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]

AAPS trustee Susan Baskett and deputy superintendent for operations Robert Allen listen to the transportation consolidation proposal. (Photos by the writer.)

Brian Marcel, assistant superintendent of business services for WISD, walked board members through the proposal, and went through an extensive list of questions and answers about the plan. A few bus drivers from AAPS, as well as some from Lincoln Consolidated Schools, attended the meeting – one of them, Richard Miller, spoke during public commentary.

The only other business conducted at the meeting was to approve a set of minutes, and to schedule an executive session before the next regular meeting on Wednesday, June 9.

Transportation Consolidation Plan Overview

As discussed in some detail at the April 28, 2010 board meeting, the consolidation plan being considered would merge transportation services from at least five Washtenaw County school districts into one entity, managed by the WISD. In addition to AAPS, other districts that are considering joining the consortium are Lincoln Consolidated, Whitmore Lake, Willow Run, and Ypsilanti. [.pdf of FAQ on the consolidation design]

At Friday’s meeting, Brian Marcel shared with the AAPS board the final report of the WISD transportation consolidation administrative design team. Marcel briefed the board on issues that had come up during a meeting held with local bargaining units representing bus drivers and monitors. He also reported to the board on the Ypsilanti school board meeting when the transportation consolidation proposal was discussed.

Also present on Friday to answer questions were: Jim Regan, of Transportation Strategies, one of the consultants hired by the WISD to manage the consolidation effort; AAPS director of transportation, Brad Mellor; AAPS superintendent, Todd Roberts; AAPS deputy superintendent for operations, Robert Allen; and AAPS assistant director of compensation/benefits administration, Shonta Langford-Green.

Elements of the Transportation Consolidation Plan

The major elements of the plan that were presented and discussed on Friday included: wages and benefits; working conditions; organizational structure; oversight; district layoffs and WISD hiring; future restructuring of routes; bus ownership and use; and communication.

Wages and Benefits

Marcel began his presentation by showing a side-by-side comparison of wages and health insurance premium costs for transportation staff under four models: the current AAPS system, the proposed WISD plan, the rejected tentative agreement, or TA, (between AAPS and the transportation union), and privatization.

The current AAPS wage range – for both general and special education drivers – is $12.82 to $17.47 per hour. Under AAPS, monitors (bus aides) earn from $9.66 to $13.49 per hour, and mechanics make from $15.65 to $20.87 per hour. AAPS transportation workers are covered under a Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO health insurance plan. The AAPS share of the health care premium is a function of how many hours each employee works per week – insurance costs for a family plan range from $423.03 to $846.07 per month.

The wage range for general education drivers under the WISD plan is $13 to $16 per hour, with $.50 per hour more paid to drivers on special education routes. In addition, a premium of $.25 per year of service (YOS) in a local district will be added to the hourly wage. Bus monitors under WISD would make from $10-$13 per hour, and mechanics would make a flat rate of $21 per hour. WISD transportation employees would be offered a Priority Health HMO, with a family plan costing from $167.80 to $335.60 per month. If employees received coverage through a spouse, they could choose to opt-out of health insurance and receive additional payment.

Neither the rejected TA nor the privatization numbers were discussed in detail at the meeting. Trustee Susan Baskett did note that wages would be higher under privatization. Allen pointed out that although wages would be higher, employees would have no pension. Marcel noted that, in addition, co-pays are higher under the Aetna plan offered under privatization.

Trustee Andy Thomas asked how wage ranges were set, and Marcel answered that they were benchmarked against local and national public and private sector wages. Thomas asked how many drivers were currently at the top of the pay scale, saying “I’m just trying to get a feel for how many drivers’ salaries will decrease.” With input from Mellor, as well as some of the bus drivers in the room, Thomas determined that if current AAPS drivers’ average wage is $17 per hour, and their average YOS 7.5, the average loss in wages under the WISD system would be $1.50 to $2 per hour – over a 10% decrease.

