Ann Arbor Public Schools needs to focus on rightsizing its staff regarding its enrollment numbers. That’s one of the suggestions coming from new Chief Financial Officer Ante’ Britten as they work on the next budget.
In his latest report to the Ann Arbor School Board, Britten says enrollment has been dropping. There are over 1,300 fewer students since the pandemic.
Britten suggests the district set targets, so classroom sizes are between 18-25 students. He says that can be accomplished through attrition.
“To keep an eye on our numbers, our vacancies, and that we’re not necessarily refilling all positions automatically, but that we’re really doing an honest assessment of whether those positions need to be refilled or can they be redistributed somewhere else in a different way.”
Teachers’ salaries are another issue the district is facing. Britten says compensation is in the middle of the pack compared to peer districts, but it drops off sharply at the top scales. It’s making it harder to retain experienced educators.
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