Dear Ann Arbor Public Schools Community,

At the Ann Arbor Public Schools, we are dedicated to providing world-class learning opportunities that help prepare our students for success. We are also dedicated to transparency and taking steps to keep our families, staff, students, and community informed.

Input from our staff, parents, students, and community is critical as we navigate the financial challenges that have recently been brought to light. I remain committed to working to address these challenges transparently and responsibly. I also remain committed to gathering community feedback as we develop a comprehensive budget plan that will put our district back on solid financial footing and sustain us for the years ahead.

To that end, we have scheduled a virtual townhall event from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Monday, April 15. This event will also allow participants to submit questions live by phone or online. A recording of the event is available here for those who cannot attend.

You can view the virtual townhall online at access.live/annarborpublicschools. The webinar-style format allows us to accommodate the large virtual audience we are expecting. Families and school employees in our district announcement phone list will also receive a call on Sunday afternoon reminding them of the event. Another reminder will occur around 6:30 p.m. Monday that will prompt people to join the event, via the link above or via phone. We are taking this new approach of directly calling families in an effort to ensure we hear from as many people as possible. 

Following the virtual townhall on Monday, in-person engagement opportunities have been scheduled, including:

• Tuesday, April 16 at 6:30 pm: In-person meeting for parents and community, Huron High School
• Wednesday, April 17 at 3:45 pm (Secondary) and 5:00 pm for (Elementary): In-person meeting for staff, Pioneer High School
• Thursday, April 18 at 6:30 pm:  In-person meeting for parents and community, Skyline High School

The format for all of these events, including the virtual town hall, will include the same brief presentation, a chance to submit questions for Q&A and an opportunity to provide input and feedback. For those unable to attend one of the meetings, a recording of the virtual meeting along with a link to submit questions and provide input and feedback will be posted to the district website.

Thank you again for your support of Ann Arbor Public Schools. I want to personally thank the many individuals who have taken the time to provide us with input, ideas and feedback. We look forward to continued engagement and collaboration with staff, students, families and the entire AAPS community as we navigate these challenging circumstances.

Sincerely,

Jazz Parks

Interim Superintendent

Ann Arbor Public Schools