Board president Deb Mexicotte pointed out that some drivers would make more money than they do now, and trustee Simone Lightfoot reiterated Thomas’ question, “How many drivers are at the top of the pay scale versus the bottom?” Allen said he could bring the specific numbers to the board’s second briefing on the issue. Board secretary Glenn Nelson requested a grid with the row showing YOS, and the column showing the hourly rate. Board treasurer Christine Stead requested that the proposed wages also be included on the grid.

Next, Marcel presented a list of recommended salaries drafted by the administration design team for central administration staff, ranging from $115,000 for the transportation director to $35,000 for the field trip coordinators. He noted, however, that though the recommended salaries are based on the benchmarking described above, some of them may need to be adjusted to fit within the existing WISD administrative structure.

When questioned further by Baskett and board vice president Irene Patalan, Marcel gave two examples of proposed salaries that might need adjustment to fit into WISD norms. First, he explained, the director could not make $115,000 because the WISD does not have salaries that high; Marcel estimated a salary range of $100,000 to $110,000 to be more likely. Secondly, given the large number of employees managed by the supervisor/trainers, WISD would likely set their salaries about $10,000 higher than the design team recommended – closer to $60,000 instead of $49,150.

Stead requested that a chart be created for the second briefing on Wednesday, which would compare, side by side, the design team’s salary recommendations and the salaries as they would be set by the WISD’s pay scale.

WISD is proposing to grant each employee five sick days and one personal day, along with paid holidays to be determined by the time driver positions are posted. Baskett requested an additional chart be created for the second briefing, comparing sick days and paid holidays given employees under the AAPS and WISD structures. She also asked about the “attendance incentive” noted in Marcel’s report. Marcel explained that the WISD plan would pay cash bonuses to employees with few absences.

Working Conditions

Marcel noted that the WISD plan does not guarantee a certain number of hours of work per driver per day. AAPS currently has a minimum of four hours. In addition, AAPS pays drivers the same rate for down time between routes, while the WISD plan sets driving hours and waiting time at different rates.

Lightfoot commented that it seems “inefficient” to not be able to schedule drivers in at least four-hour blocks. She asked if there were many two- or three-hour routes. Regan answered that the goal is to “operate buses at target capacity against the clock,” noting that the guidelines require students not to spend more than one or 1.5 hours on a bus. He said that it does not make sense to hire a driver below a certain number of hours per day, and judged that the “market reality” indicates about 5 hours as the minimum number of hours a driver should work – a 2.5-hour run in the morning and a 2.5-hour run in the afternoon.

Jim Regan describes a part of the proposed transportation consolidation plan. Regan is with Transportation Strategies, one of the consultants hired by the WISD to manage the effort.

Mellor added that some people might be looking for part-time work, and might want a single, shorter run. He stressed that the current AAPS system would not allow a driver to work less than four hours per day, and that this new plan affords more staffing flexibility.

Stead asked Roberts if AAPS had the option of altering school start times next year, and Roberts said no – next year, general education routes and times will be the same.

Marcel added that driving experience will be part of the consideration of route assignment. More experience working with kids or parents, he said, could lead to being assigned a “tougher route.”

Nelson confirmed that drivers under the WISD plan would not be private sector employees. Marcel confirmed that, no, they would be WISD employees, and still be part of the state public schools retirement system. He added that drivers could choose to unionize, but which union they’d choose would depend on which districts join the consolidation, since districts have contracts with different unions.

Organizational Structure

Marcel described the organizational structure of the proposed plan, totaling 30-32 people for a 5-district consortium. The central administration team would include a director, assistant directors of three departments – operations, business services, and central dispatch – and their staffs. Marcel noted that the business services staff would be organized under WISD human resources, rather than with the other transportation services staff, which may realize some cost savings. He also pointed out that supervisor/trainers, though common to AAPS, are rare in other districts. The administration team, he said, believes that training is important to ensure the safety of children, and includes four supervisor/trainers in its operations department.

