Ann Arbor performance committee to discuss future of Roberto Clemente high school
Roberto Clemente Principal Benjamin Edmondson speaks during a 2011 summer school class at the alternative high school.
Melanie Maxwell I AnnArbor.com file photo
Previous coverage:
Ann Arbor Public Schools' newly created performance committee will discuss the future of the Roberto Clemente Student Development Center at Wednesday's meeting.
The Roberto Clemente alternative high school might be safe from elimination this budget cycle, but its sustainability is still dicey — with the district launching yet another review of the program's operations and academic outcomes.
The Ann Arbor Board of Education's performance committee will host Wednesday's 7 p.m. session at the school, located at 4377 Textile Road. The board voted in April to revamp its committee structure from a single, seven-member Committee of the Whole to three subcommittees: planning, performance and executive; and a governance committee that will meet quarterly to provide oversight.
Andy Thomas
At the meeting, trustees hope to have people close to the Roberto Clemente program attend and share their thoughts, opinions and ideas on how to continue to provide the alternative, credit-recovery program. Thomas said the committee decided to go to the school for the meeting to show its support of the program.
"(We wanted) to give them an opportunity to bring up some of the concerns they have, and hopefully we'll hear some solutions, as things are going to move forward next year and I'm sure Clemente will still be something the board is going to be concerned about," Thomas said.
Closing Roberto Clemente and moving the program into Pioneer High School was on an initial list of possible budget reductions for the 2013-14 academic year. It was estimated such a move would save AAPS $200,000 to $348,677.
The district is facing a budget shortfall of about $8.67 million for the upcoming school year. However, closing Roberto did not make the administration's final list of recommended cuts. Officials instead recommended waiting yet another year to make a decision on the school, so they could launch a comprehensive study of all of the district's alternative programs: Clemente, Ann Arbor Technological High School and Community High School.
The district will be looking at the effectiveness of each of these alternative programs throughout the next year. Officials also plan to discuss redistricting and school closures prior to the 2014-15 budget cycle. Thomas said the overall question the board wants to answer is: "In this era of shrinking budgets, can AAPS really continue to offer the diversity of choice programs that we currently offer our students?"
"We have a huge assortment of choices for students in this district. But how much longer can we continue that?" Thomas said. "Are we forced into the situation of ... saying to students, 'You're a square peg in a round hole? Well, too bad, you better get round.' I don't think any of us like that."
He added while it's not desirable, when looking at what other districts in the state of Michigan are dealing with, AAPS doesn't have it too bad. He referenced the Buena Vista School District that cannot pay its teachers and temporarily closed, as well as Albion Public Schools where the district has decided it no longer can afford to offer an education to ninth- through 12th-graders.
Ann Arbor has been able to maintain three comprehensive high schools, one with a magnet program; three alternative high schools; and programs like WiHi and WAY, Thomas said. He said it may be time for AAPS to face reality and make tough choices before the situation worsens.
The board has talked about trying to see if the Roberto Clemente program administrators could come up with $100,000 in reductions for fall, or some way to provide additional savings to the district, considering most of the other schools within AAPS will be impacted in some way by the proposed cuts for 2013-14. A final decision has not been made on this, however. It is still unclear whether the board will ask Roberto's leaders to find these savings.
The biggest concern among school board members is Roberto Clemente costs significantly more per student to operate than the other high schools. According to AAPS documents, it costs $18,941 per pupil to operate Clemente. A2 Tech costs $14,804 per pupil. Community costs $8,253 per pupil and Huron, Pioneer and Skyline cost around $5,000 per pupil, district information says.
If the board does not approve any cuts for Roberto when it passes the budget in June, this will be the second year in a row the school has escaped the chopping block in order for the central administration to study the program.
Last year, Board of Education members were not prepared to make a decision on moving or closing Roberto Clemente, so they directed district administrators to evaluate the program's effectiveness and report back to the board. The report was delivered in March, but it was a disappointment to many trustees, who were dissatisfied by the lack of adequate data and lack of parent involvement in the study.
The board is starting to take matters into its own hands by hosting the performance committee meeting at the school.
