📜 From the Desk of Lady Budgetdown
Today we begin our review of Ann Arbor Public Schools, starting with a 10-year comparison of district finances using the Michigan Department of Education's Bulletin 1014 reports.
As always, these posts are not endorsements or criticisms of any district. They are intended to present publicly available financial information in a way that is easier for taxpayers, parents, employees, and community members to understand.
Here is what stood out over the last decade:
• Total funding from all sources increased from approximately $210.4 million to $316.6 million, an increase of more than $106 million (50.5%).
• Total instructional spending increased by approximately $60.2 million (48.0%), outpacing inflation.
• Instructional support, business & administration, and operations & maintenance all increased faster than inflation over the same period.
• Student FTE enrollment declined slightly, from 16,915 to 16,702, a decrease of about 1.3%.
• Average teacher salary increased from $72,036 to $79,785, a nominal increase of 10.8%. However, cumulative inflation through the end of 2025 was approximately 35.8%, meaning average teacher salary did not keep pace with inflation during this period.
As with every district I analyze, numbers alone do not tell the entire story. They are simply the starting point for understanding how a district has changed over time.
📌 Coming next in the Ann Arbor series:
• Employees earning $100,000+ in total compensation
• Teacher and administrator contract highlights
• Student and staffing trends (once Michigan School Data returns online)
With receipts and respect.
Data compiled and visualized by Lady Budgetdown using publicly available records.
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