Allen and Regan added that selecting the WISD option could create opportunities in the future to downsize AAPS central office staff, since the workload for each person in human resources would decrease if all transportation services were handled outside the district.

Oversight

Marcel explained that the WISD will use a different infrastructure/tracking system from the software currently used by AAPS – one that better integrates with WISD’s accounting system.

Stead responded in defense of the software used by AAPS, saying that a lot of her clients used it as well. She noted that, while recognizing the transition as a “serious shift,” AAPS would be watching to be sure the infrastructure chosen by WISD accommodates drivers and manages drivers well.

Stead later asked if the WISD had a survey tool that could be used to assess community satisfaction, and noted that AAPS will want “to monitor how things are going” with other metrics as well, including costs and length of time kids are on the buses. Nelson concurred, saying that hiring good drivers is the way to achieve satisfaction, and that even while under budget pressure, the board still wants to ensure an excellent educational experience all around.

Regan said parent surveys could be sent twice a year, and that ongoing management reporting would be provided: “You can tell us what you want in the report, and how often you want it – monthly or quarterly.”

District Layoffs and WISD Hiring

Baskett and Thomas asked about a timeline for laying off current district employees if AAPS decides to join the WISD effort, and if they would be eligible for unemployment. Thomas also asked whether employees who were laid off, but eventually hired by WISD, would need to COBRA their health insurance over the two months of summer.

Langford-Green explained that 10-month employees are not eligible for unemployment over the summer, since they are generally assured of returning in the fall. This year, she said, it would be different, so workers could apply for unemployment. Marcel added that AAPS would not want to lay off all its drivers in June, since some would be needed over the summer.

As for health insurance, Mexicotte suggested that the district could time the layoffs to bridge the two-month gap, but Langford-Green pointed out that that would not be necessary, since the district has already paid for health insurance for all transportation workers through August. Allen added that each participating district honors the pay out of retained sick/personal days differently, depending on the collective bargaining agreement in play.

Nelson asked what the “drop dead” date was for districts to sign on to the WISD consolidation, and when drivers could apply for jobs. Marcel said that five of the administrative positions are already posted, with a closing date of June 8.  But he acknowledged that “people are applying knowing it might not happen.” The driver positions would be posted once the administration team was in place, he said – likely by the end of June. Current employees of the consolidating districts will have priority in hiring before candidates are sought outside the county.

Lightfoot asked if driver seniority would be a factor in hiring. Marcel answered that seniority would not be considered in hiring or routing, but reiterated the slight increase in wages it would mean, and asserted, “I have no reason not to want to hire your people.” Regan added that, though seniority per se is not taken into account in hiring, experience with specific schools could be. For example, he said, if a driver has run a specific route for a specific school, the intent would be to “keep the stability of the system” by hiring that driver for that route.

Thomas questioned the hiring criteria as they relate to wages, arguing that there was an incentive to hire less experienced people. “If someone was really looking to game the system,” he stated, “WISD could reduce costs by hiring drivers with the least seniority.”

Regan responded, “That’s not the intent,” to which Thomas replied, “Could you say, ‘That’s not going to happen.’” Marcel offered, “I’m not going to intentionally drive down cost at the expense of having more experienced people.” Mellor added that from a training standpoint, it would not be feasible not to hire experienced drivers.

Baskett asked about drug testing and background checks to be done on drivers, and who would cover those costs. Mellor said that AAPS already does quarterly drug tests, and Marcel said the WISD system would pay for them (not the drivers). Marcel also explained that full background checks would only be done on drivers who had not previously worked for a participating district. Current drivers would be screened only with the Internet Criminal History Access Tool (ICHAT).

Regarding future hiring, Lightfoot asked if the WISD would hire drivers only from the substitute pool, and whether the sub pool would be filled with drivers who were good enough to be hired, but for whom there were not enough positions.

