Anchor Bay board presses for clarity after district recorded as "opted in" to disputed 31a funding

The Anchor Bay School District Board of Education spent much of its Dec. 10 meeting pressing administrators for a clearer explanation of how the district came to be recorded as "opted in" to 31a funding after the board voted on Nov. 12 not to apply for those funds.

Superintendent Phil Jankowski told the board the district had proceeded with a limited, administrative opt‑in to preserve the board's options while litigation proceeds. "We went ahead to do that," he said during the meeting, noting that federal and state hearings were fast‑tracked with a Dec. 15 hearing and a tentative decision expected Dec. 19. He said the Dec. 30 date is the deadline for districts to finalize their decision to opt out.

Board members pressed multiple times for who had authority to opt the district in and whether that action contradicted the Nov. 12 resolution. One board member summarized the concern: "We the only action we as a board took was to not apply for the funds," and asked how staff had the authority to opt the district in on the board's behalf. Jankowski responded that legal counsel had reviewed the approach and advised that the earlier board resolution left the board "covered" while staff preserved options administratively to avoid calling a special meeting.

Members expressed discomfort with the process and said they would prefer an explicit board decision. The superintendent said administration will prepare language for a possible resolution and the board planned to review a recommended resolution, likely after a closed‑session legal briefing.

The board did not take a formal binding vote on 31a funding during the Dec. 10 session; Jankowski said any final board action would follow after legal counsel's guidance and the district's review of the court rulings and funding terms.