor Farmers Market, lights were replaced, bird screens installed and the structures were painted. The city is planning to upgrade the electrical system, Kuras said, extending electrical service to portions of the market where it is currently unavailable to vendors.
• Pétanque courts in Burns Park were donated by Howard Ando and Jane Wilkinson, who are planning to program events for the coming season, Kuras said.
• A new de-humidification system was added to the Veterans Memorial Park ice arena – it had been “pretty cloudy in there,” Kuras said. The city also renovated locker rooms there and installed a new fire suppression system.
• The kitchen at Cobblestone Farm was renovated, as it wasn’t meeting needs of caterers for large events held there, Kuras said. A trash shoot and dumb waiter are being installed.
• The Mary Beth Doyle Park disc golf course is complete, and a sign with a map of the course will be added. The park is off of Packard, east of Cobblestone Farm.
• A shelter was added at Olson dog park, off of Dhu Varren on the city’s north side, and the parking lot was repaved.

Kuras also mentioned the major West Park renovations that are underway – the park will close in March and remain closed through the summer. One of the main goals is to improve stormwater management on the site. [Kuras had given a detailed presentation about the changes at PAC's August 2009 meeting. See Chronicle coverage: "West Park Renovations Get Fast-Tracked"]

As part of that project, Kuras said she’s working with the Ann Arbor Public Art Commission to design new seat walls that will be set into the hill opposite the park’s band shell. [See Chronicle coverage: "Artists Sought for West Park Project"]

Several questions from commissioners related to the West Park project. Tim Berla asked whether there were still plans to include gardens from the nonprofit Project Grow. Kuras said there was space in the master plan for those gardens.

Mike Anglin, who represents Ward 5 on city council, said he’d heard some grumblings about the final designs not including a dog park. Kuras said that all of the mowed areas of the park are heavily used. At a previous PAC meeting, John Lawter had floated the possibility of putting a dog park in the recently acquired Chapin Street property, adjacent to the park. Kuras said that lot was too small for a dog park.

Anglin also asked whether Kuras had any control over the crossing at Chapin and Huron. No, Kuras said, but Eli Cooper – the city’s transportation program manager – is in contact with the Michigan Dept. of Transportation about it. Although vehicles are supposed to stop for pedestrians using the crosswalk, that rarely occurs – making the crossing hazardous. West Park lies to the north of Huron, and the Ann Arbor YMCA is located at the southeast corner of Huron and Chapin.

Scott Rosencrans asked about the decision to use wooden decking on the bridges at Bandemer and Gallup – that gives it a lot of character, he said, but what about durability? Kuras said she’d been concerned about that too, and that they’d looked at other materials, including concrete and metal grating. The challenge with concrete is that the entire stretch would need to be torn out if you needed to access the bridge beneath it for repairs, whereas with wood planks, limited portions could be removed.

Grating was a problem because during the winter, salt from vehicles would get through to the structural part of the bridge, corroding the cor-ten steel. Cor-ten had been a popular material for bridge construction because its self-rusting quality was believed to provide a protective coating. That works in Florida, Kuras noted wryly, but not so well in northern states. This will be a problem statewide, she added, because many of Michigan’s bridges were built with this material.

Tim Berla asked about the possibility of putting recycling bins next to trash bins at the Mary Beth Doyle disc golf course. He hated to see recyclables being put into the trash, just because there wasn’t another option. Smith noted that it was unlikely to happen at the point, since staff would have to empty those bins. Because of the budget, they were looking for ways to cut back on work, not add new tasks. He encouraged disc golfers to carry their recyclables out of the park when they’re finished.

Future Capital Project – Setting Priorities

Later in the meeting, Kuras spoke again about capital projects for parks and recreation, this time giving an update on how staff will be setting priorities for choosing projects in the coming year. Last year, staff developed a rating system based on six broad categories: environmental; safety; regulatory compliance; financial impact; user experience; and social, cultural, recreational and aesthetic considerations. The categories are weighted, she said – for example, safety is given a heavier weight than aesthetic considerations.

They’ve identified 19 projects to prioritize for the next fiscal year, based on those six categories. The projects range from additional renovations at West Park and the farmers market, to replacing deteriorated roads and parking lots throughout the parks system.

Commissioner Gwen Nystuen asked why the Allen Creek Greenway wasn’t on the list – it had been identified by PAC as a goal on the parks system master plan, she said. Colin Smith, manager of parks and recreation, said they only had about $1 million to spend on capital projects. There were certain things – like the greenway – that they didn’t include, simply because the funding wouldn’t be available, he said.

Nystuen said she’s a little uneasy leaving those larger projects – including the greenway, skatepark and dog park – off the list. Mike Anglin noted that the greenway was in the city’s capital improvements plan (CIP), which city council recently approved, so perhaps just referencing that list would be sufficient.

The staff struggles with how much to include, Kuras said, noting that the PROS plan – the state-mandated Parks, Recreation and Open Space plan, which is being updated this year – covers an even broader range of projects.

Naming, Sponsorship and Gift Policies

Colin Smith, the city’s manager of parks and recreation, told commissioners that preparation of a policy for naming, sponsorships and gifts within the parks system had been expedited because of Mack Pool and the Ann Arbor Senior Center. Efforts are underway to find additional revenues for those facilities, which have been targeted to close in fiscal 2010 because of budget cuts. Raising money through sponsorships, gifts and naming opportunities is one option that’s been discussed.

Kuras outlined some of the highlights of the policies. The gifts policy applies for gifts under $25,000, giving guidance to donors and staff about what gifts are appropriate – clarifying whether they fit the mission and vision of the parks system, for example. The policy states that installation and maintenance cost must be included in the gift, and the gift’s “permanency” – the amount of time that the city is obligated to care for the gift – will be limited to 10 years. [.pdf file of gift policy]

The policy gives people a clear idea of what’s required, Kuras said. Smith said that staff will prepare a gift guide as well, which lays out this policy. The guide will also give suggestions about what gifts the parks system needs. It’s unlikely that benches at Gallup Park will be on that list – Kuras noted that there are over 100 benches there. Maintenance workers used to joke that if more benches were added, you could eliminate the paths – it would be possible to traverse the park by walking on the benches.

For naming and sponsorship, the underlying philosophy is similar, Kuras said. Among other things, the policy clarifies that sponsorships are limited to two-year periods, and that for naming a facility, the donor would have to cover 60% of the project’s capital costs. [.pdf file of sponsorship and naming policy]

Several commissioners were concerned about adequately recognizing donations. Gwen Nystuen asked whether there was a way to permanently recognize a gift – perhaps on a plaque – even if the gift itself isn’t permanent. Kuras pointed to the mural at Leslie Science and Nature Center, where donors are named. The city could do something similar. Smith added that they could possibly have a recognition wall for that purpose – the policy gives them flexibility to determine that at a later date.

Sam Offen was also concerned about recognizing donors for their gift beyond the 10-year period. He noted that the University of Michigan had torn down a building that had been named for a donor, without notifying the family before the decision. There needs to be a continued recognition, on a permanent plaque or in some other way, he said.

Tim Berla noted that some “gifts” aren’t actually gifts at all – sometimes they aren’t items that are needed, and they end up costing the city money. Though gifts and recognition are obviously linked, he said, it would be good to try to separate the two.

Offen asked if gifts needed city council approval. Unless they’re in some way controversial, Smith said, gifts under $25,000 don’t require council approval. Anything over $25,000 would go to council, however.

Smith also clarified that in the naming and sponsorship policy, no dollar amount is mentioned. That’s intentional, he said, giving the staff flexibility to handle a wide range of sponsorships, including those that might be relatively small.

David Barrett asked how many gifts the city gets that are over $25,000.

“Not enough,” Smith quipped.

Outcome: The commission passed both policies unanimously.

Updates from Commissioners: Golf Advisory Task Force

Commissioner Julie Grand gave a report on the city’s golf advisory task force, on which she serves. The group met the previous week, she said, and had a heated discussion about the possible privatization of Huron Hills Golf Course. At this point, it’s just an idea, she said – no RFPs (requests for proposals) have been issued. [The RFP was discussed at city council meetings 0n Jan. 25 and Feb.8, 2010, and city administrator Roger Fraser indicated at the Febrary meeting that city staff will work on development of such an RFP.]

The task force has been directed to look for ways to get additional funding for Huron Hills, Grand said, and they hope to get clarification on a number of questions, such as how the city’s municipal service charges – fees paid by every department for shared services, such as information technology and legal services – factor into the budget.

