Senate, House Democrats explain why they oppose Detroit schools reform legislation
Members of the state House and Senate Democratic caucuses say they don't support legislation introduced Thursday that would restructure the debt-plagued Detroit Public School system.
In a joint statement, lawmakers said for Detroit Public Schools to succeed, the district needs to be led by a "locally elected school board that maintains the same authority as every other school district in the state."
They also said lawmakers should look beyond the school aid fund when looking at how to pay for the plan, whose price tag has been estimated at $715 million over 10-years. Sen. David Knezek, D-Dearborn Heights, suggested examining "tobacco settlement money, a loan or a conglomeration of various funding sources."
"Every child in Detroit deserves access to the same quality of education that we demand for children across our state," the statement said. "To achieve this, we believe certain principles must be followed. Among them are a locally elected school board that maintains the same authority as every other school district in the state; not a board saddled with long-term contracts that it did not negotiate, or stuck with a superintendent who isn't producing results for students and taxpayers."
Related: How Snyder plans to sell his $715 million plan for Detroit schools to Michigan lawmakers
Legislation introduced Thursday by Sen. Geoff Hansen, R-Hart, laid the groundwork for restructuring the roughly 47,000 student district, which has been hit hard over the last decade by declining enrollment and low student achievement.
Legislation introduced Thursday by Sen. Geoff Hansen, R-Hart, laid the groundwork for restructuring the roughly 47,000 student district, which has been hit hard over the last decade by declining enrollment and low student achievement.
The legislation would effectively break the district into two parts: A new district, known as the Detroit Community School District, where teaching and learning Senate, House Democrats explain why they oppose Detroit schools reform legislation | MLive.com:
