Ann Arbor Parents for Schools

The AAPS Board of Education will hold a public hearing on the 2010-11 budget next week. This is the home stretch in a process that began last fall, when AAPS officials held public meetings to discuss proposed budget cuts. The reductions are necessary because the district’s revenue, cut substantially in December and likely to be cut next year as well, have opened up what could be a $20 million hole in the budget for the next year. So we thought this would be a good time to shed some light on common questions about AAPS’s financial condition.

AAPS holding budget meetings April 12 & 13

This is a critical time for public schools in our community and in our state. Crucial decisions will be made that set the direction of our schools for years to come. It’s at times like these when the voices of parents, and all citizens who value strong public education, need to be heard loud and clear. You will have the opportunity to do this locally in the next few days, and at the state level over the coming weeks.

AAPS district officials began their public meetings about next year’s school budget at Huron High School last Thursday night. It’s a sign of the times that despite the slick, snow-covered streets, more than 100 parents, staff and interested citizens showed up to talk about school budget cuts.

A detailed list of the proposed cuts, as of the 7 January meeting, follows the article.

Part II: The problem, and a glimpse at solutions we might consider

The poor state of Michigan’s economy, combined with bad tax policy choices in earlier years, mean that school districts across Michigan are having to make huge cuts after years of belt-tightening. The defeat of the Washtenaw Schools Millage has removed one option we had to soften the blow.

But remember: we still have kids to educate. AAPS’s total enrollment actually increased this year. Unlike, say, the auto industry, our schools are not in trouble because of a lack of customers. Demand for a good education has never been higher.

Moving forward, we have two issues on each of two levels: revenues and costs, at the local and state levels. Let’s look at each.

Part I: Reflections on the defeat of the Washtenaw Schools Millage

We as a community will be faced with unpalatable choices as we try to close the $15 to $17 million budget gap that Ann Arbor’s schools will face over the next year, with more cuts to come in the coming years. But before we can make sound choices, we must have a real understanding of what our schools do and what resources that requires. And in order to do that, we must get past the caricatures which were painted during the millage campaign and instead speak to each other as real people with real concerns.

An Open Letter to Mr. Albert Berriz and his campaign committee, the Citizens for a Responsible Washtenaw

“…I have called publicly on my fellow members of the Ann Arbor community to get involved in the difficult choices that face our schools, and to educate ourselves about what our schools do and why. But I do not believe that we will find magical ways to reduce spending without significantly reducing the services offered by our schools. This is the very choice which the Washtenaw Schools Millage was designed to avoid. But now that we must come face to face with these hard choices, I call upon you, your company and your campaign committee to stop promoting wishful thinking and start facing up to the painful decisions which face our schools and our community.”