Ann Arbor Schools Budget: Summary, Thoughts, Feedback

The Ann Arbor School Board is scheduled to vote on the AAPS budget at the Wednesday June 12th meeting. In this blog post, I try to share as much background information as I can--including posts I've written and articles others have written, as well as school-provided background information.

Remember, you can still contact the Board of Education with your concerns and ideas: boe@aaps.k12.mi.us.

Remember also, that even if they don't cut something (say, for example, high school transportation, reading intervention, or seventh hour) they will need to make up the cuts somewhere else.

Before you take a look at all these links, let me reiterate my opinion that the issue that will affect the most students negatively, and likely lead to reduced student enrollment most directly, is cutting high school transportation. I hope the board decides that is not a wise decision and chooses to preserve high school transportation.

Ruth's posts (not including posts about state funding decisions):

Paying for Seventh Period? (May 29, 2013)

Are We Operating in a Data-less World? (May 16, 2013)

But Is It Working? (April 28, 2013)

Budget Forums: Three Down, One to Go (April 18, 2013)

Ann Arbor Chronicle:

Column: Disparate Impact of AAPS Cuts (June 7, 2013) by Ruth Kraut--yup, yours truly :)

AAPS Trustees Get Draft Budget (April 24, 2013 Board Meeting) by Monet Tiedemann

AAPS Mulls Redistricting to Save Costs (December 19, 2013 Board Meeting) by Jennifer Coffman--keep your eyes on this for next year.

Annarbor.com 

Most if not all articles are by Danielle Arndt

Principal's Union Contract Negotiations

Teacher Layoff Notices (Note: a lot more teachers get layoff notices than will actually be laid off due to specific credentialing and to seniority)

School Board Tweaks Proposals (Cuts to high school busing, 7th hour tuition proposal)

School Board to Pursue Forum Suggestions

Class Sizes, Transportation, Seventh Hour Priorities at Budget Forum

Morning Only High School Busing Proposal

Surviving the Budget Cuts ($5,000 school board food line)

$5,000 School Board Food Line Item (survives)

AAPS Budget Forum

Surviving the Budget Cuts

Paying for Layoffs: Unemployment Insurance

Revenue: School Billboards

Budget Report Brighter ("Only" 8.67 Million Dollar Deficit!)

Administrator's Budget Proposal

Budget Forums

All notes taken by school board president Deb Mexicotte

BOE Budget Forum #1

BOE Budget Forum #2

BOE Budget Forum #3

BOE Budget Forum #4

Ann Arbor Schools background information:

2013-2014 Budget Projections (April 24, 2013)

2013-2014 Proposed Budget Reductions (April 24, 2013)

2013-2014 Potential Budget Reductions (February 27, 2013)

Find budget reporting (by quarter) here.

2012-2013 Budget Proposal (May 23, 2012)--useful as a comparison, perhaps

[By the way--take a look around the Board Docs. There is lots of good information there!]