The Senate Tuesday
passed a package of bills re-establishing a locally elected school board and a
Detroit Education Commission.
After two hours of
discussion, the Senate reported SB
710, SB
711, and SB
819 through SB
822. These bills revise the state’s School Code to create a new community
district and keep the current Detroit Public Schools in place to assume the
district’s debts. It also establishes the Detroit Education Commission. The
school board would be elected in August of this year, and returns local control
to the district. The Commission will be in place for five years, with a
possible extension of five years after that. The Commission will “grade”
schools on a ranking of A-F, and schools with a ranking of F for three
consecutive years, three out of four years, or three out of five years would
close or be subject to intervention.
A Financial Review
Commission will be in place to oversee the finances of the new district and the
same commission would oversee the school district. The Financial Review Commission
will include the superintendent and the school board president. The package of
bills also allow for emergency lending to the district and a $300 million loan
for the new community district.
SB 711 passed with a
vote of 29-8, with the remaining bills passing with a vote of 21-16. Senator
Patrick Colbeck (R-Canton Township) viewed the package as a bailout, something
Senator David Knezek (D-Dearborn Heights) disagreed with.
The House will take
up the bills following the legislative recess. Due to the legislative five-day
rule, the House could not vote prior to the break.