Colin Smith added that the city has been approached by a private vendor interested in alternative uses for Huron Hills – splitting the course into a driving range and learning center on one side of Huron River Parkway, and a 9-hole course on the other. City staff will develop an RFP over the summer, he said, which will be put out for bids. There will then be a review process of the proposals submitted, including a look at proposed financial returns. “It is not a foregone conclusion, that’s for sure,” he said.

The RFP will likely be broad, Smith said, to allow for more creative proposals. Before being put out to bid, it would be reviewed by the task force as well as PAC. He likened it to the Library Lot process, in which the city issued an RFP for development on top of an underground parking structure. There would likely be a committee formed to review responses to the Huron Hills RFP, Smith said, and a lot of opportunity for people to know what’s going on.

Present: John Lawter, Gwen Nystuen, Sam Offen, David Barrett, Scott Rosencrans, Julie Grand, Doug Chapman, Karen Levin, Tim Berla, Mike Anglin (ex-officio)

Absent: Christopher Taylor (ex-officio)

Next meeting: Tuesday, March 16 at 4 p.m. in the Washtenaw County administration building boardroom, 220 N. Main St. [confirm date]

At the board's study session, Robert Allen, deputy superintendent for operations of AAPS, reported the effect of a state mandate to increase AAPS contributions to the state's public school retirement system – an additional $1 million budget shortfall.

That activity was punctuated with continual references to funding fluctuations at the state level. “There is incredible uncertainty,” stated board president Deb Mexicotte. “Ideas change daily, weekly, hourly.” Even though state-level gyrations may end up changing how the Ann Arbor Public Schools moves forward, she asserted, “We are faced with the facts on the ground, and we have to operate from that position.”

And one of those facts on the ground is a state mandate that has already been put in place. It increases by 2.47% the employer contribution rate to the Michigan Public School Employees Retirement System. The mandate adds momentum to the idea of privatization of certain services: If district employees can be replaced with workers who are employed by private contractors, the cost of MPSERS contributions would be saved.

At the study session, trustees also discussed community responses to the district’s budget surveys.

A study session is an opportunity for board members to receive information from AAPS administration, ask questions, and discuss issues in a less formal setting. The public is welcome to attend.

Although only three people spoke during the official public commentary time, a dozen people stayed to ask questions and offer comments throughout the meeting. A trend from the last two BOE regular meetings was continued at the study session – most of the public commentary addressed the negative aspects of privatizing transportation, and custodial/maintenance services.

State Budget Proposal

Todd Roberts, AAPS superintendent, reported on how Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s proposed state budget would affect AAPS, if it is accepted by the legislature. Her budget proposal can be read in its entirety on the state’s website.

Tax Changes Would Fund School Aid Budget

Roberts explained how the governor is proposing to stave off an additional per-pupil funding reduction of $255 by shoring up the School Aid Fund’s (SAF) deficit with additional tax revenue. Granholm has proposed broadening the state sales tax to include services, Roberts explained. The governor’s proposal includes lowering the overall rate from 6% to 5.5%, as well as phasing out the Michigan Business Tax (MBT) over three years.

Roberts said he would be pleased if per-pupil funding stayed at this year’s level, but pointed out that “the tax plan has received a cool reception during its first week in the legislature.” Trustee Susan Baskett clarified that the rate change would be reduced “to 5.5%” not “by 5.5%.”

Primer: Funding the MPSERS

At the study session, Roberts described proposed changes in the Michigan Public School Employees Retirement System (MPSERS). We consider first a bit of background on how the retirement system is funded.

MPSERS has been a “defined benefit” plan up until now – retirees are promised a steady monthly pension and health insurance. [It might change to a "defined contribution" plan for future employees, depending on pending legislation.] Employer contributions fund the bulk of the system. Interest accumulation and employee contributions round out the balance. Recently, due to market conditions, little interest has accumulated.

The number of employees in MPSERS is decreasing, in part because of an increased number of earlier retirements. Outsourcing in other districts in the state also reduces the number of MPSERS employees. Yet health care is getting more expensive. Because the system is “pay as you go,” and a smaller number of MPSERS members are now supporting a larger number of retirees’ pensions and health insurance, the employer contribution rate rises.

The amount that school districts contribute to MPSERS is determined as a percentage of their total salary costs. This percentage has been steadily increasing on average over the past decade, from 10.77% of gross salaries in 1998-99 to the current rate of 16.94% of gross salaries.

At Wednesday’s session, deputy superintendent for operations Robert Allen announced that the MPSERS employer contribution rate has just been increased by 2.47%, bringing it up to 19.41% of total salary costs for the upcoming year.

Also at Wednesday’s study session, trustee Glenn Nelson expressed concern that the mandated increase in employer contributions, along with the proposed 3% increase in employee contributions to MPSERS, would still not be adequate to finance the cost of a large number of retirees. Referencing some math he had just quickly done, Nelson declared, “These numbers should be checked, [but] this is a very expensive retirement incentive.”

Retirement Reform

Roberts described Granholm’s proposed changes to MPSERS as a “carrot and stick approach – mostly the stick.” Currently, annual lifelong pension payments are determined according to a three-part formula – multiplying a retiree’s final average compensation (FAC) by his/her years of service to public education, and then by 1.5%.

Key features of the planned reform were described as follows:

• all employees retiring after Oct. 1 would lose subsidized dental and vision coverage
• an employee’s FAC would be averaged over nine years instead of three
• new employees could not retire until age 65 (currently, any employee can retire with 30 years of service to the district)
• employees would need to contribute an additional 1.9-3% to MPSERS.

Roberts pointed out that this increase in employee contribution really has an impact on AAPS budget planning, because employees would be much less likely to agree to a wage decrease locally if they must contribute additional money to MPSERS per the state mandate.

The “carrot” part of the plan, according to Roberts, would be an increase in the retirement multiplier. For all employees who commit to retirement between April 15 and May 15, their retirement salary multiplier would increase by 0.1%, resulting in a 6.6% increase in lifelong pension payments. Originally, Roberts explained, the cost of this 0.1% increase was to have been borne by the districts, but it has now been decided instead that the extra cost burden would be covered by the state. Baskett asked if years of service would be capped at 30, and Roberts clarified that the cap would only apply to other state employees, not public school employees.

Roberts explained that the state projected a savings to school districts of $650 million if Granholm’s budget passes, but that the plan assumes that 75% of eligible employees will retire, and that not all of them will be replaced. Lightfoot asked how many employees would be eligible to retire this year, and Roberts answered, “I don’t know off the top of my head,” but did offer that 71 teachers had already submitted an “intent to retire.”

Roberts mentioned that Granholm’s plan also allows for retirees to return to work part-time for the three years after retiring. A community member questioned whether the part-time retirees would be district employees or contractors, and Roberts confirmed they would still be employees of the district, and still pay into the retirement system. Lightfoot asked if AAPS could re-hire district employees as contract employees, and Roberts answered that yes, that can and does often happen for administrative positions.

Timing of Legislation

Roberts pointed out that the state budget fluctuations have “created a lot of uncertainty.” He praised Granholm’s suggestion that the budget be set by July 1, and be written for two years, saying “it would be very helpful” if that occurred. But he joked that “hopefully it will be [set] before next December,” referencing the delay in the passage of this year’s state budget. Roberts also pointed out how the legislation approving Granholm’s budget would need to be signed into law very quickly in order to allow for employees to opt into the retirement incentive beginning April 15.

Revised Budget Projections

Todd Roberts presented a series of budget scenarios based on three variants of state funding: (i) no additional cuts to the foundation allowance, (ii) an additional $200 per pupil cut, and (iii) an additional $300 per pupil cut.

First, he pointed out two factors that have changed since the community budget forums – an adjustment in the student count number from 16,489 down to 16,440, which currently translates to a $476,427 loss of per-pupil funding. The second factor is the increase in employer retirement contribution rate described earlier in this article.

Robert Allen reiterated that the AAPS projected budget had allowed for a 1.5% increase in retirement contributions. However, he said that the new state-mandated increase of 2.47% will translate to an extra cost per public employee equal to 19.41% of employee’s salaries.  That means an additional $1 million in payments to MPSERS during the 2010-11 fiscal year.

That’s an additional million-dollar budget shortfall.

Roberts said the best case scenario would be if the state is able to keep the foundation allowance constant, as Granholm has proposed. If this happens, he said, AAPS would have a 2010-11 deficit of $14.7 million, lower than originally projected. In the worst case scenario, the state would proceed with the additional $300 per pupil foundation allowance cuts, resulting in a 2010-11 deficit of $19.67, which would be closer to original AAPS projections. In response to a community member’s question, Allen confirmed that the deficit numbers are cumulative from this year through 2010-11.

