The House would like to send less cash to DPS than the state Senate has proposed. That includes the contamination of Flint’s drinking water and the looming financial collapse of the state’s largest school district in Detroit; DPS. The Senate had backed $200 million in spending to launch a new district, the House $33 million.
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That differs from a plan passed by the Senate in March that included the DEC, which would be appointed by the Detroit Mayor and have authority over some of the charter and public schools.
The old district would exist exclusively to collect taxes, retiring $467 million in debt over roughly 8 ½ years. Not to mention school districts around the state face budget shortfalls and academic challenges.
“Instead of joining us at the table to create a workable plan for Detroit Public Schools, House Republicans are once again insisting on going their own way and doubling down on ideas that are bound to fail”, state Rep. Brian Banks, the chairman of the Detroit caucus, said in a statement.
A spokesman for GOP Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof called the bills a “realistic compromise”, while Republican Gov. Rick Snyder’s spokesman said their approval was “good progress. that can lead to a sustainable and successful education system”.
Unlike some other Republican governors and members of Congress, who have declined to endorse Trump but have still said they would support him as nominee, Snyder doesn’t appear to be splitting such hairs and is reportedly remaining neutral in the race.
“I never thought I’d see the day that you would have Lansing pass a bill governing the future of the Detroit schools, where every single Detroit legislator voted against it”, said Duggan. Emergency aid previously approved for the district will run out by June 30.
The commission, as called for in the Senate plan, is opposed by school-choice advocates and House Republicans who say it would bolster traditional schools at the expense of charters.
Snyder, Duggan and the Senate back the commission, which was proposed more than a year ago and is billed as a way to better locate and promote higher-quality schools in a fragmented system with almost 100 traditional schools and 65 charters mainly authorized by state universities. “Is that an unreasonable thing to ask?”
If GOP House Speaker Kevin Cotter holds a vote on the legislation, he may need to round up 55 Republican votes because of Democratic opposition.
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Under the plan, a Financial Review Commission would oversee the district.
