The bunker mentality we're witnessing from Ann Arbor school administrators and board members is more fitting for the military than for a public school system.

As bad news continues to emerge, their defensive posture only seems to harden. This is exactly the wrong approach for a public entity, which should serve as a model of open discourse and communication with its constituents - both parents and taxpayers.

Last week, the administration announced plans to cut positions from its staff of 3,000 employees in an attempt to balance its budget. Although this is the first time the news was made public, it's clear that board members and administrators privately have been discussing cuts for months without any input from parents or taxpayers.

Even now, the district hasn't released details about how many jobs will be sliced, except to say that an undetermined number of teaching positions will be on the block.

The dollar amount of cuts that need to be made also remains unclear. School officials say they must cut between $5 million and $8 million from the next fiscal year's budget, which begins July 1. That's a tremendous amount of wiggle room. They either don't have a handle on spending or they aren't willing to be candid about the depth of the district's financial problems.

Almost certainly, part of this is posturing because of contract negotiations with the district's 1,175 teachers. Instead of gamesmanship, why not involve parents, taxpayers, students and teachers in a broad discussion about the tough choices that are looming?

Sadly, this is part of an ongoing pattern by the district. Documents distributed to school officials are regularly stamped "Confidential'' or have cover pages titled "Sensitive Packet'' and "For Confidential Distribution Only'' even though most, if not all, of the information would be available under the state's Freedom of Information Act.

The tight rein on information verges on paranoia and seems reinforced by the district's law firm, Dykema Gossett, which is deeply entrenched in the day-to-day operations of the district. Ann Arbor's public schools have paid more than $2.6 million in attorney fees over the past four years. It's not unreasonable to wonder how much of that money would have been better spent in the classrooms.

We've noted before that it's far easier to conduct business behind closed doors, where no one can question or debate your decisions. It's certainly less messy. It also allows the board to present the facade of a united front.

It's also absolutely not the way to handle issues related to the financial and educational health of this or any other school district.

If you're a parent worried about the impact of teacher downsizing on class sizes - or any issue affecting the quality of your child's education - you need to be part of this discussion.

If you're a taxpayer concerned about how your tax dollars are being managed, you need to be part of this discussion.

These discussions need to take place in the public domain.