Glenn Nelson asked how the capital needs budget relates to the foundation allowance. Allen answered that, as of the 2nd quarter of 2009-10, capital needs allocations have been put back into the revenue and expenditures: “The capital needs budget is really a part of our operating budget.”

Roberts reiterated that the 4% salary and benefit reductions initially proposed by AAPS could be significantly affected by state level budget decisions, and that the board will need to plan for alternatives “since negotiations are not nailed down.” He reported that he will come to the board in March with a range of options outlined.

During her public commentary, Kathy Griswold requested that AAPS release its raw financial data and its check register “so the public can analyze it, and make informed decisions.”

Review of Privatization Bids: Transportation

Robert Allen, AAPS deputy superintendent of operations, reported on two bids received in response to a request for proposals (RFP) issued by the district to privatize transportation services. The RFP had asked companies to include the cost of regular routes, field trips, bus aids, and fleet maintenance in their proposals, in order to be comparable to the $6,053,298 that AAPS spends on those services. Allen said both companies offered savings to AAPS: a proposal from Durham would save $840,433, and a proposal from First Student would save $726,683.

Allen then reported that in addition to these two base bids, a number of “alternative bids” were submitted and are still being reviewed. The parameters of a base bid, Allen explained, are to “keep wages consistent, and match as closely as possible the benefits we currently have.” Alternative bids, on the other hand, offer additional savings, usually by offering lower wages or less robust benefits.

When questioned by trustee Simone Lightfoot, Allen confirmed that, per the RFP, the base bids do not include costs associated with management, mechanics, route supervisors, fuel, or additional costs related to special education needs. But the bids do give an “apples to apples” comparison with the district’s costs.

Lightfoot, along with BOE secretary Glenn Nelson, also asked about indirect costs. Lightfoot defined those as “costs that we did not put in the RFP that could come back to haunt us.” Allen responded that his best estimate was that transportation services cost the district around $200,000 indirectly – that included legal, finance, and human resource management costs.

Trustee Susan Baskett asked if the countywide consolidation plan was on schedule. [She was referring to a developing program being spearheaded by the Washtenaw Intermediate School District, which would increase efficiency and share transportation services across the 10 public school districts in Washtenaw County.] Todd Roberts, AAPS superintendent, answered that the final report of the committee reviewing that program is not due until the end of April, but that AAPS would know if that was a possibility by the end of March.

Public Comment on Transportation Bids

Kathy Griswold – a former BOE trustee and one of the founders of the non-partisan political action committee (PAC) Coalition for Responsible Schools for All Students – asked whether either of the transportation bid companies will provide retirement or health care. Allen replied that employees working for Durham or First Student would receive the same wages and comparable health benefits, but would no longer be “tied to” the state retirement system.

During earlier public commentary time, Griswold had argued that privatization is racially-biased and a distraction. She contended that there is no financial reason to outsource, and that it is not in the best interest of students, adding: “I believe it [privatization] is being championed by a board member who is not here tonight, and who for all intents and purposes, does not live in our district.”  [Griswold was alluding to trustee Randy Friedman.]

One community member asked where the bidders were from. Allen did not know, but thought that one might be from Illinois. He did confirm that neither of the companies is local.

Another public commentary speaker said he had worked for AAPS for 28.5 years, and asked if there was “anything in there to help people who are close” to the 30-year point – at which state employees can retire with a full, lifelong pension. Mexicotte responded that the BOE had discussed when certain employee groups will be vested, and that they would talk more about it.

A third speaker asked if the board expected a high number of transportation workers to be rehired, as was the case when AAPS fully privatized its food service to Chartwells in 2008. Allen confirmed that minimizing staff turnover is a goal, and explained that the key factor to getting staff to stay – according to other districts that have privatized – is maintaining the rate of pay.

The most contentious community voice came from a man who took issue with Allen’s assertion that wages and health care benefits would remain the same. Also using the district’s food service as an example, he asserted that food service workers are not in fact paid the same across the board. He contended that new hires are paid $9 per hour, and given health insurance with co-pays that cost $3,000 per year rather than $500 per year.

Allen allowed that while the food service workers were paid exactly the same wage at the time they transferred from AAPS to Chartwells, the district’s contract with an outsourced company does not extend to new hires: “They [Chartwells] are a company … they have a right to do that.” The public commentary speaker concluded with, “You should not be misinformed about what happened to the health care of these employees … Basically, at $9, they cannot afford the health care plan.” Mexicotte’s response was, “That’s often what happens with outsourcing … It’s not a perfect world.”

Review of Privatization Bids: Custodial

Randy Trent, AAPS executive director of physical properties, explained that AAPS was entertaining both separate and combined bids for custodial and maintenance services. He then introduced the six base bids received for custodial services.

Base bids – bids that keep wages and benefits comparable to those currently offered by AAPS – were received from Midwest, GCA, Fastemps, Aramark, GLES, and Omni. The spreadsheet presented to the BOE by Trent was broken out into the following categories for each contractor: lump sum, exception cost, adjusted lump sum, benefit cost, and lump sum less benefits. Trent explained the reasons for the breakdown. The lump sum is the final amount bid by each company. But some adjusting needs to be done, Trent said, to understand those bids in the context of how they compare to the current AAPS custodial costs, as well as to each other.

The bids of two of the companies – Fastemps and Aramark – do not include pay for substitute custodians if employees are absent, so the “exception cost” is how much it would cost to add the substitute costs to those companies’ bids. The other four bids do not have exception costs. Therefore, the best column to use to compare to the total amount AAPS spends on custodians, Trent explained, is the adjusted lump sum, which is the lump sum plus any exception costs. AAPS total custodial costs are $6,955,697, and the adjusted lump sums for custodial services ranged from $5,893,071 to $8,170,560.

Trent then focused on the “benefit cost” column – the amount each company would spend on benefits. The benefit costs submitted by the six companies range widely from $130,894 to $2,298,618 for the 140 positions bid out. In the interview process with each company, Trent explained, the district can negotiate the details of the benefit package offered to employees.

Trent explained that the best way to compare the companies to each other is to subtract the benefit costs they gave from the adjusted lump sums, since a new benefit package could be built during negotiations: “All of [the companies] are very flexible in putting together a benefit package that is acceptable to us.”

With the benefit costs subtracted, the bids look much more comparable to each other, with a “lump sum less benefits” range of $5,329,440 to $6,000,831. Trent stressed in order to compare this column to the AAPS custodial costs, one would have to add in the cost of benefits, which prompted a question from trustee Glenn Nelson: “Of the nearly $7 million district [custodial] costs, how much is our benefit cost?” Allen replied that he did not have the number off the top of his head. Nelson responded that the number should be easy to get.

Trustee Susan Baskett asked why another firm, Du-All, was not included on the spreadsheet. Trent responded that it did not offer a reasonable bid, saying “We want 100% of our workers to be able to transfer.” Lightfoot asked for clarification on the exception costs for some of the potential vendors: “We pay for subs? So, we’re technically responsible for their employees?” and Trent confirmed that yes, if they don’t show up, AAPS would have to pay for subs for Fasttemps and Aramark employees.

Trent then briefly introduced the 15 alternative bids for custodial services, describing them as reflecting “how much the market could bear.” He said that AAPS would be continuing to analyze them. He also pointed out that most of the alternative bids saved money through wage reduction strategies.

Public Comment on Custodial Bids

Darryl Wilson, president of the local custodial and maintenance workers union, mentioned that the current AAPS employees already have an established sub pool that pays $9.85 an hour with no benefits. Deb Mexicotte responded, “Your comment has been taken and acknowledged.”

Another community comment centered on the scope of work performed by current employees, saying that the typical area covered by a custodian has almost doubled since 1994, and that AAPS custodians are uniquely positioned to keep up with the workload: “If a machine breaks, we can fix it. You’re not going to see savings [from private companies] with areas twice as big.”

Review of Privatization Bids: Maintenance

After a missing Powerpoint slide was located by Amy Osinski, secretary to the board, Randy Trent continued with a review of the bids received for privatizing maintenance services. Trustee  Simone Lightfoot asked whether AAPS maintained responsibility for the maintenance and upkeep of related equipment, and Trent confirmed that it would.

AAPS received base maintenance bids from seven companies: Aramark, Fasttemps, Midwest, GCA, GLES, Omni, and Barton Malow. Three of them had exception costs for hiring substitutes. The adjusted lump sums range from $1,398,600 to $2,149,175, and can be compared to AAPS annual maintenance costs of $1,902,619. As with the custodial bids, Trent pointed out the wide range in benefits costs included in the proposals – from $23,375 to $410,468 for 25 maintenance positions. And when benefit costs are subtracted from the adjusted lump sums, the range of “wage and overhead” costs narrows from $1,227,400 to $1,859,175, making the bids more easily comparable to each other.

