Ypsilanti schools looking for more ways to cut deficit at special meeting Wednesday
The Ypsilanti Public Schools Board of Education will convene Wednesday in a special meeting to tweak its deficit elimination plan and talk about additional mid-year cuts.
AnnArbor.com file photo
Ypsilanti was anticipated to have a combined two-year $6.38 million deficit at the end of the 2011-12 academic year. However in March, school officials said YPS is facing a deficit of about $9.4 million, including the district’s original $4.9 million from 2010-11.
School board President David Bates said because the district’s revenue is coming in under projections, the board must take a second look at the deficit elimination plan it approved in December and consider additional cuts.
Ypsilanti froze spending and issued mid-year staffing cuts in January to attempt to account for lost revenue. But February’s projections made school officials realize another look at the budget and deficit elimination plan was necessary, Bates said.
Superintendent Dedrick Martin told AnnArbor.com in a previous interview that although the 2012-13 budget is not adopted until June, he hopes to trim the deficit as much as possible to help lighten the debt for next year.
Also on Wednesday’s agenda is a closed session for the board to receive an update on the district’s teachers’ union negotiations. Bates said the union’s contract expires in September.
Staff reporter Danielle Arndt covers K-12 education for AnnArbor.com. Follow her on Twitter @DanielleArndt or email her at daniellearndt@annarbor.com.
Comments
jns131
Wed, May 2, 2012 : 12:33 a.m.
I am not sure where they can cut any more. Didn't they privatize the food service workers? Didn't they privatize transportation? Aren't they going to privatize custodians? Or did they? I guess the administration is like Ann Arbor, don't touch Balais.
sc8
Tue, May 1, 2012 : 11:33 p.m.
Stop blaming the teachers. This district has suffered from a lack of leadership at the district level for over a decade. It is sad that good people will have to suffer because of incompetent leadership. Keep voting them in Ypsi....you get what you vote for.
jscd91
Wed, May 2, 2012 : 12:58 p.m.
Whoops, should've read there instead of they're.
jscd91
Wed, May 2, 2012 : 12:57 p.m.
I disagree. I'm not saying they're aren't great teachers, but if it's all the fault of administration, then why isn't the achievement data any better? Being in the bottom percent statewide says there is something going wrong in the classroom.
YpsiFrog
Tue, May 1, 2012 : 5:32 p.m.
Well yesterday the Para-pros (teachers assistant) got cut from 103 to 53 staff
Danielle Arndt
Tue, May 1, 2012 : 9:15 p.m.
YpsiFrog, I spoke with school officials this afternoon and they said reducing para-professionals is something they are looking at, but that nothing has been finalized and no vote on this issue has been taken. Thanks for reading!
xmo
Tue, May 1, 2012 : 1:21 p.m.
Maybe the Teachers and Administrators can give back some of their pension money? Companies do not offer pensions anymore instead they have 401K's What makes the Teachers and Administrators so special? After all, it's for the children!
jns131
Wed, May 2, 2012 : 12:34 a.m.
They are doing what Ann Arbor is doing. Cutting everything else but their top dogs.
YpsiLivin
Tue, May 1, 2012 : 6 p.m.
Harry, Using your logic, the majority of the private workforce does not receive Social Security checks, so why should the taxpayers fund that? You do realize that someone with a pension who retires in his/her 50's receives a much LOWER monthly pension payment than the person who retires at 65, right? And conversely, that the person who stays in the system until age 65 receives a much HIGHER monthly pension payment than they would have if they'd retired in their 50's, right? Not only that, but those teachers who retire in their 50's - you know, well before they burn out - make room for new teachers in the system, and the new teachers are always a lot better than the old ones, right? And I'm sure that you understand that people who have public pensions pay into the pension system, just like people who contribute to 401k's do, right? And that they also pay a special extra premium for their future healthcare benefits. And you also understand that those future healthcare benefits for which premiums are being collected aren't guaranteed and aren't protected by law, and can be taken away at any time, even though the employees paid in advance for them, right? I'm sure you also know that state employees hired since 1997 have had 401k retirements instead of pensions. And speaking of 1997, I know I don't have to tell you this, but that happened to be the last year that the MPSERS retirement plan (you know, the teachers' pension fund) was fully funded. After that, the state started borrowing from it and - well, let's just say that the pension plan is now a little short...
Harry
Tue, May 1, 2012 : 3:14 p.m.
Ignatz The majority of the private workforce does not have a pension. Why should these same taxpayer fund the teacher with medical and full pensions. Many teacher retire in there 50's. This has nothing to do with a decent living. Making $50,000 to $70,000 as a teacher working 9 months out of the year IS a decent living.
Ignatz
Tue, May 1, 2012 : 2:06 p.m.
Why aren't you petitioning the State for more money or wanting those who teach to get a decent living? "After all, it's for the children!"
Bob
Tue, May 1, 2012 : 11:31 a.m.
Moon is right - I was at that meeting.
Moonmaiden
Tue, May 1, 2012 : 11:26 a.m.
Just checking in, as I do every six months or so - Hey, Andy, how are we doing with suing the State?