Ann Arbor school administrators propose $2.6 million in budget cuts for this school year
Ann Arbor school Superintendent Todd Roberts outlined more than $2.6 million in proposed budget cuts for this school year to the school board minutes ago.
The board is meeting in a study session to discuss the district's finances, but no action will be taken tonight.
The district is facing a deficit of about $8.5 million for this school year following cuts in state aid.
Ann Arbor school board President Deb Mexicotte said the cuts proposed by Roberts aren't devastating to the district's educational program, but they will be when the board puts together the budget for the 2010-11 school year, when the district is facing a $20 million deficit.
The administrative cuts include an 8 percent pay cut for Roberts and 4 percent cut for members of his cabinet staff.
Roberts said administrators will look for additional savings as they meet with the staff and community over the course of the next several weeks. But he said said the district will likely have to dip into fund equitity this year to balance the budget. He said he is loathe to make layoffs of teachers in the middle of the school year.
David Jesse covers K-12 education for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at davidjesse@annarbor.com or at 734-623-2534.
Comments
giulieta marcos
Wed, Mar 31, 2010 : 12:03 p.m.
to the editor: We all know that arts and music programs at school are important. Yet, why are they been cut off? The answer is simple: the budget. The budget is the reason that we all work, that we all live, and mainly, everything. Money is tight, specially now, but music and arts and other multicultural activities should not take the fall. When we think of school, we think english, math, science. But a lot of other people think of music. In Michigan, almost all high schools have or have had some sort of music program- either orchestra, band or choir. Many of the schools, though, have had them taken away. Music is always there, and it should stay there. Art is something that we overlook. It brings out our inner emotion, and passion. Whether a hobby or career- art is beautiful. As a high school cellist in Ann Arbor, my biggest fear is that orchestra classes at my school will be put away along with art classes. Why can't sports take a toll once? No, we refuse to be treated this way and we will not let our lives get sucked in to nothing. Music and Arts are here to stay.
Trisha Paul
Tue, Dec 8, 2009 : 10:11 p.m.
The spreadsheet refers to "Limit All Overtime"; does this include cutting 7th hour classes at high schools?
David Jesse
Tue, Dec 8, 2009 : 1:10 p.m.
Most school districts pay their teachers extra to work on a variety of extra curriculars. The scale is part of the union contract. You can read more about this here: http://blog.mlive.com/ann_arbor_news_extra/2007/08/extra_duties_come_with_extra_p.html The overtime the superintendent is suggesting be cut refers to custodial workers, office professionals and the like, he told the school board.
AMOC
Tue, Dec 8, 2009 : 12:47 p.m.
Because AAPS is unique (to my knowledge) in paying teachers overtime for their sponsorship / participation in all extra-curricular activities (not just major, 10+ hours / week activities like coaching a sports team or producing a school play), I am very concerned about the item which says AAPS will "Limit all overtime" for a savings of $600,000 this year. Will this limitation on overtime pay put an end to all extracurricular activities students now enjoy at AAPS? To all but athletics? Over the time I've had children in the district, when a contract has not been settled before the start of the school year, the AAEA has strongly pressured it's members to not sponsor student- interest clubs, Academic Games, MathCounts, FIRST / Lego League, etc. That means there were few or no clubs that operated at the start of the school year, and in a number of cases, AAPS students were locked out of participation in some of those nation-wide programs because regisrtation deadlines were been missed. Is there a proposal from the administration or the union on how to handle (or prioritize the limited funds available for) extra-curricular activities? Will parent volunteers or school PTOs finally be allowed to supervise student extra-curricular activities if they no longer provide opportunities for teachers to make a little more money? Obviously, the volunteers who act as club supervisors should comply with the district's policy on background checks for adults who interact with students.
ana2resident
Fri, Dec 4, 2009 : 10:47 a.m.
Kathy Griswold wrote: "Many educational leaders, including Tom Watkins, have argued that we cannot cut ourselves out of this unsustainable educational spending problem at the district level or the state level, but AAPS will continue to try to cut, try to cut, try to cut..... I am in the AAPS Budget Reduction Planning study session and this group is fixated on generating revenue and making CUTS. We need a paradigm shift to look at what is needed to provide an excellent education (our critical success factors) and then consider how we can accomplish this in the most effective and cost-efficient manner." This is a very distressing experience. Michigan has been in a recession since 2001, and the recession is expected to continue for a decade, per the Michigan House Fiscal Agency. AAPS gets almost $2,000 more per student than the surrounding districts and we are feeling sorry for ourselves. I spoke too soon, the tone is changing and we are now discussing guiding principals. I wish we had started with this discussion." KathyI am so glad you have come to your senses and are now trying to help us dig out of the problems in this district that you had a hand in creating. Did we really need a new high school? With demographics predicting flat and even negative growth in student population? According to the A2 News, it will cost $2.5 million dollars to operate Skyline this year, with $3.8 to 4 million budgeted yearly in the future. Where was the long term vision when planning for Skyline? By your own admission, Michigan has been in a recession since 2001, and it is expected to continue. How wise was it to push for a third comprehensive high school when the economy would not be able to support it? I know the district could use that money today...it sounds about what they are trying to cut from this year's budget. Where was the discussion of guiding principles of the financial welfare of this district when you were a school board member? I find it somewhat disingenuous that your finger pointing and your push for a paradigm shift is occurring at such a late date. Why werent you banging that drum while you were on the School Board??