Trent also briefly introduced the 12 alternative bids, for which the adjusted lump sums ranged from $730,000 to $1,551,263. Almost all of the alternative bids include lower wages as the cost-savings measure. He stated that the alternative bids would be reviewed by AAPS administration in more detail.

Susan Baskett then asked Trent if he would like guidance from the board on whether to consider the wage reductions presented in the alternative bids, but before he could answer, board president Deb Mexicotte shut down the discussion, interjecting, “That’s something for closed session.”

Baskett then pointed out that two bidders, GLES and Barton Malow, are using unionized workers, and that it might be possible for employees to maintain their union if enough of them are rehired, or to join a new union already working under the chosen contractor. Superintendent Todd Roberts clarified for Baskett that the board would next discuss the bids on March 10 – the next regular BOE meeting. Baskett thanked the administration for “weeding stuff out and figuring out what’s left to do.”

Public Comment on Maintenance Bids

In response to two questions from community members present at the meeting, Mexicotte confirmed that the alternate bids were not comparable to AAPS costs in terms of wages and benefits.  She also confirmed that the scope of expected maintenance coverage was delineated in the RFP. Another question about the inclusion of significant others in the benefit packages led Mexicotte to reassert that the district is committed to maintaining comparable benefits for any employees who transfer to the contract company, if AAPS decides to privatize.

There was a question about the length of the potential contracts, if a bid is accepted. Trent, Mexicotte, and Allen each confirmed that it’s flexible – the base bid is set originally for three years, but can be canceled annually, and is reviewed by the board officially every five years.

Darryl Wilson, president of the local custodial and maintenance workers union, followed up their responses by asking, “And, how long would wage retention stay in place – for the duration of the contract? For three years?” Trent, Allen, Mexicotte, and Baskett all reassured Wilson that a company would not be able to lower salaries right away. Baskett offered, “Once you’re hired on, your salary is locked in for the length of the contract.”

Members of the public who were present expressed lack of trust in the good faith of the potential outsourcing companies: “With no union, they could make us go down to $6 an hour,” and “I’ve heard other districts dropped wages to $9 an hour.” Trent again tried to clarify, saying that companies have to honor the salary negotiated in the contract, and argued that in other districts, wages were low because they started out that way. He again reiterated that AAPS insisted that base bids include comparable wages and benefits.

Other members of the public against privatization included a plumber for the district, who shared a description of his work with the pools, and said, “On behalf of all of our best interests, I don’t see privatization being the answer.” He mentioned that in 1994, when outsourcing maintenance workers was considered, the union and administration worked together on a coordinated plan to save the jobs, but that this time it was different: “I don’t see any alternative plan on the table at this point, and it scares me. … We could try to tailor a plan out of the situation we’re in.”

During his public commentary time, Wilson said he was “here to review.” First, he asserted that data proves privatization is unsafe. He reminded the board that the company that hired a felon accused of sexually harassing a student still works for AAPS, and that two more contractors have been invited to the district since then with the same background check procedure.

Then Wilson addressed quality issues, saying that when he took time off to come speak to the board, there were three complaints about the subs covering for him while he was away. He reminded the board that a quality assurance committee was supposed to be set up two years ago, but that despite repeated attempts on his part, no one has approached him to set it up. Lastly, Wilson pointed out that privatization has failed in other places it’s been attempted, such as in Illinois, where a school district recently canceled its contact with a private company, and hired back its bus drivers.

Wilson closed with, “Ann Arbor’s always been a leader – why are we following?”

Community Responses to Budget Survey and Forums

Liz Margolis, district director of communications, and Jane Landefeld, director of student accounting and administrative support, presented the results of two community surveys conducted by AAPS . One was an online survey presented on the district website, and the second was a survey completed by community members who attended one or more of the budget forums held in January. The surveys were used to get community feedback on suggested budget reductions, as well as to collect additional input and new ideas.

Margolis began by cautioning that the surveys were “unscientific” because a single responder could have submitted multiple responses, or completed both surveys. Further, not all respondents commented in every are making the “total” number different for each category. The online Zoomerang surveys garnered 338 responses, and 519 surveys were completed at the budget forums.

Of the budget forum responses, 96% of them “supported” or “somewhat supported” the cost-saving and revenue-building options that had been presented at the forums. Margolis explained that all responses had been grouped into the following seven categories: instructional/academic programs, administration, facilities, extracurricular activities, transportation, new revenue, and other.

Instructional/Academic Programs Responses

Half the responses in this category revolved around curriculum and programming: 35% thought that teachers should make contract concessions, and should be held more accountable.

About 30% of responses focused on reorganizing schools, such as restructuring the school week. Margolis pointed out one example of a 50-50 split in responses, regarding 7th hour classes – half of the responses said to keep it, and half said to cut it.

Susan Baskett asked for clarification about which responses were being included in this presentation. Landefeld explained that she and Margolis were summarizing themes on which many people had commented, rather than listing comments present on only one or two surveys.

Administration Responses

Regarding administration, the largest chunk of comments were about the number of high school principals: 20% of responses included questions about why AAPS needs so many principals and 10% suggested reducing number, salaries, and/or benefits of all administrative employees. Margolis said that Student Intervention and Support Services (SISS) was mentioned often as a place to look for efficiency and savings.

Todd Roberts clarified for Glenn Nelson that SISS administrators are reimbursed by the state. Nelson then pointed out that the public needs to recognize that eliminating certain positions will not save AAPS money, due to reimbursement structures.

Facilities Responses

Fully half of the responses regarding facilities mentioned concerns with the number of schools currently being operated by AAPS, and suggested some closures, particularly Community High. Many suggestions were also made for ways to maximize schools’ energy efficiency. A greater percentage of forum participants were concerned with privatization than those who responded to the online survey.

Margolis told trustees that 31 of the forum surveys showed support for privatization of custodial and maintenance services. But Simone Lightfoot indicated that the number seemed high based on what they’d heard people say at the forums. Margolis responded that the reporting out heard at the forums was based on the group survey completed at each table, and that she was now offering summary data from the individual surveys completed. In response to the notion of closing Community High, Nelson commented that the board’s performance committee had discussed how people want the smaller, more comfortable environments often associated with charter schools.

Extracurricular Activities Responses

Margolis mentioned that a majority of responses support “pay to play” – that is, charging students a fee for participating in extracurricular activities, including but not limited to athletics. One-third of responses mentioned wanting to ensure the existence of scholarships for students who could not afford the fee. There were also many additional suggestions made to increase revenue, such as charging higher event fees, increasing fundraising, and seeking more corporate sponsorship.

Baskett clarified that “pay to play” really should be called “pay to participate,” since parents were not buying playing time for their kids. Deb Mexicotte pointed out the importance of delineating which programs should be considered “extracurricular,” giving the example that “music is actually academic.” Landefeld confirmed that the issue of distinguishing between academic and extracurricular came up in the surveys too, and that AAPS administration needs to make that clear. Margolis added, that “as a parent, we already pay.”

Transportation Responses

Around 40% of responses encouraged the use of the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority (AATA) to transport students. Discussions about that have already been initiated, according to district administration. Margolis reported that 25% of responses asked the district to increase the efficiency of bus service, 15% supported increasing walk zones, and 10% suggested charging fees for all busing outside of regular school hours.

Regarding privatization of transportation, the online survey results were fairly split. Of the 214 completed surveys that mentioned transportation in response to open-ended questions,  21/214 mentioned being in favor of privatization, and 17/214 mentioned opposing it. The forum survey responses were more opposed to privatization overall, but “not as black and white,” according to Margolis. Forum survey respondents cited concerns about liability, loss of role models, and ability to demonstrate cost savings. Landefeld said that overall, the comments on transportation services centered on being more efficient, and mentioned getting parents to commit to ridership as an example.

New Revenue Responses

Half of responses suggested charging for or increasing the fee for extracurricular events, school supplies, or textbook rental. About 40% suggested increasing the rental fee for school use outside of school hours, and also increasing the number and types of these rentals. Around 30% suggested working to increase “school of choice” students. Other suggestions made were to work for change at the state level, and use more parent volunteers.

Other Responses

The most common additional suggestion was to reduce salary and benefit costs, followed by re-examining high school programming options, and reducing or eliminating some schools.

Board Discussion on Community Responses to Surveys

Todd Roberts said that some of the community feedback reflected options that AAPS is already exploring. He also pointed out that the question of the number of schools would be part of a conversation conducted by the strategic planning committee, which is due to resume its work in April.

