Detroit says no school closures this year

Mar 7, 2008 1:06 PM

Detroit officials say that no schools will be closed this fall despite enrollment that has declined by 35,000 students  since 2005. It is the first time in three years the district will not close schools. Superintendent Connie Calloway says the district needs to look at several criteria -- not just enrollment -- before any closures are approved.  Officials will consider issues such as community and parent input, population trends, planned housing developments and academic performance.
Click here to read The Detroit Free Press article.

RELATED: The contractor hired by Detroit Public Schools to clear out 33 schools shuttered last year says the district is months late on paying nearly $600,000--and mismanaged its part of the deal so badly the company could barely do its job. The district's facilities chief, Nate Taylor, has accused Aramark Education of not delivering on its contract and says district workers ultimately took over the work themselves. But according to correspondence between the company and the district, the district locked Aramark out of school buildings, failed to supply boxes and didn't pay its vendors--causing movers to walk off the job at least twice last summer.
To read The Detroit News article, click here.

EARLIER: Detroit will see far fewer school closures this year, compared with last year's shuttering of 33 buildings. An internal school district report suggests that the board consider closing only one school this fall--Courtis Elementary. The school is one of eight buildings that were slated to close this year unless enrollment and achievement improved.
Click here to read The Detroit Free Press article.