Instead of having a single charter school operator run these schools, the emergency manager could contract with several operators to offer different programs and different management throughout the district. Rather than converting the district wholly into a single charter school district, the emergency manager could convert single schools individually, focusing on converting schools in need of the greatest educational and financial turnaround. It seems that if Highland Park and Muskegon Heights emergency managers were able to make such changes, DPS could as well. This means that less state funding is available for other school districts and charter schools than would have otherwise been.īoth Muskegon Heights and Highland Park have been able to dramatically reduce their deficits as a result of this arrangement, with Muskegon Heights reducing almost all of its $11.9 million deficit in just two years. Technically, these arrangements are a form of a state bailout: By using the districts' property tax revenue to pay off accumulated debt, less money is available from the state’s School Aid Fund, which funds districts throughout the state. Muskegon Heights put a similar arrangement in place: Again, the district converted its schools into charter schools, and revenues from the district's 18-mill nonhomestead property tax were dedicated to paying off Muskegon Heights' debt. In Highland Park, the emergency manager's operating plan for the district included turning over educational responsibilities to a charter school, while using existing property tax revenue to pay down accumulated debt. Emergency managers of both the Highland Park and Muskegon Heights school districts have already taken similar actions to improve district finances. To address DPS' sprawling financial collapse, the governor's plan would split the district in two, with the old district paying off the debts of DPS, and the new district tasked with educating students. Split the district in two to contain debts With a state emergency manager already overseeing DPS, some actions could be taken immediately to reform the district.
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While each group differs in its approach - the governor's proposal would split the district in two, while the coalition's plan would limit school choice - every plan would require creating a new law specifically for DPS and Detroit-area charter schools.īut significant steps could be taken without any legal change. Almost everyone has a plan for fixing what ails Detroit Public Schools: the governor, a coalition of special interest groups, and several advocacy groups.