"I think that one thing that really was not highlighted as much a I would have liked ... is are kids really achieveing the results?" Thomas said. "... Test scores really aren't a good measure of that. Kids are already behind when they come to Clemente."
One of Thomas' unanswered questions is: are students returning to their home high schools or are they graduating from Clemente; and how many are doing that? The idea behind Clemente is to have students attend the school for a couple of years, "gain some skills, some confidence and maybe redirect their efforts a little bit, then return them to their home school and have them be able to succeed," he said.
"I'd like to know, how often is that happening? ... And how does their success compare to struggling students who are kept and helped at their comprehensive high schools?"
Learn more about the Roberto Clemente program in this 2011 video:
Danielle Arndt covers K-12 education for AnnArbor.com. Follow her on Twitter @DanielleArndt or email her at daniellearndt@annarbor.com.
Comments
Wake Up A2
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 10:03 a.m.
What is the cost to go where your current governor sends his kids, greenhills? He knows you have to spend more then $7000 to educate a student, not your student of course, his. Clemete works. That is a fact. So we can educate this group correctly or do it half measure (not the words I really wanted to use). Then the students lose. There are many ways to save this program but the upper 5% may have to give something up. 1) share principals at the elementary level and layoff the rest. 11 fte saved. 1.1 million that would save busing and clemente. 2) get rid of district department chairs. 1 million that would save busing and clemente. With all their committees the board hasnt figured these to out. Both involve admin cuts yet 6 lower fte is removed from balas with no real change...
Wake Up A2
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 6:53 p.m.
Because he was told to keep his mouth shut and go where they send him.
Thoughtful
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 4:11 p.m.
If I would not work, then why would the RC principal entertain making it work?
Wake Up A2
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 12:59 p.m.
You need to spend time in both schools to understand what goes on.. I have and what you proposed will not work.
Thoughtful
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 11:27 a.m.
Clemente doesn't cost a little more- it costs a LOT more. I am not against the program. To me, reality is this district is so disfunctional it cannot support this program long term. So if you want RC to survive, something needs to bring costs down. One of the RC teachers said they CAN'T bring more kids in- not enough staff, etc. another article I read said a kid walked 1.5 miles to Pioneer to get the bus to RC. I thought RC kids weren't capable of not getting distracted on the way to school, yet this kid does it. Are RC kids not capable of being at a different location, or are teachers and parents making them incapable? This kid who walks to Pioneer would already be at school if RC were relocated there. If busing is cut, he won't get to RC if its out in Ypsi twp. And Principal Edmonson has apparently stated that he wants to work WITH A2tech to form one place where any kid needing extra help could attend. If you want to save RC, you need to get people to expand their thinking of how to cut costs feasibly.
Wake Up A2
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 10:47 a.m.
It sounds like balas made a bad choice. That is an HR issue. Pioneer had a sub in the fall for a great math teacher who played principal. Anytime a sub is there longterm is a problem. Clemente has been shown to work... so it costs a little more...what happens if your student needs what clemente gives? Wouldnt you want it?
Thoughtful
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 10:28 a.m.
How do we know Clemente works? Is the goal to get the kids back to their home schools or get a private education that is vastly underenrolled every year? At the expense of a Title one school like Abbot, where kids will have a substitute teacher half the year, so that the lead teacher can act as principal? The lead teacher there teaches fifth grade, preparing kids for middle school- is Roberto shopping for more future clientele when these kids don't get what THEY need? How well would RC or for that matter ANY kids do with a sub for half the year? Just as well? Many kids at Abbot are at risk- but that's okay, as long as we preserve RC at any cost? The BOE thought about the principal sharing idea before. The problem is, they don't do their homework as to the composition of the schools they want to do the sharing.
Thoughtful
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 3:37 a.m.
So a bit more research, and RC needs only six classrooms to function. Solution- move it to Northside, where enrollment is VERY low-58%? Also serves the need to be off the beaten path- away from the mall, etc. and they could SHARE principals and office staff, since both schools have staff that is grossly underutilized, not to mention the principals. Both populations could be kept separate for lunches, but still use the same facilities. Does anyone ever think outside the box?
