Ann Arbor Public Schools meeting summaries, agendas, and minutes

Ann Arbor schools board weighs cell phone policy, $1.2M Dicken contract

The Ann Arbor Public Schools Board of Education met Aug. 12 for a regular meeting that included a proposed student cell phone policy and a $1.2 million contract for the new Dicken Elementary School. Meeting minutes have not yet been published, so no final decisions are confirmed. The board also held two closed sessions in August and a finance committee meeting on Aug. 21.

Cell phone policy

The board considered adopting Policy 5900, which would govern student personal electronic devices (cell phones). The policy was on the agenda for adoption, but the outcome is not yet public.

Dicken Elementary contract

The board considered approving a contract with Decima LLC for audio visual and low voltage trades at the new Dicken Elementary School. The contract amount is $1,153,937 plus a 5% contingency of $57,696, for a total of $1,211,634.

Other board business

The Aug. 12 regular meeting agenda also included approval of minutes from the July 29, 2026 regular meeting, and a first briefing on sunset reviews of Policy Series 2000 (Administration) and 4000 (Human Resources).

The board also scheduled a closed session for Aug. 27, 2026 at 6:00 pm, under attorney-client privilege and negotiations.

Closed sessions

Two closed sessions were held in August. On Aug. 10, the board met under Michigan law (MCL 15.268) for negotiations and attorney-client privileged matters, including a review of confidential minutes and a negotiations update. A second closed session on Aug. 12 covered the same topics. No public decisions were scheduled for either session.

Finance committee

On Aug. 21, the Finance/Planning Committee met electronically to review several construction and equipment items:

• AN-2288 – Scarlett Commercial Dishwasher Replacement
• AN-2289 – Slauson Renovation – Electrical Trades Re-bid
• AN-2290 – New Thurston – Water main
• Special Education Student Services Contracts

Public commentary at that meeting was limited to 4 minutes per speaker, with a 30-minute total cap.

Coming up

No upcoming meetings are listed for the next 14 days. The next scheduled board action is the Aug. 27 closed session, which is not open to the public.

Ann Arbor Schools Board Considers Cell-Phone Policy, Construction Contracts

The Ann Arbor Public Schools Board of Education met on July 29 to consider a draft policy restricting student cell-phone use and three construction-related contracts. The board also held a closed session that day. The Governance Committee met on July 27 and August 3 to review policies and plan agendas. As of this writing, minutes for these meetings have not been published, so no official decisions or vote tallies are available.

Board of Education Regular Meeting (July 29)

The board's agenda included:

• Approval of draft Policy 5900, which would restrict student personal electronic devices.
• Approval of AN-2286, a re-bid contract for Dicken Elementary audio-visual and low-voltage trades. The contract amount is listed in an attached PDF and was not included in the summary.
• Approval of AN-2287, a renovation contract for Forsythe Elementary exterior soffit repairs.
• Approval of AN-2283, athletic-training services for Huron and Skyline High Schools.

The meeting also included public commentary and committee reports. No vote results are available because minutes have not been published.

Closed Session (July 29)

The board held a closed session under the Michigan Open Meetings Act, with one negotiations item and eight items related to attorney/client privilege. No details are available.

Governance Committee Meetings (July 27 and August 3)

The Governance Committee met on July 27 to review policy updates and plan agendas for July and August. On August 3, the committee met electronically to review the July 27 agenda and minutes, hear public comment, and discuss a cell-phone policy update, sunset reviews of Policy Series 2000 (Administration) and Policy Series 4000 (Human Resources), and planning for the August 2026 board agenda. The August 3 meeting was not audio or video recorded.

Coming up

No upcoming meetings are listed in the provided data.

Ann Arbor School Board set to act on student cell-phone policy and three construction contracts

The Ann Arbor Public Schools Board of Education had a busy week, with a Governance Committee session on July 27 and a regular meeting plus a closed session on July 29. Minutes have not yet been published for any of the three gatherings, so what follows reflects only what was listed on the agendas — not confirmed outcomes.

Regular Meeting: Cell-Phone Policy and Construction Contracts

The July 29 regular meeting agenda called for board action on four items:

• **Draft Policy 5900** — a proposed policy restricting student use of personal electronic devices. The agenda lists this as a draft policy up for approval.
• **Contract AN-2286** — a re-bid contract for Dicken Elementary AV and low-voltage trades. The dollar amount was listed in an attached PDF rather than in the agenda summary itself.
• **Contract AN-2287** — a renovation contract for Forsythe Elementary exterior soffit repairs.
• **Contract AN-2283** — athletic-training services for Huron and Skyline High Schools.

Because minutes are not yet available, it is not possible to confirm whether each item was approved, tabled, or amended. Readers should check the board's official minutes once published for vote tallies and final dollar figures.

The agenda also included time for public commentary and committee reports.

Governance Committee Meets July 27

The Governance Committee met on July 27 to review policy updates and plan agendas for July and August. The session included a period for public commentary. No specific policy changes were listed by name in the available summary, and minutes have not yet been published.

Closed Session on Negotiations and Legal Matters

Also on July 29, the board held a closed session permitted under the Michigan Open Meeting Act. The agenda consisted of one negotiations item and eight items regarding attorney/client privilege. No details on the substance of those items were provided, as is standard for closed sessions.

What This Means for Residents

The cell-phone policy, if adopted, would set district-wide rules for when and how students may use personal electronic devices during the school day. The three construction and service contracts affect projects at Dicken Elementary, Forsythe Elementary, and the athletic programs at Huron and Skyline High Schools. Families and staff at those schools have the most direct stake in the construction work, while the device policy would apply district-wide.

Coming Up

No upcoming meetings are listed on the district calendar for the next two weeks (through August 17). Residents who want to confirm the outcomes of the July 29 votes should watch for the board's published minutes, which will include vote tallies and any approved contract amounts.