DETROIT - Detroit Public Schools will end up with 100 fewer school buildings than it had in 2006 if a new closure plan is carried out, according to The Detroit News.
Emergency Financial Manager Robert Bobb has recommended closing up to 45 buildings this year, including three high schools, while continuing to operate elementary schools in areas the city has targeted for revitalization. The district also wants to keep open schools at the edges of its boundaries, in an effort to stop the flow of Detroit students to suburban schools, according to The News. Final decisions will be made in April.
The closings would save a projected $31 million for the district, which anticipates a $317 million deficit this year, according to The News.
"I think it's just ridiculous," Laurie Ann Jaime, 36, a parent of five DPS students, told The News. "If one of my kids' schools closes, it will be the third time we've gone through this."
Bobb said the district also expects to reduce its workforce by 2,100 next year, The News reported. The district expects enrollment to decline by more than 30,000 students within five years, due to declining birthrate, families leaving the city and competition from other schools, according to The News.
SOURCE:
The Detroit News, "School
closure plan dovetails with Detroit's downsizing effort," March 17, 2010
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Report, "Detroit enrollment down by thousands,"
Feb. 23, 2007
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