ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Painful budget cuts and layoffs are coming to Ann Arbor Public Schools after a review of school finances shows “some significant budget challenges.”
On Wednesday, AAPS Interim Superintendent Jazz Parks outlined the cuts and challenges the school district will face in an act of transparency to school families.
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A decrease of 1,123 students in four years, the addition of 480 staff over 10 years and Board of Education-approved raises for staff have all factored in “multi-year budget shortfalls” impacting the budget.
The district has to cut approximately $25 million from its 2024-2025 operating budget to be in compliance with Board of Education and state requirements, Parks wrote in a public letter.
“The initial review has revealed some significant budget challenges for our district that will require immediate and long-term actions, some of which will be painful,” she said.
To reduce its spending, the district will lay off some office and administrative staff, instill a hiring freeze, conduct additional reviews of budgets and renegotiate vendor contracts.
“While previous budget decisions were made before I became interim superintendent, I am fully committed to addressing them and working with our staff, students, families and the Board of Education to create an action plan to move us forward. Despite our best efforts, the magnitude of the budget challenge we are facing will require us to make staff and program reductions,” Parks wrote.
She added that the school’s previous superintendent had informed the Board of Education of a budget shortfall and a “top-to-bottom review” of district budgets and finances was undertaken.
The district will work with accounting firm Plante Moran to confirm the financial findings and help the district come up with a plan for moving forward.
Families and AAPS community members will be able to give feedback and ideas on the cuts in the near future.