Fraser Staff / Pupil Trend

[Lady Budgetdown]

Dearest reader,

Step 2 and Step 2A for Fraser Public Schools are now in the ledger.

And this is where the staffing picture starts to get interesting.

From 2014–15 to 2024–25, Fraser's average pupil count fell from 5,386.00 to 4,388.34.

That is a decline of 997.66 pupils, or 18.52%.

So, just under 1,000 fewer pupils.

Now compare that with staffing.

Teachers went from 234.25 FTE to 232.73 FTE, essentially flat, down just 0.6%.

Instructional aides increased 17.3%.

Instructional support increased 46.7%.

Guidance increased 38.3%.

School support increased 21.6%.

Student support, however, fell 43.2%.

Other support increased 13.3%.

And then there is central administration.

Fraser's district/central administrators went from 8.90 FTE to 16.80 FTE.

That is an increase of 88.8%.

In other words, central administration nearly doubled during a decade when the district lost almost 1,000 pupils.

At the same time, school/building administrators declined from 16.70 FTE to 13.00 FTE, a decrease of 22.2%.

Total administrators still increased overall from 25.60 FTE to 29.80 FTE up 16.4%.

And total district staffing increased from 528.32 FTE to 578.31 FTE up 9.5%.

So the decade looks like this:

Pupils: −18.52%
Teachers: −0.6%
Total administrators: +16.4%
District/central administrators: +88.8%
Total staff: +9.5%

That does not prove waste.

It does not tell us that every added administrative position was unnecessary.

And it does not yet answer the reader's question about large sixth-grade classes.

But it absolutely gives us a question worth asking:

Why did central administration nearly double while enrollment fell by almost 1,000 students?

And if Fraser maintained nearly the same number of teachers overall, why are parents reporting classrooms with roughly 30 students?

That is the next breadcrumb.

The ledger first.

The conclusions later.

With receipts and respect.

Sources: Michigan Department of Education REP staffing data, NCES staffing data, and MDE Bulletin 1014.

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