Dearest reader,
Well.
Lady Budgetdown counted the chairs.
And Lansing's staffing ledger tells a rather interesting ten-year story.
From 2014–15 to 2024–25:
Pupils: −16.7%
Teachers: −15.8%
Total Staff: +29.7%
Total Administrators: +47.5%
And sitting rather prominently among those numbers:
District/Central Administration: +105.6%
From 19.95 to 41.01 FTE.
Building administration increased too, from 40.05 to 47.50 FTE (+18.6%).
So this was not simply a matter of moving administrative chairs from the schools to the central office.
Meanwhile, Student Support increased 150.8%, and Other Support increased 165.9%.
None of this tells us whether those additional positions were necessary or unnecessary.
It tells us something far more useful at this stage:
where to look next.
And considering Lansing first caught Lady Budgetdown's attention because it ranked #4 statewide for raw growth in District/Central Administration FTE, the ledger appears to be leaving a rather tidy trail of breadcrumbs.
Next?
Let us see what those chairs cost. 🪶
📚 Sources: MDE REP staffing records, MDE Bulletin 1014, and NCES district staffing data, 2014–15 & 2024–25.
#LadyBudgetdown #LansingSchools #MichiganSchools #SchoolFinance #EducationTransparency #FollowTheReceipts #WithReceiptsAndRespect