Marcel said the WISD would keep names of qualified drivers on file who were not chosen initially, and Regan noted that people who have had experience on the district’s routes and in the WISD system would be logical fits, if positions open up in the future.

Saying it reminded her of other sub pool issues the district has had in the past, Patalan asserted that, though it seems logical that the sub pool would be made aware of any opening, she would like to be sure that the “door would stay open for other people to apply.” Nelson agreed, using teachers as an example: “Quite often the best teachers the next fall are not the ones subbing now.”

Lightfoot asked what happened if districts join the consortium late, and who would cover the new routes. Mellor said WISD would need to hire to fill out the routes, and add staff to the necessary capacity.

Future Restructuring of Routes

Patalan noted that she appreciated not having to put together new general education routes in the next 60 days. Baskett asked when parameters for establishing routes in the future would be decided. For example, she said, she questioned whether 75 minutes was too high a maximum student ride time, arguing, “At that point, you might as well take AATA or walk.”

Regan said that by mid-year, perhaps January, the WISD would convene planning meetings for the following year with participating districts. Roberts added that routing would be “the big decision left” at that point, and AAPS would need to consider how far it wants to go to reduce costs. He noted that the AAPS currently has a 1.5 mile walk zone, and currently keeps kids on buses for no more than 45 minutes. As an example of the decision-making that would need to be done in January, Roberts wondered, “Do we want to increase our ride time to 50 minutes? What would it save?”

There was some discussion of how it would work to have different districts set different standards. Baskett noted that if some districts modified the standards to decrease walk zones or ride times, the overall savings would be reduced for all participating districts. Allen agreed and noted that because of the interplay of factors described, routing decisions directly become budget decisions.

Nelson stated his understanding was that if a district wanted to change routes in a way that increased costs, that the district would pay the difference. Marcel confirmed this as correct, calling that difference the “fully-burdened rate” that would be billed to each district. Lightfoot asked how such cost allocation would be ensured, and if language guaranteeing it would be included in the resolution.

Marcel confirmed that the “efficiency section of the routing guidelines” contains this binding language, and would be attached to the resolution. Regan added, “You are both the stakeholder and the customer. You have the front end, and the back end, with WISD in the middle.”

Thomas noted that decreasing future routes would cut miles, hours, and therefore drivers needed. Mellor responded that the district re-routes every summer, saying routes are close but not identical from year to year, and that increases in efficiency are usually covered by attrition from year to year rather than the need to lay off drivers. Nelson noted that special education routes are “being redesigned as we speak,” and that there may be cases in which some general education routes could change too if huge efficiencies would be possible.

Allen added that the district is still in conversation with AATA possibly to provide bus passes for high school students. AAPS needs to staff for providing service to high schoolers, even though they don’t always choose to ride the bus, Allen pointed out. He asserted, “The budget situation won’t improve in the next few years – we need to keep looking for savings.”

Bus Ownership, Use

Regan explained that the Michigan Department of Education would prefer that the buses themselves remain the financial responsibility of each participating district.  Therefore, the plan will be for each district to sell its bus fleet to WISD for $1 for use in servicing the routes of its own district. If a district decides to stop participating in the consortium, Regan said, the WISD would sell the same buses back for $1.

He added that there is a line item in the WISD budget to track amortization, but that individual districts would pay for any future buses needed for their routes.

Nelson asked how much of the 2004 bond fund was left for buses, and if it could be used for other improvements if AAPS enters into the WISD arrangement. Allen confirmed that there was $1 million slated for buses that could be used for other non-operating expenses, but Lightfoot questioned whether it would be wise to spend the money in case it doesn’t work out.

Lightfoot also asked whether buses would be shared among district routes. In general, Mellor said, no – general education route buses are designated. However, during inspections, or in the case of an emergency, sharing between districts already happens, and that “flexibility” would continue under the WISD plan.

