Dearest reader,
The Ledger has grown into something considerably larger than I imagined when Lady Budgetdown first picked up the spectacles and abacus.
Hundreds of Michigan school districts. Thousands of public records. Workbooks, audits, budgets, staffing data, compensation reports, FOIAs, graphics, hosting, research tools—and an ever-growing collection of rabbit holes.
And behind all of it is still one person doing the work.
If you believe this project is useful and would like to help keep it going, you can now support The Ledger.
🪶 Become a Supporting Member $4.99/month
Monthly supporters receive access to The Inner Ledger, the private members' area here on the forum.
That's where you'll be able to go behind the scenes with the research, see what I'm currently working on, ask questions directly, vote on future rabbit holes, see early looks and works in progress, and access the Member Resource Library with additional records, FOIA responses, research files, workbooks, and other materials collected along the way.
Think of it as a seat closer to the desk where the receipts are being sorted.
Your $4.99 monthly support also helps pay for the very unromantic things that keep this project running: website and forum hosting, research tools, public-record costs, data and document storage, and the infrastructure required to research hundreds of Michigan school districts.
Not interested in another monthly subscription? I completely understand.
You can also make a one-time contribution in any amount. There is absolutely no obligation to become a recurring supporter.
And financial support will never purchase a finding, conclusion, favorable post, unfavorable post, or investigation.
Support helps fund the work. It does not determine what the work says.
The public research will remain public. The receipts supporting public findings will remain available to readers whether they financially support The Ledger or not.
Supporting members simply get to come a little farther behind the curtain.
And if contributing isn't something you can or want to do? You're still welcome here.
Read. Share. Ask questions. Send breadcrumbs. Check my math. Bring another receipt. Tell somebody about The Ledger.
Those things help too.
If you'd like to become a Supporting Member for $4.99/month, or simply toss a few dollars into the spectacles-and-abacus fund with a one-time contribution, you can do so here:
☕ Support The Ledger:
https://ko-fi.com/ladybudgetdown
Every contribution helps give me more time and resources to keep opening the records, organizing the receipts, and making public-school information a little easier for the public to actually use.
Thank you for believing this strange little project is worth keeping around.
The identity stays private.
The receipts stay public.
And the ledger stays open. 🪶
Lady Budgetdown
With receipts and respect.