Detroit Planning To Shut Down Half Its Public Schools

By Semperpapa

In one more example of the disaster that public schools have become, news from Detroit is that the city authorities are considering shutting down half the number of high schools in the Detroit Public School system.

The move, which is forecasted to increase the average size of high school classes to 62 students, appears to be necessary to address the budget disaster of the district.

In the report from the Detroit News, the closure would be necessary if Detroit does not receive additional government aid. The city’s Emergency Financial Manager, Robert Bobb, is trying to slash $327 million deficit the school district has accumulated, $100 millions of them just in the past 12 months.

According to Bobb, the deficit was caused by several reasons, ranging from decline in revenue from property taxes, decline in enrollment and, my absolute favorite, “an unplanned staffing surge this past fall” which translates in workers hired. Why was any hiring done when there is no money to pay for it?

Of course the missing link in Bobb’s statement is any reference to the financial burden that teacher’s union are continuously putting on the financial status of the city.

With all the cutting that the city manager is required to do, with all the additional burden that will be placed on students and their families, the teachers will receive their planned salary increases, with any regard on the part of their union for obvious dire situation the city is in.

The office of the emergency Financial Manager also stated that the school closure is the very last resort, that he is also looking at the abandonment of vacated district buildings and a sort of bankruptcy/bailout from the government that General Motors adopted.

The head of the Detroit Federation of Teacher opposes the last plan because that may require some union contracting manipulation. Moreover, increasing the class sizes to 62 would kick in a clause of the collective bargaining agreement that stipulates an automatic increase in salary for teachers if the number of students goes over 35.

More money for teachers, and union dues, and a worsening of city financial disaster.

So what is the moral of this story? That, as it always happen, bureaucracy is keeping government hostage. The same government that aims at ever increasing the size of the same bureaucracy. A vicious circle that can only spell financial disaster for the people.

Just my thoughts!