Step 2 and 2A are now open for Coleman Community Schools, and this one took an interesting turn.
From 2014–15 to 2024–25, Coleman's pupil count fell from 727.00 to 556.70.
That is a decline of 23.4%.
Over that same decade:
Teachers fell 14.5%
Instructional aides fell 49.7%
Guidance fell from 1.00 FTE to 0.00
But total staffing moved the other direction.
Total staff increased from 92.07 FTE to 125.12 FTE, up 35.9%.
The largest increases were not in central administration.
In fact, district/central administration was essentially flat:
2.90 FTE → 2.95 FTE
Instead, the growth showed up in other staffing categories:
School support: 4.00 → 9.26 FTE (+131.5%)
Student support: 3.00 → 6.00 FTE (+100.0%)
Other support: 24.25 → 42.99 FTE (+77.3%)
So this is not a story about a central office that exploded in size.
It is a different question entirely.
How did Coleman lose nearly one-quarter of its pupils, reduce teachers and aides, yet end the decade with 33 more total staff FTE?
There may be perfectly reasonable explanations.
Special programs. Student services. Changes in reporting. Different staffing needs.
But that is exactly why we follow the receipts before we follow the assumptions.
The numbers tell us where to look next.
And in Coleman, the next question is not simply "How many administrators?"
It is:
What changed in the makeup of the workforce?
The ledger remains open.
With receipts and respect.
#LadyBudgetdown #WithReceiptsAndRespect #ColemanCommunitySchools #MidlandCounty #MichiganSchools #SchoolStaffing #TeacherStaffing #PublicEducation #Transparency #Accountability #FollowTheMoney #TheLedger