Inkster's current plight—both academically and financially—is not a recent phenomenon, brought on by more educational choices for local families. The introduction of competition in the district merely served to expose the degree to which parents remained unhappy with their government-run schools. Charter schools and public "schools-of-choice" gave parents and students alternatives to the schools in the failing district. As a result, the school district may very well go out of business.
There seems to be some promise for Inkster, however. Superintendent Boguth says "Our goal now is to make ourselves so competitive that it doesn't matter how many charters there are here."41 In February 2000, in an attempt to avoid a state takeover, Inkster signed a contract with Edison Schools, a private, for-profit company that operates schools throughout the country.42 Only time will tell whether or not Edison can rescue the district. However, it required a competitive environment to force action to be taken, where before a bad situation was allowed to fester.
Regardless of whether choice and competition compels Inkster to improve or close its doors, making way for better educational opportunities, one outcome is certain: The current state of affairs will no longer be permitted. Either result will be better for the children assigned to the Inkster Public Schools.