Glenn Nelson thanked the administration for pulling together the report, and said it would be very useful. He also mentioned that two of the suggested ideas that resonated with him were having an earlier start to the elementary school day to accommodate working parents, and to be in touch with Washtenaw Community College regarding setting up additional room rentals. Irene Patalan agreed that there were pieces of the report that “tap you on the shoulder.” She also pointed out the diversity of ideas presented, and that many of the responses conflicted directly with others.

Simone Lightfoot also thanked the AAPS administration for its work, saying “These online results were clearly different from what I saw at the town hall meetings.”

Susan Baskett asked Roberts to clarify for what activities AAPS can and cannot charge a fee. Roberts clarified that AAPS cannot charge for basic transportation to and from school, but that the district could charge for field trips. Similarly, Roberts explained, the district cannot charge for any supplies that students are required to have to do the work for a class.

A community member commented that she did not remember the online survey asking specifically about privatization, and Margolis allowed that it did not. However, she explained, at the forums, the community was asked to comment directly on the options presented, including privatization. Margolis also reiterated that the forum group survey and the forum individual survey were not the same, and agreed that the online and forum individual surveys did not line up exactly in their wording.

Final comments on the survey responses came from a community member concerned with what would happen to the children of district employees who currently attend AAPS if those employees are outsourced. He estimated that this situation would affect approximately 70 students. Some students are able to attend AAPS schools based a parent’s employed with the district, not residency in the district.

Deb Mexicotte answered first, saying that the question was interesting and that the board should take note. Roberts then began to answer, saying that there was nothing that would prohibit the board considering the issue, but before he could finish, Dave Comsa, assistant superintendent for human resources and legal services,  jumped up from his seat on the side of the room and asserted: “We [AAPS] should take a further look.” Baskett asked for clarification of board policy on the issue, and Roberts answered that currently in that situation, the student would leave with the departing staff member.

The meeting ended with Mexicotte thanking AAPS administration for the information it presented, and everyone who attended. She reminded community members that they were welcome to contact the board by e-mail with any follow-up information they wanted to share.

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

Absent: Treasurer Randy Friedman

Next meeting: The next public meeting of the BOE will be a study session on March 8, at which the board will interview the eight candidates who have applied to fill the board vacancy left by Adam Hollier, who resigned earlier this month. The interviews will begin at 5:30 p.m., and will take place in the main conference room of the Balas administration building, 2555 S. State St.

Next regular meeting: March 10, 2010, 7 p.m., at the downtown Ann Arbor District Library, 4th floor board room, 343 S. Fifth Ave. [confirm date]

Todd Roberts, left, superintendent of Ann Arbor Public Schools, talks Adam Hollier, who resigned as an AAPS board of education trustee on Wednesday night. (Photos by the writer.)

Leading up to his announcement, Hollier used his parting comments as an AAPS trustee to offer support to the workers facing possible privatization, as well as to make a strong pitch for private giving to support the schools in light of a looming budget shortfall.

Also during the meeting, 13 speakers filled the maximum allotted public commentary time of 45 minutes, most of them focusing on the perils of privatization. A few speakers were there to express frustration with the district’s handling of a recent incident at Logan Elementary School.

Other actions at Wednesday’s meeting included a report on a new communication system that would allow the district to quickly send mass voicemails, texts or emails, and the presentation of several awards. And in the board’s informational packet – but not discussed at the meeting – was news of a possible state retirement mandate that could negatively impact the district’s budget.

Trustee Adam Hollier Resigns

Adam Hollier began his resignation statement by saying he had prepared comments, but had decided to “wing it” in light of issues raised during the meeting. He stressed that, in hearing what speakers said during the public commentary, “it does take a village to raise a child.” He recalled that some of his fondest memories were of a custodian at his elementary school, Mr. Johnson, and said they had developed a real relationship.

Referencing the few dozen AAPS employees present at the meeting to oppose privatization, Hollier argued that school support staff can make a big difference in students’ lives: “We don’t see a child fall through the cracks the day they fall … You say, ‘I wish I could have helped them …’ Many of the people in this room make a difference when no one else can.”

Hollier cited a lack of time, as well as a desire to work on education reform at the state level, as reasons for his resignation. [Hollier is the chief of staff for state Rep. Bert Johnson, who represents Michigan’s 5th District, including Hamtramck, Highland Park, and parts of Wayne County and the city of Detroit. He won his school board seat in May 2009, though he had withdrawn from the race in April. His withdrawal came too late to remove his name from the ballot, and he won the election.]

On Wednesday, Hollier expressed frustration at the current education funding crisis. He said he doesn’t know anyone in Lansing who has the answer, but since the school system is dependent on decisions made at the state and national levels, reform needs to happen there. “The problems are beyond what we can solve here,” he said.

Hollier said he believes his efforts would be better spent in Lansing, and that the board deserves a trustee who can devote more time to the position.

Referencing the defeated countywide educational millage last November, Hollier said, “We had an opportunity not to fight these battles, but it didn’t work out that way.” Addressing the public directly, Hollier continued, “I encourage you to support the public school system as though the millage passed – because it did.” [The millage failed countywide, but was supported by voters in the Ann Arbor school district.]

Hollier outlined a possible private giving target for AAPS, saying if each of the district’s 16,458 students were sponsored by a parent or community member paying $10 per month during the school year, the district could raise $164,000. Or, he suggested, community members could be asked to pay a dollar a day. [This is a theme that would be picked up later in the meeting by trustee Randy Friedman.] As a comparison, had the millage passed, AAPS would have received over $11 million annually for 5 years. [For details on public school funding, and the structure of the failed millage, see previous Chronicle coverage: "Does It Take a Millage?"]

Hollier closed his comments, made during the “Items from the Board” section at the end of the meeting, by thanking his fellow trustees and the community, asserting, “This has been the greatest experience of my life. Though I’m leaving the board, I’m not leaving the district.” President Deb Mexicotte accepted Hollier’s resignation on behalf of the board, and opened the floor to comments from other trustees.

Glenn Nelson told Hollier it was great to get to know him, that he was impressed by Hollier’s intelligence, and that he looked forward to hearing more from him as his career evolved. Irene Patalan acknowledged that it was a hard decision for Hollier to resign, and wished him luck in his next step.

Susan Baskett echoed those sentiments, “I look forward to seeing where your career goes  … Go up there and kick booty!” Superintendent Todd Roberts said he appreciated Hollier’s commitment, knowing how busy he’s been.

And Simone Lightfoot commended Hollier’s work on the board, saying, “I’m so proud of you; I’m almost speechless. Thank you for your service. I expect great things.” She praised Hollier’s conscientiousness, diplomacy, and articulateness, thanking him for “encouraging us to think outside of the box.”

Timeline and Process for Selection of New Trustee

Deb Mexicotte shared that when Hollier told her privately that he was planning to resign as of Feb. 12, she began to work out a timeline, since the board is required to fill the vacancy within 30 days. The board was at somewhat of an advantage, she said, since everyone was familiar with the process, having just appointed Simone Lightfoot to the board last December to replace former trustee Helen Gates-Bryant. The person selected to replace Hollier will serve through Dec. 31, 2010.

Mexicotte explained that the application timeline was structured to accommodate both the AAPS and the University of Michigan breaks occurring in late February, saying that the board “didn’t want to disenfranchise any part of the community” who might want to apply. She also encouraged those who came forward before to reapply, and proposed following timeline: an executive committee meeting on Feb. 9 to decide on interview questions and specific process; a meeting on March 8 to interview candidates; and candidate presentations and appointment at the regular board meeting on March 10.

Randy Friedman said the timeline was amenable to him, but suggested contacting the six other applicants who had competed for Lightfoot’s seat to see if they would like to renew their applications. He also suggested that those applicants go through a shorter interview process, since the board was already familiar with them. Mexicotte said it was her intent to contact the recent applicants, and that the executive committee would consider a shorter interview.

Glenn Nelson pointed out that, while he respects people’s time, shortening the interview presupposes that the interview questions will be exactly the same this time as they were when interviewing for the position awarded to Lightfoot. If the questions were at all different, he argued, all applicants would need to be given an opportunity to answer the exact same questions. Adam Hollier reminded the board that Lightfoot was not able to interview any of the previous candidates, as she was one of the applicants at the time, which Mexicotte conceded was an “excellent point.”

