CUTTING DETROIT’S PUBLIC SCHOOLS By: Jenny Cameron

THE BUDGET DEFICIT The city of Detroit is facing a major budget deficit of about $230 million. In attempts to reduce this massive economic downfall, Mayor Kilpatrick has purposed a plan to cut jobs, pay and benefits for city employees, reduce city services, and increase taxes. Another aspect of the budget crisis is the Board of Education plan to cut 34 Detroit Public Schools.

THE PLAN In addition to cutting the 34 public schools in Detroit, the city is also cutting approximately 5400 DPS staff members. The city is also planning on shutting down schools each year for the next 5 years. The projected amount of money saved will be about $10 million for the first year and an estimated $50 million for the whole 5 years.

THE KIDS LOST There are approximately 140,000 students enrolled in DPS, but a projected 10,000 each year for the next couple of years will be lost. These kids will either be unable to travel the extra distance to their relocated school, lose interest because of constantly moving from school to school, or in most cases relocate to charter schools outside of the city. The mind-set of city authorities in relation to the situation and its students is that the city population is declining, student enrollment is plummeting, school standards are failing,and the city’s dwindling tax base cannot sustain the present school set-up,-so the schools must close.

SO WHAT HAPPENS? In the short run the cutting of these schools will save a substantial amount of money. However, in the long run because we are driving more kids out of the schools in the city to go to charter schools in the suburbs, the city will lose money.