jns131
Fri, Dec 4, 2009 : 10:23 a.m.
The way to save money is to force early retirement on those who make more then $90,000 per year and have been there 20 years. This would save a lot of money. By trying to eliminate transportation after school would put a lot of parents in a bind who otherwise, depend on these after school programs to keep their children busy and off the street. More children on the street and into more trouble is more trouble then it is worth. Leave transportation alone. Lets start with WISD and privatize them? They do attach themselves with AAPS. Lets privatize non essential personal. Just a thought.
dogmom
Fri, Dec 4, 2009 : 9:33 a.m.
How about taking a look at former principles etc. getting their principal pay for doing jobs that others would do for much less money?? Doesn't make sense.
ghostwriter
Thu, Dec 3, 2009 : 11:45 p.m.
Why is it that the schools need to pay mileage checks to employees? There are some employees that make enough from driving their personal car from school to school to make a car payment. The IRS credits that amount of money back to that individual. In some instances, that individual could use a school vehicle. If anything, this is an area that could stand to be reviewed and doesn't affect most bargaining contracts.
scooter dog
Thu, Dec 3, 2009 : 10:33 p.m.
They will drag this on for god only knows how long and when the state has had enough then they will send a Mr Bobb clone and then you will see the cuts this admin.seems not to have the gumption to address.I see nothing in their cuts posted here that address the real issue of wages and benefets out of control.The people have spoken.Do what you need to do or step aside and let someone more qualified to do what we pay you to do
DagnyJ
Thu, Dec 3, 2009 : 9:47 p.m.
I agree. Close the small high schools. That would save a lot of money.
Chris
Thu, Dec 3, 2009 : 9:35 p.m.
Why bring on a full-time employee when the work is of a temporary/short-term nature? I don't think it makes any sense to have full-time district employees devoted to building construction - the district isn't in the business of putting up buildings. Kathy - how would you address the budget for this school year and for next year? You describe a paradigm shift? What exactly do you have in mind? Why does education have to be provided in a cost-efficient manner? I understand the need to resolve the budget issues, but why does education need to be treated like it's a widget? Maybe efficiency means have county-wide school systems, with fewer adminstrators. Maybe efficiency means having larger classrooms. I have no interest in having the education of children being driven by a bottom line mentality. Again, what exactly do you propose to help resolve these important issues?
Thick Candy Shell
Thu, Dec 3, 2009 : 9:33 p.m.
Eliminate the "Stone School" and "Community" and you have saved the money.......If people want to send their kids to these special programs, pony up an pay to keep them open.
Gentle thinker
Thu, Dec 3, 2009 : 8:38 p.m.
I wonder how much the district spends each year for consultants. I also wonder why they don't have employees who can do the work that we hire the consultants to do. During the building of the new high school, it seemed as if they had many consultants. This seems to be an extremely costly, unnecessary expense.
Randy
Thu, Dec 3, 2009 : 8:04 p.m.
Hey, let's build another unnecessary high school
Kathy Griswold
Thu, Dec 3, 2009 : 7:44 p.m.
Many educational leaders, including Tom Watkins, have argued that we cannot cut ourselves out of this unsustainable educational spending problem at the district level or the state level, but AAPS will continue to try to cut, try to cut, try to cut..... I am in the AAPS Budget Reduction Planning study session and this group is fixated on generating revenue and making CUTS. We need a paradigm shift to look at what is needed to provide an excellent education (our critical success factors) and then consider how we can accomplish this in the most effective and cost-efficient manner. This is a very distressing experience. Michigan has been in a recession since 2001, and the recession is expected to continue for a decade, per the Michigan House Fiscal Agency. AAPS gets almost $2,000 more per student than the surrounding districts and we are feeling sorry for ourselves. I spoke too soon, the tone is changing and we are now discussing guiding principals. I wish we had started with this discussion.