After some additional clarifying questions were answered, the following timeline for selecting a new trustee was set:

• Monday, Feb. 8, 4 p.m.: Deadline for community to submit possible interview questions to board office.
• Tuesday, Feb. 9: Executive committee meeting to select questions and plan interview process.
• Friday, Feb. 19, 4 p.m.: Deadline to submit application for vacant trustee position to board office.
• Monday, March 8: Candidate interviews by the board.
• Wednesday, March 10, 7 p.m.: Candidate presentations at the regular board meeting, and candidate selection.

The vacancy was posted Thursday to the board’s website, and states that any individual wishing to serve must be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years of age, a resident of the AAPS school district, and registered to vote. Applications should contain a resume, a letter of intent detailing the candidate’s experiences and qualifications, and two letters of recommendation. They should be sent to Amy Osinski by mail at AABOE, 2555 S. State St., Ann Arbor, MI 48104; by fax at 734-994-2414; or by email at osinski@aaps.k12.mi.us.

Private Giving to AAPS

Referencing Adam Hollier’s final comments, trustee Randy Friedman asked superintendent Todd Roberts if there was a formal process already in place for community members to donate to the AAPS. Roberts explained that the Ann Arbor Public Schools Educational Foundation is the vehicle for private individuals who want to donate to the AAPS. Roberts added that the foundation has already run a campaign similar to what Hollier suggested, trying to encourage AAPS-district residents to donate the same amount they would have paid if the millage had passed (about $250 per year for a home valued at $250,000).

Roberts also stated that the second phase of that giving campaign was slated to begin in the next month or so. [For more information about the work of the foundation, see The Chronicle’s coverage of its most recent Celebration of Innovation and Excellence event, held each spring: "Educational Foundation Marks Achievements"]

Friedman expressed his frustration at the foundation’s campaign, saying it “has not been well-publicized or well-organized.” He suggested that AAPS should reach out to the community directly, saying that he’s been talking private giving since before he had gray hair and asking, “Why is this so difficult?” He argued that the foundation does not have the resources to “stimulate, manage, and control” efforts at private giving, and that “this is not something that lends itself to volunteerism.” He added: “I’d like to support a campaign. I’d like there to be a campaign to support.”

Referencing Hollier’s earlier suggestions, Friedman argued that establishing an AAPS-led private giving campaign would be “a great legacy to this young trustee,” and asked the board to consider it, saying “My challenge is to the only person at the table who has a computer with a database…I’d like that on the agenda.”

Deb Mexicotte asked whether the board wanted to direct the administration to look into Friedman’s proposals, and the board agreed. Mexicotte clarified that this was not a vote, but that she “look[ed] for nodding.” She then assigned Roberts to look into how such a campaign might be structured, what the advantages and challenges might be, and to report back to the board at his earliest convenience.

Public Commentary: Privatization

Walking into the downtown library, where the regular board meetings are held, The Chronicle passed through a throng of picketing members of the custodial, maintenance, and grounds workers’ union.

Workers demonstrate against privatization of certain school services on Feb. 3 outside of the downtown library on Fifth Avenue, where the AAPS school board meeting took place.

The 16 members were walking slowly back and forth along Fifth Avenue, holding signs in opposition to the proposed privatization of their services, as well as to privatized transportation services for the district.

At the meeting, board president Deb Mexicotte reminded the 13 speakers signed up for public commentary, as well as the dozens of teachers, students, and co-workers there to support them, that public commentary is limited to 45 minutes.

Because the time is divided equally among the number of speakers present, that meant that  each speaker would be given no more than 3 minutes and 20 seconds to share his or her comments.

Privatization Commentary: Head Start Licensing, NAEYC Accreditation in Jeopardy

The bulk of the speakers at Wednesday’s public commentary were there to oppose privatization, and this time, a new voice joined their ranks. Marifran Brown, a preschool teacher with 22 years of service to the district, spoke in “support of my colleagues in custodial, maintenance, and transportation services.”

Brown offered a new perspective to the ongoing debate over privatization in the district, arguing that AAPS is in danger of losing Head Start grant funding and National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) accreditation status if they privatize. She explained that the preschool has specific needs that would not be met if the people essential to her educational team were privatized.

The district’s Preschool and Family Center serves a specific population of students. According to a report made by preschool staff to the board’s performance committee last year, two-thirds of the families served by the pre-school received special education services, and the remaining one-third were living in poverty. At that same meeting, an update was given on the then-ongoing accreditation process. The minutes state: “Ongoing evaluation to achieve NAEYC accreditation has been a lot of work …There are few accredited preschools in the country, so this is an area where Ann Arbor has also taken the opportunity to move to the next level. … Trustees noted that there is little appreciation of the comprehensive nature of our Preschool programming, due primarily to few informational opportunities outlining the scope and range of services.”

At Wednesday’s board meeting, Brown explained that the nature of working with this population demands a high degree of communication and cooperation among all members of the team, using transportation services as an example. “Bus drivers are a critical link to parents,” she said. “We are asking parents of [at-risk] three-year-olds to put their children on a bus. It’s not fair to say that we don’t know who’s driving the bus, or if they can work a 5-point harness. You’re not going to know – they won’t answer to you.”

Brown cited the extensive inspections to maintain Head Start licensing, as well as the criteria required to meet NAEYC accreditation standards as being impossible to achieve “without the support of custodial, maintenance, and transportation services.” She argued that they’ve been able to meet the criteria only because of the entire team. The higher staff turnover that would accompany privatization, due to lower pay and lack of retirement benefits, would imperil the district’s ability to keep staff properly prepared for the ongoing licensing inspections, she said. “We could not keep our grant and licensing criteria met – we will not have had time to train people.”

Privatization Commentary: Personal Appeals, Sacrifice

Multiple speakers made emotional appeals to the board, expressing fears and worries about how privatization would affect them personally, and offering to take additional pay cuts to protect their jobs.

A custodian with 20 years of service said she had graduated with just a 6th grade reading level, and that her education failed her. She credits AAPS with giving her a way “to not feel like a failure.” In return, she said she has given “beyond anything” back: “I fill in when teachers, secretaries, principals are late. I serve breakfast.” She listed numerous occasions when students have leaned on her, and she has been able to provide support and guidance, even to a student considering suicide. “The district needs to look at what we give,” she said, “and we’re still willing to give.”

Another employee, a bus driver with four years of district service, said this job is one of three she currently holds, and that it pays the majority of her bills. “Financially,” she said, “we are your smallest liability, but we are your greatest asset.” She asserted that she knows all about budgeting and cutting back, yet she still struggles to make ends meet. She asked, “I wonder, [if privatization occurs] will they hire everyone back, or just a percentage? I wonder if I can afford health insurance. Why diminish the quality of living standards of the poorest paid employees?” She closed by encouraging the district to put something on its website about how parents can contact their legislators about school funding issues,  offering to use her van to spread flyers with that information.

Another bus driver, with 29 years in the district, also spoke of being willing to sacrifice personally for the good of the whole. He suggested that if you take the district’s total operating budget of roughly $192 million, that the $20 million shortfall could be made up entirely if all employees agreed to take an 11% pay cut. He said he would agree to that, as long as the cut was universal.

Privatization Commentary: Public Appeals for Public Appeals

Three of the speakers appealed directly to the public, encouraging parents and community members to write trustees and legislators themselves. A transportation worker with 16 years of service pleaded with parents directly, saying they should be worried, and “not be afraid to call – we need your complaints. [Privatization] is not only going to hurt us, but also the parents, and the children of the parents.”

Another speaker, a bus driver, said, “I really look forward to retiring with somewhat of a pension, and I’m concerned about that. Could we contact our legislators to make a stronger or more powerful statement to Lansing?”

Privatization Commentary: AAPS Mission Statement

Two speakers, one teacher and one bus driver, spoke directly about how they saw privatization as antithetical to the district’s mission statement.

Teacher Carol Mohrlock pointed out that the AAPS mission statement, “talks about nurturing the human spirit and building alliances with families and communities,” and shared her concern that privatization of “any department … moves us further from this statement.” She questioned how the district hopes to maintain its vision of excellence in customer service by “hiring individuals who are not invested in the district,” and encouraged the district to analyze how departments can work smarter and more efficiently before eliminating them. “The answer lies within us and with our district employees,” she said.

Bus driver Penny Scheppe echoed these concerns, and framed the question as a moral one. “Simple logic should tell us that it’s impossible for a private company to deliver the same service for less,” she said, adding that most people seem to forget that private companies owe a legal responsibility to make a profit for their investors. “If wages are reduced and benefits are eliminated, there’s money to go toward profit,” she said. “But, [this] profit comes at a huge cost to the public … Should the [AAPS] be promoting greed as a building block of society to our kids?” She also asserted that the district can always find someone to do the job cheaper, “but you won’t find anyone to do the job better!”