Thoughtful
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 4:10 p.m.
@AMOC, perhaps with a separate entrance, like they suggested at Pioneer, it might work. Perhaps Edmonson could run both?
AMOC
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 12:35 p.m.
Thoughtful - Until the administrator in charge at Northside is replaced, that idea would be a complete disaster. If the current RC principal took over the whole school, you might have a great idea there. Unfortunately, state regulations about age spans in a single school building might not permit this. But they could always ask for a waiver from the State Board of Ed.
Basic Bob
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 3:36 a.m.
It's well past time to make practical decisions. But the board will act as if they are "tough". Then they will do the minimum. Seriously, close some schools and lose some administrators. Start by moving CHS into Skyline. Everyone that goes there already has to arrange their own transportation, and goodness knows their education will not suffer for it.
Thoughtful
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 3:44 a.m.
Could close AA open- that population WILL fit back into all of their under enrolled schools. Or move that program to the vastly under enrolled Northside.
Thoughtful
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 3:42 a.m.
Um, no. Community won't fit into Skyline, and those who attend Community will LEAVE the district, costing the district more money. Community is successful where it is. Could always sell Pioneer to the U of M for gazillions of $.....I repeat, Community WON'T FIT into Skyline, for many reasons. If you're looking for practical decisions, that's not gonna work.
Thoughtful
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 3:16 a.m.
I was browsing some of the related articles, where vastly different costs per student are listed. Lets also not leave A2Tech out of the mix. How much per student there $14K plus? And it looked like cost per student at Huron was more than Pioneer, Skyline, or Community. There's no way the BOE can get accurate records, is there? So in the meantime, we know essentially RC costs more, and the parents on this forum will start up with the attacks on each others schools, as usual.
Thoughtful
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 3:53 a.m.
Anyone can go to Skyline. Plenty of openings.
Basic Bob
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 3:39 a.m.
So Skyline students get a brand new building and the cost is not attributed to them. Pioneer gets world class football facilities and the cost is not attributed to them. But we get all hung up on the cost to educate children with documented difficulty learning. Some people need to move a little further west where everyone is above average.
Jack Panitch
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 1:31 a.m.
Ms. Arndt: I see the figures for the alternative programs come directly from the report the District provided to the Board (available on Board Docs) entitled "Roberto Clemente Alternative Program Report." Can you tell me where the $5,000 cost per student for Huron, Pioneer and Skyline comes from? Thanks!
donderop
Wed, May 29, 2013 : 10:30 p.m.
Perhaps the trustees and parents who are so concerned about these "babies" at Clemente should start having bake sales and car washes to support the exorbitant price tag to house them. Consider it a version of pay-to-play.
J. A. Pieper
Wed, May 29, 2013 : 10:06 p.m.
Danielle, these are great questions, can we get some answers/information? You do such a great job, you seem to understand transparency better than AAPS!
ViSHa
Wed, May 29, 2013 : 10:03 p.m.
It sounds like Mr. Thomas is asking some fair questions. I feel that these questions should have been discussed/brought up before all the emotional hullaballoo about moving the program to another location. It just seems like the BOE is working backwards. Also, the comments about special ed., Danielle, can we get a definitive on how much AAPS is reimbursed by the state so commenters can finally get that they can't really compare the two things.
Aah
Wed, May 29, 2013 : 8:52 p.m.
Wow, these disparities are incredible: "According to AAPS documents, it costs $18,941 per pupil to operate Clemente. A2 Tech costs $14,804 per pupil. Community costs $8,253 per pupil and Huron, Pioneer and Skyline cost around $5,000 per pupil, district information says". I'm sure there are disparities between general ed and special ed students but are there disparities between students in different classes or programs? Do the AP classes cost more per student? If one student at Skyline is in a magnet and another student isn't does one cost $6000 and the other $4000?
Thoughtful
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 11:16 a.m.
There are also special Ed kids at Community. Not as many at the comprehensive schools, but then Community is a smaller schools. Still, somehow the special Ed kids at CHS are serviced at a lower cost than other schools?
Thoughtful
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 2:59 a.m.
