An overflow room full of teachers, parents, and students asked the Ann Arbor School Board last night to hold off on approving a resolution to allow the administration to layoff staff and teachers to help fill a $25 million budget shortfall. In the end, it passed narrowly.
Teachers wouldn’t let a steady rain prevent them from picketing in front of the district’s Earhart Road Building ahead of Thursday night’s meeting. They said they shouldn’t have to bear the burden of the district’s mismanagement.
In the end, the board majority said the resolution had to be approved to satisfy state requirements than need to be submitted by Monday.
AAEA President Fred Klein asked the board to listen to its teachers and says he’s angry that they did not.
“We’ve been telling them for years to right-size through attrition, which would not involve laying anybody off. They didn’t listen to us. They continue to not listen to us. And now, here we are looking at our members paying the price for the district’s financial mismanagement.”
The resolution was approved on a 4-3 vote. How many and who would be laid off is still to be determined.
The district is holding a virtual town meeting Monday at 6:30.
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