Privatization Commentary: AAPS Already Gets “Tremendous Value”

Multiple speakers used the phase “tremendous value” in referencing the savings AAPS gets by maintaining its own staff, for transportation in particular. One bus driver pointed out that more delineated accounting – splitting out the wages for drivers and monitors from administrative and maintenance costs – would show this savings more clearly. He suggested that 90% of drivers are part-time, creating a huge savings for the district in terms of benefits. He also argued that privatization shows a lack of long-range planning and that the net effect will be exhausted drivers, if workers need to get second or third jobs to make up the lack of pay and benefits.

Privatization Commentary: Student Safety a Key Issue

Echoing the above comments, the same bus driver who had suggested a universal pay cut also pointed out how privatization could impact what he called the current “culture of safety” in transportation services. “What do you want the bus driver of your child to be thinking about?” he asked. He claimed that part-time, privatized workers would be forced to look for additional work to make ends meet, and would end up exhausted. He closed by asking, “At what point [do we] allow the deterioration of the safety culture to cause the death of a child?”

Reminding the board of another perspective on safety, Darryl Wilson, president of the local chapter of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 1182, representing custodians and maintenance workers, cited the 2004 safety incident in which a felon with a history of assault was hired as a contract custodian. Wilson used the incident to highlight the inadequacy of trusting private companies to do complete and proper background checks on their employees, and pointed out that Michigan State Police “admit to having up to a 64% failure rate,” depending on the timing of felonies and whether or not they occurred out of state. (Currently, all AAPS employees are also checked against a federal database.)

“You say, ‘It’s just one incident’ … This person stabbed people,” Wilson asserted. Quoting a statement made by Liz Margolis in an Ann Arbor News article on the incident in which she said the employee “would not have been hired had the district known he’d been convicted of assault,” Wilson asked, “When you’re thinking about privatization, who do you want in your schools?”

Privatization Commentary: It’s the Problem, Not the Solution

A head custodian at one of the district middle schools cited a series of examples of what he sees as wasteful spending. All were examples of outsourcing that he felt could have been done by AAPS employees for less cost, particularly electrical work such as counting light bulbs, switches, and outlets, or installing a new light bulb in a food warmer.

He also asked, “How does the district explain the new ‘school messenger’ phone system?” [This system is described in some detail in the superintendent’s report later in this article.] “Technology is important,” he stated, “but are we beginning to put in place a system that will next replace another group of employees?” He pointed out how the AAPS used to have plumbers, but how plumbing is now outsourced completely. “If the AAPS has slowly eliminated custodial and maintenance workers, then why is there still an issue regarding the cost for these departments?” he asked. “Could private companies be charging the district too much money?”

Incident at Logan Elementary

Also generating public commentary, as well as response from district officials, was an incident in which a fifth-grade teacher left the Logan Elementary school building without informing the principal.

Public Commentary on Logan Incident

Two parents, both representing families of fifth-grade students at Logan Elementary, expressed frustration with the district’s handling of a recent incident there, in which a teacher left his school unexpectedly during instructional time and has been placed on administrative leave. After the teacher left, the school was placed temporarily in lockdown mode.

The first parent, Kate Klaus, referenced a letter given to board trustees, which she said was pulled together in less than 12 hours and signed by a majority of parents with students in the class to show that “we are united in support for the teacher.” The parents, Klaus said, decided to write a group letter expressing support for the teacher because “the voice of the community acting together is stronger and louder” than that of individuals. She acknowledged that it was wrong for the teacher to leave the building, but said that he should be allowed to return to his classroom immediately.

Calling the lockdown policy “seriously flawed,” Klaus claimed that “someone exercised criminally poor judgment by calling police and imposing a lockdown.” She spoke on behalf of the teacher again, saying “he turned the kids into critical thinkers” and arguing that “children have already been harmed” by his absence. Klaus closed by repeating her request to return the teacher: “We are asking that the rule the teacher broke not be considered more important than the kids the rule was designed to protect.”

A second parent, Tina Pappas, also spoke in support of the teacher. She asked all parents and students present on the teacher’s behalf to stand up. When they did, filling nearly a whole side of the public seating available in the boardroom, she noted that the teacher had “near-unanimous” support from the families of the students in his class. She claimed that “what should have been a simple personnel issue became a non-objective lockdown,” and asserted that this is a dedicated teacher, who teaches each student to “be a good person, and learn about the world.” In closing, Pappas also requested the teacher be taken off leave: “He needs to get back in the classroom. Personnel issues need to be worked out between administration, him, and the union rep.”

District Response to Logan Incident

A follow-up call by The Chronicle to Liz Margolis, spokesperson for the AAPS, provides some background on the incident in question. Margolis outlined the situation as follows: Late last month, a fifth-grade teacher left the building without informing the principal. He left his laptop and keys on the principal’s desk, spoke with another teacher, and then drove off in his car. That teacher went to the principal, and reported what had been said. The principal then called the district office, as well as the Ann Arbor Police Department liaison officer assigned to Logan. What the teacher said before leaving has not been made public, but based on his statement, the officer recommended a lockdown, which was enacted.

Margolis acknowledged that Logan had been following outdated lockdown policies that were “over-the-top,” but asserted that, though students had been frightened and unsettled by the procedures, they were not in danger at any time. She also added that the Logan principal and police liaison officer devoted three hours during last week’s regularly scheduled PTO meeting to review proper district lockdown procedures with parents. As of week’s end, the teacher in question remains on administrative leave, and a substitute has been placed in his classroom.

Challenge Regarding Anonymous Commentary

Trustee Susan Baskett thanked the community for participating in public commentary, and said she appreciated public comments.

However, she said, “what I cannot embrace are anonymous contacts.” Baskett then held up a letter that she had received from an anonymous source, saying that the letter contained “serious, incorrect allegations” but that she was unable to respond, as the letter was unsigned. Two other board members also received the correspondence.

Baskett issued a challenge to the writer, asking him or her to come forward and “allow us a way to communicate … on an adult level.”

Board Committee Reports, Mack Pool Task Force Update

The board maintains two standing committees, performance and planning.

Susan Baskett, chair of the performance committee, reported that at its recent meeting they had reviewed the entrance and exit procedures for Stone School and the Roberto Clemente Student Development Center. The committee is comfortable with the procedures, she said, and will release them to the public soon. The committee will also be scheduling meetings in March to look at redesigning the district’s alternative programs. The committee also discussed the role, anticipated needs of, and way to improve the district’s communications. The school messenger program was reviewed as a means of allowing the district to quickly disseminate information. Also, Baskett reported that the performance committee is planning additional discussions about charter schools.

Irene Patalan then gave a report as chair of the planning committee. At its Jan. 26 meeting, the committee was briefed on the electrician bid, which was shared as a first briefing at Wednesday’s board meeting. The committee also heard an update on the status of a possible license agreement involving Mack Pool. Patalan explained that the city has created a task force, including three AAPS representatives, to study possible ways to increase revenue and decrease operating costs of Mack Pool. The AAPS representatives on the task force are: Randy Trent, executive director of physical properties; Sara Aeschbach, director of AAPS Community Education and Recreation; and Naomi Zikmund-Fisher, principal of Ann Arbor Open School at Mack, where the pool is located.

The city and the AAPS have an agreement dating back to 1974 regarding the sharing of Mack Pool. Patalan explained how the task force is considering amending this agreement to allow the city a longer block of time during the day to rent out the pool. [See previous Chronicle coverage of the recommendations from the Mack Pool task force.]

School Messenger System

As part of his superintendent’s report, Todd Roberts introduced the School Messenger system, a new communications system being put in place throughout the district, which will allow all schools to send messages via voicemail, text message, or email at a fast rate. He said the system can make 3,000 phone calls in 3 minutes, and that it would improve the district’s ability to communicate during emergencies, as well as to advertise upcoming events and help with attendance at the secondary level. “We believe it will allow us to get information out much more quickly,” he said, adding that the system includes a survey feature, and is translatable into languages other than English. Roberts also suggested that the PTO and other organizations would be allowed access to the system, within certain guidelines.

Prompted by a request for clarification by Deb Mexicotte, Roberts explained the School Messenger system was funded by a federal Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) grant. He added that AAPS was one of the only school districts in the state to receive REMS funding, and that the nearly $400,000 in funding over two grant cycles, allows AAPS “to do some things we would not otherwise be able to do.”

Budget Update

The information packet distributed as part of Wednesday’s meeting also contained a memorandum from superintendent Todd Roberts regarding proposed changes to the Michigan Public Schools Employees Retirement System (MPSERS), and how the changes could affect the district.

