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Monroe County Education Association We are School Employees who value Public Education and Union Values. We are representative of all nine job families found in a Public School setting.

10/15/2026

🚨 DEAREST READER, SET YOUR CLOCKS!

Something is apparently brewing in Saginaw County tonight.

A post circulating in the Saginaw Township Neighbor Watch group is telling taxpayers to tune in to ABC12 at 6 p.m. tonight.

The warning?

“Saginaw County taxpayers are gonna be stomping mad!”

👀 Well, Lady B certainly has her popcorn ready.

What will the receipts reveal?

📺 ABC12 | TONIGHT | 6 PM

With receipts and respect,
Lady Budgetdown

10/15/2026

Dearest Reader, 🪶

In 2020, Jeffrey Collier began his tenure as superintendent of Saginaw Intermediate School District with a base salary of $160,000.

According to ABC12's investigation, his total compensation package for the 2026–27 school year now exceeds $373,000.

That's a difference of more than $213,000 in six years, comparing his starting base salary with his current reported compensation package.

ABC12 also reported that journalist Terry Camp spent weeks attempting to obtain an explanation from SISD regarding the superintendent's compensation increases.

Late this afternoon, Katherine Ellison, President of the Saginaw ISD Board of Education and Vice President of the Hemlock Public Schools Board of Education, issued a statement.

Her response?

The SISD Board approved Collier's contract on June 22.

That's it.

No explanation of how the compensation was determined. No explanation of the substantial difference between his starting salary and current compensation package.

Dearest Reader, I don't question whether the Board approved the contract.

I question how the Board arrived at those numbers.

And taxpayers deserve to be able to ask that question. Especially with the Saginaw Intermediate School District requesting a renewal millage just WEEKS away.

With receipts and respect,
Lady Budgetdown 🪶

10/14/2026

👑 Dearest reader,

Lady B is back in Fowlerville Community Schools, and this time we're opening the payroll ledger.

💰 STEP 3: FOLLOWING THE COMPENSATION

In Steps 1, 1A, 2, and 2A, I examined enrollment, school finances, administrative expenditures, and staffing over a ten-year period.

Now it's time to look at what some of those positions actually cost taxpayers.

And as always, the receipts are public records. 🔎

📊 THE $100,000 CLUB

According to Fowlerville Community Schools' 2025 compensation transparency report:

👥 16 employees reported Medicare wages of $100,000 or more.

💵 Their combined TOTAL employer compensation?

$2,789,980.

That's nearly $2.8 MILLION in compensation for just 16 employees.

And remember, total compensation includes more than wages. It also includes employer retirement contributions, insurance, and FICA/Medicare costs.

🏫 LET'S LOOK AT FIVE LEADERSHIP POSITIONS.

💰 Superintendent
Medicare Wages: $151,400
Total Compensation: $241,079

💰 Assistant Superintendent
Medicare Wages: $142,789
Total Compensation: $204,411

💰 Human Resources Director
Medicare Wages: $117,929
Total Compensation: $166,545

💰 Operations Director
Medicare Wages: $109,328
Total Compensation: $171,615

💰 Athletic Director
Medicare Wages: $103,544
Total Compensation: $169,930

Now, let's connect a few breadcrumbs. 🧐

In Step 1, we learned that Fowlerville's enrollment declined 16.50% over the past decade.

In Step 1A, we learned that administrative expenditures increased 31.14%.

And in Step 2A, we discovered that total administrative staffing actually DECREASED 2.61%.

Now we're looking at what individual leadership positions cost in 2025.

These figures don't tell us whether someone is overpaid or underpaid. Nor does this compensation report establish what caused administrative expenditures to increase over the decade.

But they do give taxpayers another important piece of the financial picture.

🍎 AND HERE'S SOMETHING TO CONSIDER.

Remember Step 1?

Fowlerville's average teacher salary increased just 1.51% between 2014–15 and 2024–25.

After inflation, that represented a 24.90% decline in purchasing power.

Now, an average teacher salary and an individual administrator's total compensation are different measures. They shouldn't be treated as a direct apples-to-apples comparison.

But they certainly invite a broader conversation about compensation priorities.

💬 SO, HERE'S MY QUESTION:

When evaluating how a school district spends taxpayer dollars, should the public be looking beyond base salaries and examining the FULL cost of compensation?

And should districts make that information easier for taxpayers to understand?

I certainly think so.

One final reminder: The $2.8 million represents only the 16 employees included in this disclosure. It is NOT the district's total payroll, and not all 16 employees are administrators.

No accusations. No assumptions. Just publicly reported numbers and questions worth asking.

With receipts and respect.

10/14/2026

👑 Dearest reader,

Lady B is back in Fowlerville Community Schools, and this time I'm looking beyond the dollars.

📚 STEP 2 & 2A: STAFFING AND ADMINISTRATIVE TRENDS

In Step 1, we learned that Fowlerville's student enrollment declined over the past decade, while revenue per pupil increased substantially.

But what happened to staffing during those same ten years?

Let's follow the receipts. 🔎

📉 STUDENT ENROLLMENT

2014–15: 2,862 students
2024–25: 2,389.66 students

That's a decline of 16.50%.

🍎 NOW, LET'S LOOK AT TEACHERS.

2014–15: 119.74 FTE
2024–25: 137.44 FTE

That's an INCREASE of 14.78%.

Fewer students, but MORE teachers.

And that's not necessarily a bad thing! Smaller classes and additional instructional resources can benefit students.

But remember what we discovered in Step 1?

Fowlerville's average teacher salary increased just 1.51% over the same decade.

After adjusting for inflation, that's a 24.90% loss in purchasing power.

More teaching positions, but very little growth in average teacher pay.

