Detroit Schools to close more than a quarter of its schools in June amid falling enrollment
By APWednesday, March 17, 2010
44 of 172 Detroit schools slated to close in June
DETROIT — The emergency financial manager for Detroit Public Schools says more than a quarter of the district’s schools will close in June as it struggles with budget issues and declining enrollment.
Robert Bobb announced the closures of 44 of the district’s 172 schools Wednesday as part of a proposed five-year plan to create a leaner district.
Six more schools are slated to close in June 2011, and seven more a year later. Many current programs will be moved to other buildings. Bond money would be used to build new schools in targeted neighborhoods.
The closures are in addition to the shuttering of 29 schools before last fall. The nearly 88,000-student district faces a deficit of at least $219 million. Full-time enrollment is projected to drop to about 56,000 by 2015.
