An overflow crowd packed into Wednesday night’s Ann Arbor School Board meeting with plenty to say about the district’s $25 million budget shortfall, and the likely layoffs it will cause.
Teachers, staff and parents filled every seat and lined up against walls in the board meeting room and eventually spilled over overflow room next door. Several teachers lined up saying they should not be the ones to pay the price for poor budget management.
Teachers Union AAEA President Fred Klein told the trustees the district was warned to stop hiring as the numbers of students dropped.
“We’ve been asking the district to right size through retirements and resignations and by not filling every vacancy. Had that been done, we would not be where we are today.”
The board did approve a resolution that gives the Superintendent the authority to send out layoff notices to staff in the ASCSA, or The Association of School and Community Service Administrators, because they require the shortest notice.
The number of layoffs is still to be determined but district officials say they can’t be avoided.
Non-commercial, fact based reporting is made possible by your financial support. Make your donation to WEMU today to keep your community NPR station thriving.
Like 89.1 WEMU on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
Contact WEMU News at 734.487.3363 or email us at studio@wemu.org