In addition, special education buses would be purchased by the WISD and shared among all participating districts.

Communication

Lightfoot asked how the public would know who to call with specific questions, such as “Why is our bus late?” Nelson continued that line of questioning, adding, “I would contrast a ‘late bus’ call with a call about two students getting in a fight  – those would demand calling different places.”

Mellor answered that all calls would be logged first at central dispatch, and then student discipline issues would have to come back to the district. Roberts added that this is similar to what happens now in AAPS, saying that if a student gets left at a stop, the call comes to central administration, but if a kid comes off the bus and says someone hit him on the bus, that call goes directly to the building principal.

Regan offered another pitch, “It’s not like someone is bringing in an outside system. Most of the sub processes, systems, and routines are already what you are doing.” The only time, Regan said, that WISD processes would be different from what AAPS is already doing would be if a better practice was found outside the system.

In response to Lightfoot’s concern, Marcel also offered help from WISD, saying the WISD has a communications person who could help “craft” communication with the public.

Baskett asked if there was a plan for communicating regardless of how the board moves forward, and noted the condensed timeline. Usually, she said, there would be more time between a first and second briefing.  The second briefing of the transportation consolidation plan will come before the Board on Wednesday, June 9.  After the second briefing, the board will vote.

Amy Osinski, secretary to the board, said she would post the full report presented at this meeting on the board’s website.

Patalan, who had taken over the chairing the meeting when Mexicotte had to leave mid-way through the meeting, thanked the trustees for their questions, saying, “Change is something we want to do as well as we can.”

Bus drivers from AAPS and Lincoln Consolidated Schools attended the June 4 AAPS board meeting, held at the district's Balas administration building on South State Street.

Public Commentary on Proposed WISD Consolidation

Richard Miller, a bus driver for AAPS, spoke out against the plan. Though he called his attempts likely “futile,” Miller argued against the consolidation, saying it has already taken a toll on the drivers’ morale. Citing the praise and thanks drivers have received over the years as “insincere,” Miller called the consolidation process “cold water thrown in the faces” of current drivers.

Minutes Approval & Executive Session

On a consent agenda moved by Andy Thomas, and seconded by Glenn Nelson, the board unanimously approved passage of meeting minutes of the May 26 regular meeting. Stead then moved to schedule an executive session on Wednesday, June 9 at 5:30 p.m., for the purpose of negotiating and attorney-client privilege. The executive session scheduling was seconded by Thomas and was also passed unanimously. There were no items for agenda planning, items from the board, association or committee reports at the meeting.

Present: President Deb Mexicotte (for the first half), 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: June 9, 2010, 7 p.m., at the downtown Ann Arbor District Library, 4th floor board room, 343 S. Fifth Ave.

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

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

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

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

Custodial and Maintenance Jobs Remain in AAPS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Countywide Transportation Consolidation

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

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

Transportation Consolidation: Plan, Process

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Transportation Consolidation: Board Response, Questions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Elementary Sexual Health Education Materials

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Consent Agenda

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

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

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

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

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

Grant Awards Presented at First Briefing

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

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

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

Restatement of 401a Retirement Plan

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

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

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

Association Reports

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

Youth Senate Report

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

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

Ann Arbor Parent Advisory Committee Report

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

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

PTO Council Report

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

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

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

Ann Arbor Administrators Association Report

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

Ann Arbor Education Association Report

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

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

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

Board Committee Reports

The board has two standing committees – performance and planning – through which many items on the board’s agenda get a first look. Each board member except for the president is assigned to one or the other – Baskett and Nelson sit on the performance committee, and Patalan, Stead, and Lightfoot sit on the planning committee. All performance and planning committee meetings are open to the public.

Performance Committee Activities

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

Planning Committee Activities

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

Awards and Accolades

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

Celebration of Excellence

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

Volunteer Appreciation

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

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

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

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

State Champions

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

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

Superintendent’s Report

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

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

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

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

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