Detroit Announces School Closings and Teacher Layoffs

The times just keep getting tougher for Detroit. In a statement released Thursday, the district announced it planned to close 23 schools and layoff 600 teachers in an effort to close the gap on a more than $300 million defecit. The 195-school district is struggling. Enrollment is down by about half since the 1990s, probably in part due to a struggling auto industry forcing families out of the city. The district has been deemed to be in a state of financial emergency by Robert Bobb, a financial overseer put in place by the governor after the superintendent was let go in December.
What does this mean for the students? About 7,500 students will be re-organized to different schools.
So far, the plan seems to be well-received by the parties involved, including the Detroit Federation of Teachers and Michigan Department of Education. Town hall meetings are being scheduled with Bobb through early May to discuss the proposal. Layoffs and closings will be announced during the summer break.
Source: Yahoo News