Dearest reader,
Lady B's ledger has made its way to Chippewa Hills School District in Remus. 🪶
And as always, we begin in the same place: a ten-year look at the numbers.
2014–15 to 2024–25.
📌 Student headcount:
2,128.00 → 1,792.75
Down 335.25 pupils, or 15.75%.
Now let's follow the money — per pupil.
💰 All Sources Revenue
$9,189 → $14,635
Up 59.27%
After inflation: +17.25%
📚 Total Instruction
$6,519 → $8,782
Up 34.71%
After inflation: −0.82%
🧩 Instructional Support
$1,646 → $640
Down 61.12%
After inflation: −71.37%
🏛� Business & Administration
$1,111 → $2,213
Up 99.19%
After inflation: +46.65%
🔧 Operations & Maintenance
$720 → $1,296
Up 80.00%
After inflation: +32.52%
🍎 Average Teacher Salary
$60,497 → $75,149
Up 24.22%
After inflation: −8.55%
And that, dear reader, is why Lady B looks at more than whether a number simply went "up."
Over the decade, Chippewa Hills lost nearly 16% of its pupils.
Per-pupil revenue grew faster than inflation.
Business & Administration spending per pupil nearly doubled in nominal dollars and increased 46.65% after inflation.
Operations & Maintenance also grew substantially.
Meanwhile, Total Instruction did not keep pace with inflation, Instructional Support fell sharply, and the average teacher salary lost purchasing power.
Those numbers do not answer every question.
But they certainly tell us which questions to ask.
Next, Lady B will open the staffing ledger and see what happened to teachers, aides, support staff and administrators while enrollment was declining.
The breadcrumbs continue. 🪶
With receipts and respect.
#LadyBudgetdown #ChippewaHillsSchoolDistrict #ChippewaHills #RemusMI #MichiganSchools #SchoolFinance #EducationSpending #PublicEducation #SchoolTransparency #FollowTheMoney #WithReceiptsAndRespect