🏫 WHAT ABOUT ADMINISTRATION?

Here's where the numbers tell a different story.

Central/District Administrators:
7.00 → 5.60 FTE
📉 DOWN 20.00%

School/Building Administrators:
8.30 → 9.30 FTE
📈 UP 12.05%

Total Administrators:
15.30 → 14.90 FTE
📉 DOWN 2.61%

So, while enrollment declined 16.50%, the district actually reported a slight REDUCTION in total administrative staffing.

That's an important distinction.

And it becomes even more interesting when compared with Step 1A, where we learned that administrative expenditures increased 31.14%.

Fewer administrative positions overall, but higher administrative expenditures.

Of course, expenditures include more than salaries, and ten years of inflation matters.

📊 OTHER STAFFING CHANGES

• Instructional Aides: DOWN 5.53%
• Instructional Support: UP 233.33%
• Guidance: DOWN 30.00%
• School Support: UP 5.97%
• Student Support: DOWN 6.81%
• Other Support: UP 11.15%

Some categories grew. Others declined.

And that brings me to something I think deserves more attention.

💬 HERE'S MY QUESTION:

When enrollment declines but teacher staffing increases, administrative staffing decreases, and administrative expenditures rise, what should taxpayers be looking at to determine whether their district is using its resources effectively?

Class sizes? Student outcomes? Teacher compensation? Administrative costs?

Perhaps all of the above.

Not every increase is wasteful, and not every reduction is a victory.

The purpose of these comparisons isn't to declare a district good or bad.

It's to give parents, educators, and taxpayers a clearer picture of how their schools have changed over a decade.

The staffing figures come from Michigan's REP and NCES reporting, with pupil counts from MDE Bulletin 1014. Staffing is measured in full-time equivalents (FTE), not individual employees.

With receipts and respect. 💙

10/14/2026

📚 DEAREST READER,

How does a $243.10 FOIA bill for school board packets turn into a $35,000 court award?

Ask Midland Public Schools.

In July 2024, Renita Bonadies filed a lawsuit challenging fees associated with obtaining public school board records.

More than two years later, following a bench trial, a Midland County Circuit Court judge ruled in her favor. The district was ultimately ordered to pay $35,000 in attorney fees, costs, and disbursements.

💰 $243.10. One disputed FOIA bill.

⚖️ $35,000. The final court-ordered award.

And that doesn’t include the district’s own legal defense expenses.

Here’s what really caught Lady B’s attention.

Midland Public Schools now makes those same board packets publicly available at no charge.

So why did it take more than two years of litigation to get here?

School districts regularly talk about tight budgets, limited resources, and the need to stretch every taxpayer dollar.

Yet here is a dispute over access to public records that ended with a $35,000 court award.

In my opinion, that is an extraordinary waste of taxpayer resources.

Public school board packets should be readily accessible to the very taxpayers funding these districts. Transparency should be the starting point, not something residents have to fight for in court.

And that leaves Lady B with one question.

How many other Michigan school districts could avoid unnecessary legal expenses simply by being more transparent in the first place?

Public records. Public dollars. Public accountability.

With receipts and respect,
Lady Budgetdown 🕯️

10/14/2026

The progress we've made for Michigan educators and public education was hard won — but we're not done.

From restoring bargaining rights and fixing the teacher evaluation law to providing free school breakfast and lunch for all students, these are gains worth protecting.

Learn more about the progress made on school funding, student support and workplace rights — and what's at stake moving forward.

Link in comments.

10/14/2026

Dearest readers,

Well, those breadcrumbs are coming in! 🕯️

Following my earlier post asking about school districts requiring families to purchase athletic uniforms, apparel, and equipment from specific vendors, I've received quite a few responses.

Two districts have caught my attention so far.

📍 SAGINAW TOWNSHIP COMMUNITY SCHOOLS

A parent reports that Heritage High School requires families to purchase team apparel through Sandlot Sports, even when comparable items can be purchased elsewhere for less money.

The same parent reports that families found more affordable options for team photography but were required to use Hicks Studio.

I've also received information that Sandlot apparel is sold in physical school stores at Heritage and White Pine.

📍 BRIGHTON AREA SCHOOLS

Another reader reports that Brighton uses BSN Sports and Nike for athletic uniforms and that families are locked into those products.

Now, Lady B has some questions for BOTH districts.

🔎 Who selected these vendors, and how were those decisions made?

🔎 Are there written exclusive-vendor agreements? If so, where can taxpayers and parents review them?

🔎 Were competing suppliers considered, particularly when families could purchase comparable merchandise for less?

🔎 Do the districts, athletic departments, booster organizations, or other affiliated groups receive commissions, rebates, fundraising proceeds, or other financial benefits from these arrangements?

And here's the question I'm particularly interested in.

🔎 DO ANY CURRENT OR FORMER DISTRICT EMPLOYEES, ADMINISTRATORS, BOARD MEMBERS, OR THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS HAVE BUSINESS OR FINANCIAL CONNECTIONS TO ANY OF THESE VENDORS?

I'm not suggesting those connections exist or that anyone has done anything improper. But when families are required to spend their own money with specific businesses, I believe it's reasonable to ask how those businesses were selected and whether any relationships exist.

More school districts are being mentioned as the breadcrumbs continue coming in.

For now, these are Lady B's questions for Saginaw Township Community Schools and Brighton Area Schools.

If you have answers, firsthand experiences, or documentation, my inbox is open. Email is preferred, but comments and messages are welcome.

Sometimes all it takes is one question to start an interesting conversation.

With receipts and respect,
Lady B 🕯️

Address

3245 N. Adrian Highway, Suite I
Adrian, MI
49221

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Wednesday 8am - 4pm
Thursday 8am - 4pm
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