Final day for 30 Detroit schools

From The Detroit News: The enthusiasm of the end of the school year will be tinged with sadness today at 30 Detroit schools that will say their final goodbyes on the last day of the school year. Despite rallies and letter-writing campaigns, these schools are falling victim to a deficit topping $300 million and plummeting enrollment. About 11,100 students attend the schools that are being closed.

Earlier...from The Detroit News: The Detroit district has removed two more schools from the closure list, both alternative education schools for children who have been expelled. The change reduces the school closure tally to 30 schools. Barsamian Preparatory Center serves about 90 high school students expelled for weapons offenses. Hancock has about 60 expelled elementary and middle school students. Neither was on the original school closure plan in March, but landed on the final list released this month.

From The Detroit Free Press: Now that Detroit Public Schools has solidified its closings list, the district will ramp up its marketing plan to try to keep every student it can. The truncated facilities plan will save the district $28 million a year, compared with $31 million in the previous plan.

From The Detroit News: Eighteen Detroit Public Schools have been saved from closure while several others were added to the district's school closure list, leaving 32 schools and one support building slated to be shut this month, Emergency Financial Manager Robert Bobb says. MAY 2010...from The Detroit Free Press: Three of the 41 schools targeted for closing in the Detroit district have won a reprieve. A high graduation rate, a recruitment campaign and community investments were key factors in the decision to keep open Communication & Media Arts High, Glazer Elementary and Dossin Elementary, district emergency financial manager Robert Bobb says. Bobb is seeking to closing many of the district's schools because of declining enrollment and deteriorating facilities. APRIL 2010...from The Detroit Free Press: The Detroit public schools buildings that the district plans to be closed beginning in June will be leased, sold or demolished, but taxpayers still will be on the hook to pay off millions in renovations to the buildings. Property taxes will go to repay more than $65 million through 2033 for the improvements, district data show. Detroit Public Schools officials say closures are necessary and that the cash-poor district will save more than $35 million a year when the last of the schools close in 2012. Forty-one city schools are set to close in June; others are to follow by 2012.