Cost Data For Community High Run Into Questions

Among the budget items to be discussed next week by the Ann Arbor Board of Education at its special session will be the cost of the Community High School. Some have claimed that the new third high school will cost more to run than Pioneer and Huron, while others point to the fact that the Community High School will utilize the Jones Building, which will avoid the capital costs, so that the program will cost less than the other two high schools. In a summary of costs presented at y Yg_ rL sj the last board meeting, Steven Daniels, director of new school planning, reported the total first-year cost of the high school will be $386,106. In order to get a real grasp of how this amount compares, however,, it is necessary to understand the differences between start-up costs and operating monies, stated Daniels' report. Start-up costs are one-time expenditures which include everything needed to make the school function. Traditionally they cover the cost of the building and smaller items such as equipment. "Start-up costs for the school are $238,294 and this amount includes textbooks ($18,460); initial general instruction At(. y 'f v plies ($19,877); curriculum development ($6,957); equipping and furnishing of Jones ($30,000); bringing it to Fire Code ($100,000); salaries of the team involved in planning program ($63,000). Community high school's operating costs will be $147,812 and the per-pupil cost of $284 fall between Pioneer's $275 and Huron's $295 Daniels summarized. Critical of the costs of the new school, former school board candidate Terry Martin told the board at the last meeing that she had calculated the per pupil costs at the three schools as follows: Pioneer $482,958 or $143.90 per pupil; Huron $374,449 or $181,86 per pupil; and Community High $253,593 or $431.90 per pupil without start-up expenses. "I have purposely omitted the figure of $19,877 listed under supplies for new school opening since this item was well balanced by the salaries of the planning team which did not appear in any other financial statement," said Mrs. Martin. Mrs. Martin also told the board that there were several items of budgetary importance which are found in the Comi munity High School catalog which did not appear in the June 21 budget. For instance, she said, the brochure states that the Community High school assumes the responsibility for providing whatever inI surance is necessary for students. It also I includes summer orientation sessions for the staff which is said to be reimbursed and that teacher-counselors will be compensated for work beyond the contract, she said. "In a News report, the pupil cost of the three schools appear to balance out nicely but seem to have no relation to the printed budget," said Mrs. Martin. "The paper quotes the figure of $48,120 for administrative salaries for the high school but the budget quotes this salary at $82,120 and the budget incorporates an item for transportation of $11,648 for the school and none for the other two high schools," she said. According to her this varies from the report in The News which listed portation costs for Huron at $57,334 and Pioneer at $25,534. "Obviously these figures should not be used as comparative data as one represents costs subject to state reimburse-' ment while the community high school transportation is not," she said. Mrs. Martin also commented on other costs which are not printed in any items about the new school such as physical education, science labs, home economics or-. other extra -curricular activities. These items do not appear in the community high budget so must be absorbed by the other schools with no reference toj the costs in the community high budgeJÉ she said.