Retirees in MPSERS currently receive an annual pension equal to 1.5% times their years of service, times their final average annual pay. Gov. Jennifer Granholm is recommending a change to MPSERS that would increase the retirement multiplier to 1.6%. For example, if an AAPS teacher earning an average of $80,000 over the past few years, with 30 years of service to the district, chose to retire at the end of this school year, his or her annual pension payment would increase from $36,000 to $38,400. This additional cost per retiree would be paid by the district. Granholm’s plan also increases employee contributions to MPSERS by 3%.

Roberts’ memo explained that, in addition to the costs of the early-retirement incentive, the proposed increase in retirement costs for employees “may impact the ability to lower our salary and benefit costs locally because of the additional costs being added to employees by the state.” It also states that the change would likely result in a significant number of retirements for the system, which might cause significant staffing issues in spring and summer.

At this time, these are still proposals. Legislation would be required at the state level to enact Granholm’s recommendations.

First Briefing on General Bid for Electrical Work

As referenced earlier in the public commentary, AAPS outsources much of its electrical work. At Wednesday’s meeting, Randy Trent, the district’s executive director of physical properties, approached the board to request their annual approval of a blanket bid for 2,000 hours of electrical work. The Bid Review Proposal included in the board meeting packet states that pre-approval allows the physical properties department to act on electrical maintenance requirements in a timely way. This year, Trent recommended the district’s contract be granted to Wiltec Technologies, Inc.

Trent explained that an outside contractor is needed because “we don’t have the trained staff to do these things.” He said the department received several bids, and that the two lowest bidders did not have any low-voltage experience, so his recommendation went to the lowest qualified bidder, which was Wiltec.

Glenn Nelson asked whether the district has had any experience with Wiltec, or information on the quality of their work. Wiltec is an Ann Arbor company, Trent replied, with decades of experience with AAPS. He added that Wiltec was a successful bidder on the bond issue for digital and lighting controls, and that their work is of very high quality.

Susan Baskett asked for clarification on whether the RFP (request for proposals) specified the necessary experience, since the two lowest bids had been discounted. She also asked about the minority business classification of Wiltec. Trent explained that the degree of experience was revealed during reference checks, which was why those bids were disregarded. He also said that Wiltec did not meet the minority business threshold of 10% of its workers being minorities, but that it would only be providing one person to the district, so it was not relevant.

Additional Second Briefing Items and Consent Agenda Approved

Two items, in addition to the naming of facilities, had been presented at the Jan. 20 board meeting and were presented again at Wednesday’s meeting for final consideration of the board: 1) the contracting with Great Lakes Environmental Services (GLES) to manage parking at Pioneer High School during University of Michigan football games, and 2) the replacement of computers in the business lab at Huron High School.

Susan Baskett asked Randy Trent, executive director of physical properties, whether GLES hires people as employees or contractors, and Trent confirmed that GLES hired people as employees and paid their taxes. Both items were approved as items included in the consent agenda of Wednesday’s meeting. The consent agenda also included the acceptance of two gift offers, and a resolution to hold two additional executive sessions in February (one for collective bargaining negotiations, and one for evaluation of the superintendent). [.pdf file of Feb. 3 board agenda]

Awards and Accolades

The board’s Feb. 3 meeting included numerous award and accolades – from the naming of facilities to a celebration of an AAPS-University of Michigan partnership.

Westfield-Sleeman Track and Lillie Gym Names Approved

Two naming proposals were approved at their second briefing.

Superintendent Todd Roberts bestowed “with great honor” the co-naming of the Pioneer High School track to Don Sleeman, introducing the coach as “a man who, for many people, needs no introduction.”

Coach Don Sleeman

Sleeman was on hand to accept the award, thanked the superintendent and all of his student athletes. “The thing that’s really gratifying is the fact that so many of them have gone onto various professions,” Sleeman said. “Whatever they did, they did with outstanding effort … and became very good at it.”

Glenn Nelson thanked Sleeman for all he’d done for the district and “innumerable” students. “It’s wonderful to recognize such an outstanding person,” Nelson said, adding that it was great that someone like Sleeman would choose to spend a 42-year career with the district. Irene Patalan said she could tell by Sleeman’s remarks to the board that he was always encouraging students.

Because Sleeman was in attendance, Deb Mexicotte entertained voting on the proposal immediately, instead of during the consent agenda later in the meeting. The motion was made by Susan Baskett, who offered, “As the wife of one of his former track stars, I’d be honored to make the nomination.”  The motion passed unanimously.

Tappan Middle School gym teacher Rob Lillie was also celebrated, with the naming of the Tappan gym in his honor. Superintendent Todd Roberts spoke briefly on behalf of Lillie, saying the award wasn’t just about his service as a physical education teacher and coach, it was his impact on shaping the lives of kids, and their kids, over 40 years.

The board unanimously approved Lillie’s award as an item on the consent agenda later in the meeting. Since Lillie is out of town, it was agreed that he would be invited to be personally congratulated by the board upon his return in March or April.

Celebration of Excellence and Gold Star Awards

The board periodically recognizes AAPS staff members who have excelled in either innovation or customer service with the Celebration of Excellence award, or who have done a good job within the realm of their responsibilities with a Gold Star award. At this meeting, both honors were awarded.

Donnetta Brown, a secretary at Huron High School, received a Celebration of Excellence award. Brown was lauded as the “heart of Huron,” and honored for her quality of attention, patience, and flexibility. She was nominated by her co-worker, Sharon Brown (no relation), with the statement, “Ms. Brown has provided support to a peer who was suffering from a serious illness, treating her as if she was her own family. She has been a source of comfort and assistance that has gone above and beyond the ‘outstanding customer service’ category. She has truly earned distinction as a loving hero.” Deb Mexicotte echoed that sentiment as a Huron parent.

Brown accepted her award, saying, “I’d just like to say thank you. I love working in AAPS, and I’m just glad to be of service.”

Mexicotte then announced the following Gold Star awards, and offered her congratulations to Jeremy Eldred and Mike Hogue of the information technology department, and to Cindy Johengen, a teacher at Allen Elementary School.

Youth Senate Update

Three high school students representing the Youth Senate gave a report to the board. They thanked the trustees for their “hard work, dedication, and perseverance,” and hoped that the board felt sufficiently acknowledged by the community during school board recognition month, which was in January. They also thanked the DTE Energy Foundation for a recent leadership development grant awarded to the Youth Senate. Lastly, they reported on the accomplishments of the Achievement Solutions Team currently meeting at Huron High School. The AST is a peer support group that works to eliminate achievement disparities – the students said that early reports show no AST students failing any classes last semester.

Appreciation of University Musical Society-AAPS Partnership

Both superintendent Todd Roberts and trustee Glenn Nelson expressed gratitude during Wednesday’s meeting for the relationship between AAPS and the University Musical Society (UMS). During his superintendent’s report, Roberts thanked UMS for hosting the annual partnership luncheon and performance, featuring Ladysmith Black Mamabazo. He lauded UMS for the many benefits it offers to AAPS students, and said it was a relationship of which the district could be proud.

Nelson delineated these benefits during the “Items from the Board” portion of the meeting. He noted the recent performance about Abraham Lincoln, choreographed by Bill T. Jones, that AAPS students were privileged to see, and noted that “the public performance was great, but the public did not get to see Jones doing his work – our students did. … How many people get to see a MacArthur fellow doing his work?” Nelson thanked UMS president Ken Fisher, saying “There are times when I get that same excitement of a learning experience that was like my own school experience. It’s exciting to be learning like K-12 students in your mid-6os.”

Additional Accolades

Also during his superintendent’s report, Todd Roberts congratulated various students and school communities on their recent accomplishments, including:

• Four Pioneer High School seniors who are candidates for a Presidential Scholar award.
• Skyline High School’s production of “The Midnight Caller,” which qualified to compete in a regional fine arts festival, despite being produced completely by freshmen and sophomores.
• Wines Elementary first family math night, attended by 188 people.
• 4th, 5th, and 6th graders who placed highly in the Knowledge Master Open.
• Many high ratings among musicians at all the high schools in the Solo and Ensemble Festival.
• Many school communities who raised thousands of dollars for Haiti.
• The fact that AAPS continues to need larger and larger venues for the National African-American Parent Involvement Day evening program, known as NAAPID at Night, and hosted by Skyline this year on Feb. 8, from 5:30-8:30 p.m.

Present: Deb Mexicotte, Irene Patalan, Glenn Nelson, Randy Friedman, Susan Baskett, Adam Hollier, Simone Lightfoot. Also present as a non-voting member: Todd Roberts, AAPS superintendent.

Next regular meeting: Feb. 24, 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].