What New School Millage Would Buy

An additional 1.3 milis, if approved by voters Monday, won't restore all the progratns the Ann Arbor purflic schools once I had. "I hope everyone understands this," Supt. Harry Howard said during a recent interview. The administration has said additional revenues from an increased tax base and the 1.3 milis would be used to reinstate. add and expand some programs; increase the budget for supplies and equipment to make up for a 10 per cent cut made two years ago; provide for 10 per I cent infla tion for those two years; and I give salary increases. Howard and the school board have I developed a $29.4 million working budget [ for next year. Compared to this year's I expected expenditures of $26.2 million, I the budget will increase 12.13 per cent. The 1.3 milis would raise $1.028 million I of the total $3.182 million anticiptated adI ditional revenues. Without additional millage the budget ■ would be 8.2 per cent larger than it is I this school year. The increase is the reI sult of an increased tax base plus an exI pected balance of $300,000 to be carried I over from this year. Part of the increase I in local revenues is offset by the loss of ! I $442,000 received in state aid this year. I Because of Ann Arbor's high tax base I the school district is not eligible for state , I aid based on student membership under I the new state aid formula. ■ While 86 per cent of the school disI trict's budget goes for saiaries, only 53 I per cent of the $3.182 million budget inI crease is scheduled to increase salaries I of current employés. I , Howard and the board have budgeted I $1.696 million in salary increases for curI rent employés in the 1974-75 budget. This I would allow a salary increase of 5.5 per I cent plus 2.2 per cent experience increI ment. About 15 per cent of the additional reI venues, $490,000, is expected to be spent I in the area of plant maintenance, operaI tions, Utilities, and gasoline. The inI crease will be used to improve cleaning I and maintenance of buildings and meet I rising costs due to inflation. Howard said about 30 per cent of the budget increase (or 97 per cent of the money raised by the 1.3 milis) is expected to be spent in the area of program improvements, new personnel, supplies, equipment and textbooks. The 996,000 allocated would restore some of the 10 per cent cuts made two years ago and provide for the 10 per cent inflation for those two years. New personnel to be hired with the additional revenues include: Two principáis and an assistant principal. Cost: $66,000. The principáis will be assigned to schools where one principal is serving two schools. Angelí and Bader share a principal as does Clinton and Stone elementary schools. Enrollments at Bader and Angelí are to increase next year to 337 students at Angelí and 198 at Bader. The assistant principal will be assigned to Thurston Elementary School which has an anticipated enrollment of 760 students. Two school nurses. Cost: $25,000. Four counselors to develop a uniform attendance policy and to work with students and parents to lower absenteeism. Cost: $68,000. Tutorial consultant to coordínate volunteer programs. Cost: $16,000. Full-time curriculum coördinators for music, art, science, math, social studies, physical eductation and English to provide continuity in program. Cost: $50,000. The additional funds would be used to hire new teachers to replace the experienced teachers in the classroom who have been working part time teaching and part time as curriculum coördinators. A research staff to develop a testing program for the district. Cost: $40,000. A director of secondary curriculum to work with the elementary curriculum director to provide direction to the curriculum that has been lacking since decentralization of the school two years ago. Cost: $26,000. The school board has ; approved the position but a person has not been hired. Two additional counselors, one for Pioneer High and one for Clague Middle ! School. Cost: $36,000. A part-time student photographer to take photographs of school events. Cost: i$4,000. Hourly pay for a secretary to the board. Cost: $5,500. _ Six new employés in the area of special WÊÊKÊM M __ . j education to increase services to ■ icapped students in the regular 1 room. Cost: $100,000. Part of the cost for I hiring the special education teachers will I be reimbursed the following year by the I State Department of Education, Howard I said. Ten additional custodians to keep I buildings cleaner and do preventive I maintenance. Cost: $156,300. An electrician. Cost: $13,867. Additions to be made to the I al program include: An increased subsidy of student I school, intramural and athletic programs I at the junior high and senior high school I levéis. Cost: $43,145. A summer school program for I tary and high school students to provide I remedial help. Cost: $93,167. Increased stock in the district's I room of student supplies to replace stock I depleted by cutbacks in previous years. I Cost: $67,303. .Increased budgets for textbooks, I plies and equipment at the elementary I and secondary levéis, for special I tion and for adult educating cost: $169,620. Howard has said if the 1.3 milis is not I approved by voters a major protion of I the budget increased due to a larger tax I base will have to go toward meeting the I increased costs of goods and services, I not restoration of program. Representatives of the largest 1 ing unit, the Ann Arbor Education I ciation (AAEA), have said a 5.5 per cent I increase plus a 2.2 experience increment I is not adequate to keep up with inflation. The average teacher's salary this year, according to the administra tion, is $15,574 plus between $500 and $600 in fringes ($10,000 life insurance, full major medical and hospitalization insurance or a dental option). With the 5.5 per cent increase plus 2.2 per cent experience increment, the administration has projected the average salary next year would be $16,767 plus , fringes.