Operations and Maintenance

Every district employee we've spoken to about this issue agrees. The District does not have enough money to pay for the operations and maintenance of the new high school.

In fact, it is obvious that district administration knew it didn't have the funds to pay to run the school. Read emails that show consultants, the Superintendent and even a Board member, keeping information about all this from the public and even the Board.

The bond passed in June of 2004 only pays for construction of the school. It does not pay for changes to the roads nearby (the city, county and MDOT will have to deal with the ramifications of dropping a 1600-student school in a spot with only one road for access). The bond does not include operating costs; for example, all salaries, utilities, all services such as mowing lawns and replacing light bulbs. Everything.

So where will that money come from? It's not clear. The district has an $20+ million deficit for the next several years. Even if the district were square with funds, the new school will increase class size and will in no way help alleviate the disgraceful achievement gap in the Ann Arbor Public School District.

A CRS member, Alan Pagliere (a district resident and parent of a Pioneer graduate) asked simply for public documents supporting the projections for operations and maintenance costs for the district and the impact of the new high school on them.

The Superintendent stalled for two and a half months, hired the district's law firm to write an intimidating letter to Mr. Pagliere to disuade him from pursuing his reasonable request. Finally, Mr. Pagliere was forced to file a Freedom of Information Act request. Remember that this is public information. Read some of the documents that came from that FOIA request.

	Fighting Mismanagement in the Ann Arbor Public Schools District "If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don't have to worry about answers" — Thomas Pynchon

Main Archives Page (New High School) Environment Land Use Traffic School size Demographics Safety Archaeology Alternative sites In the News About CRS Write a letter ! Contact Us Home Page	Operations and Maintenance of the New High School Can't Be Paid For Every district employee we've spoken to about this issue agrees. The District does not have enough money to pay for the operations and maintenance of the new high school. In fact, it is obvious that district administration knew it didn't have the funds to pay to run the school. Read emails that show consultants, the Superintendent and even a Board member, keeping information about all this from the public and even the Board. The bond passed in June of 2004 only pays for construction of the school. It does not pay for changes to the roads nearby (the city, county and MDOT will have to deal with the ramifications of dropping a 1600-student school in a spot with only one road for access). The bond does not include operating costs; for example, all salaries, utilities, all services such as mowing lawns and replacing light bulbs. Everything. So where will that money come from? It's not clear. The district has an $20+ million deficit for the next several years. Even if the district were square with funds, the new school will increase class size and will in no way help alleviate the disgraceful achievement gap in the Ann Arbor Public School District. A CRS member, Alan Pagliere (a district resident and parent of a Pioneer graduate) asked simply for public documents supporting the projections for operations and maintenance costs for the district and the impact of the new high school on them. The Superintendent stalled for two and a half months, hired the district's law firm to write an intimidating letter to Mr. Pagliere to disuade him from pursuing his reasonable request. Finally, Mr. Pagliere was forced to file a Freedom of Information Act request. Remember that this is public information. Read some of the documents that came from that FOIA request.