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Why is C-A asking for an increase to the Building and Site Sinking Fund?

The community supported a renewal of the existing 0.5 mill Building and Site Sinking Fund in May, 2013. Although appreciated, the fact is, that because this millage is based on property values, the amount of revenue generated in 2013 is far less than the revenue generated years ago. Below you will see the approximate revenue generated by 0.5 mills over the last decade. As you can see, the increase of 0.5 mills would allow the district to restore the revenue generated years ago, along with some additional revenue to provide important upgrades and renovations to our school facilities.

How can Building and Site Sinking Fund dollars be spent?

Building and Site Sinking Funds are highly restricted tax dollars that are generally used for building repairs and infrastructure improvements. These dollars cannot be used for salaries or benefits, computers, or buses under current law. The potential uses of additional Building and Site Sinking Fund dollars include, but are not limited to:

• Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Labs at Carman-Ainsworth Middle School and Carman-Ainsworth High School (See renderings of the potential renovation of the former CAMS Pool into a STEM Lab and the addition of a STEM lab onto CAHS on page 3)

• Security upgrades

• Necessary building renovations (bathrooms, parking lots, roofs, etc.)

• Facility enhancements including athletic fields

Why don’t the schools just cut their budgets instead of asking for more?

School districts across the State of Michigan who have experienced decreases in enrollment and declining property values have experienced unprecedented cuts. As you can see from the chart below, the Carman-Ainsworth Community School Budget has dropped significantly over recent years. In order to combat these loses in revenue we have made very difficult cuts in expenditures. Since 2006 we have gone from operating 6 elementary schools to 4, have reduced our teaching staff by 20% and our number of administrators by 32%.We have reduced expenditures on virtually every line item in our budget. Most significantly, this past spring all C-A employees (including the Superintendent) agreed to concessions of roughly 10% for 2013-14 that will continue through 2016. Having completed negotiations with all of our employees, these cuts saved the district over $3.3 million dollars in 2013-14 alone.

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We are committed to ensuring that our students attend safe, clean and quality school buildings. Further, we strive to provide an education that will prepare our students for future careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math that exist here in Genesee County today!

Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns related to Carman-Ainsworth Community Schools.

Respectfully,

Steve Tunnicliff, Ph.D. 

Superintendent, Carman-Ainsworth Community Schools