Community's methods are proven successful, even without the plethora of electives offered at the comprehensive high schools. Documented. The lottery applicants for CHS grow every year, whereas Skylines applicants diminish every year. Skyline must cost more than Huron or Pioneer-trimesters cost more, so do the magnets. Extra supplies aren't free. Still, if busing is cut for high school, spending 2.5 to almost 4 times other schools per pupil for less than 100 kids at an under enrolled program at Roberto Clemente, including uniforms, etc. seems disproportionate. I also thought the point behind Clemente was short term- not to be run like a private school where one attends for four years, but more like a bridge to return to the homeschool. One parent I met said her kid had worked really hard at RC to return to one of the comprehensive schools. So which is it?
West Side Mom
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 12:19 a.m.
Agreed. Maybe the extra costs can be justified for at-risk groups. But why do the kids who attend Community get a disproportionate share for resources? Talk about winning the lottery.
a2xarob
Wed, May 29, 2013 : 8:29 p.m.
Wow! I had not realized the difference in cost per pupil for Clemente vs the comprehensive high schools. I think the structure, class size, and philosophy at Clemente is important, probably essential, for the students who attend there, but reducing the cost seems essential too. As a school system, we don't have almost $19,000 per pupil to spend. I can see why adm. would like to find a compatible place for the Clemente students at one of the comprehensives. As a point of comparison, though, how much do we spend on our Special Ed kids per pupil? If Special Ed kids are having their classes at a comprehensive high school, is their cost/pupil averaged into that school's cost/pupil or kept separate? It's so hard to compare when there are so many factors. I wish there were a document where we could look at costs per pupil for each groups in each school. The school system says it wants community feedback, but I don't think we have the transparency we need on costs to make informed suggestions.
AMOC
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 12:31 p.m.
The approximate equivalent to the very small class sizes at Roberto Clemente would be a special education student in a self-contained classroom. Unfortunately, the way that AAPS has organized their budget makes it impossible to determine how much those 200 or so severely-disabled students cost vs. the costs attributable to special education services for the other ~1600 students whose needs range from daily periods of specialized instruction in a Resource Room and a one-to-one aide in the general education classroom to some simple classroom accommodations (books on tape, extra time on tests) and no services beyond general oversight of their progress from Special Ed staff. At the crudest possible level, if you divide special education costs by the number of special ed student Full Time Equivalents, you get approximately $18,000 using AAPS numbers for 2013-14. This is a profoundly misleading number, because the vast majority of special education students spend 90% or more of their school time in general education classrooms at no additional cost to the district. The ~2000 students who are classified as special education generate their own per-pupil payment from the state. The pupil census is adjusted by the Special Ed student FTE, so 480 FTE are subtracted from the state payment for general ed and that amount is added to the special education "bucket". In addition, in Washtenaw County, school districts are reimbursed for approximately 80% of their special education expenditures by the county-wide millage funds. All that being said, a very large proportion, over 50% if I'm remembering correctly, of Roberto Clemente students qualify for Special Education services. The district has not broken out regular vs. special education expenditures or staff at Roberto Clemente. Your remark about a lack of transparency in expenditures is right on.
drewk
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 12:53 a.m.
Special Ed students are funded directly by the State.
a2xarob
Wed, May 29, 2013 : 8:31 p.m.
I meant to say costs per pupil for each group in each school.
Wake Up A2
Wed, May 29, 2013 : 7:48 p.m.
I have said it before and I will say it again, pioneer is run by someone who is killing that school....add clemente and they will doom that successful program to. You want to save 400, 000 then have quad a take layoffs like everyone else. Two principals per high school...problem solved. No committee needed.
When
Wed, May 29, 2013 : 11:49 p.m.
At least get rid of AAAA bonuses in the next contract. Come on BOE, can you at least do that. Put children first!
donderop
Wed, May 29, 2013 : 11:05 p.m.
Punctuation is helpful.
Wake Up A2
Wed, May 29, 2013 : 10:55 p.m.
Union the principals are in is quad a.
donderop
Wed, May 29, 2013 : 9:38 p.m.
"...then have quad a take layoffs like everyone else." Huh?