Parents, students and teachers who have waited weeks to learn whether their Detroit Public School is closing are expected get answers today — less than two weeks before school lets out for the summer.
Emergency Financial Manager Robert Bobb is expected to announce the final school closure list after months of town hall meetings, community feedback and countless calls and e-mails.
The list is expected to be smaller than the preliminary plan he released in March to close a quarter of the district’s 172 schools. The plan marked the largest school closure plan in the nation, on top of the nearly 100 facilities shut in DPS since 2005.
A final decision was set for April, but Bobb hadn’t cemented his closure plans until now. For those on the closure list, the uncertainty has been frustrating.
“It’s stressful because my students ask me all the time: Are we closing? What’s going on?” said Rochelle Hayes, a teacher at Carstens Elementary, a high-performing school on the southeast side that was on the closure list — much to the surprise of those in the community.
“I have parents asking: Did you hear anything? It’s almost … every day. It’s stressful on me because I don’t know anything.”
Steve Wasko, DPS spokesman, said the community feedback has shaped the final closure list. “The process has been more than thorough, and Mr. Bobb continues to receive input even now that may well affect the final decisions.
“The final list will demonstrate substantial changes in the best interests of children because of the community input. In a number of cases, school communities have been able to work together to either present better alternatives or to make planned mergers work.
“Other factors include information coming forward on the state’s lowest — 5 percent — performing schools, and the intent to assure that final list of bond-funded construction projects is aligned as well.”
At Carstens, students and staff hope today will bring good news. The building is a beacon of hope in an area surrounded by abandoned homes and lots with overgrown grass taller than some students.
Inside the 94-year-old building, students do succeed. All of the school’s third- and fourth-graders passed the MEAP math exam last year. Staff there offer support to parents, such as finding housing and recovering from substance abuse.
“This is the only anchor in the community left,” said Abby Phelps, a parent and community liaison at the school, who urged Bobb at a town hall meeting to keep the school open. “To close Carstens would mean to kill what is left of the southeast vicinity of the city of Detroit.”
“To close it would defy all common sense,” added Barbara Haug, a teacher for 12 years at Carstens. “The goal has been stated to have a high performing school in every neighborhood. Well, we’re the only DPS school in the neighborhood and we’re high performing.”
Fighting for survival has brought the Carstens staff closer together, said teacher Elbert Bennett Jr. Even though he and several others have received layoff notices as part of districtwide staff cuts and Carstens’ fate is not finalized, Bennett has faith Bobb will save the school.
“We know we’ll be back here,” said the fifth-grade teacher. “We have extreme confidence. We are not going to believe something else until we see something else.”
Source:The Detroit News/ Marisa Schultz
