Ann Arbor Public Schools are facing drastic measures, including layoffs and budget cuts, to tackle a whopping $25 million budget shortfall, with community meetings in full swing to dialogue over the financial crisis. The budget deficit, attributed to a mix of a $14 million accounting error, decreased student enrollment, and increased hiring, has forced the district to freeze hiring and reconsider contracts with vendors.

According to a FOX 2 report, the school board last week approved layoffs. Details about the exact positions and the number of employees affected remain unclear. The district has proposed reducing central office and administrative staff positions to help close the gap.

A virtual townhall on Monday shed light on the difficult choices ahead. "When they passed the budget for this year, they were hopeful they could do a realignment and bring the budget up to 6%, that did not happen," Ann Arbor Public Schools board president, Torchio Feaster, explained in a statement obtained by ClickOnDetroit. The district aimed for a 6% fund balance while the state mandates a minimum of 5%.

Meanwhile, a third-party investigation is set to pinpoint where things went south, as stated by interim superintendent Jazz Parks in a Hoodline article. Teachers and educators, on the other hand, have voiced their refusal to be held accountable for the district's financial chaos. "Fourteen million dollar clerical error is unconscionable to me," Vice President of the Ann Arbor Education Association, Tamala Bell, told WXYZ according to Hoodline.

The educator-led outrage culminated in a protest last Thursday, signaling deep-set frustrations and fears for the future of schooling in Ann Arbor. As the budget cuts loom – figures on a balance sheet carry the weight of jobs, programs, and the educational quality offered to students. In the words of one Ann Arbor teacher quoted by WHMI, "For each teacher you cut, it's our children who bleed."