Lawmakers in Lansing moved a bill out of a state House committee that would provide a temporary financial bailout and keep doors open in the Detroit Public Schools.
"This is good news for Detroit school kids," said Rep. Al Pscholka, R-Stevensville, of the $47.8 million supplemental aid bill that will keep Detroit schools operating through June. Pscholka is chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.
"The message here is, schools open and will remain the rest of the school year," Pscholka said.
The money comes from the state's tobacco settlement fund. While critical, Pscholka admits it is only a bridge to a final solution to resolve the district's $515 million deficit and issues of governance.
"It's kind of the down payment for the rest of the solution," said Pscholka. "It kind of gives us the next couple of weeks at least to work on the rest of the bill package and get something put together that will really mean quality education and quality choices for Detroit kids," he said.
"We still have that ($515 million) hanging over our heads," said Ivy Bailey, interim president of the Detroit Federation of Teachers, referring to the district's deficit. "We're going to fight for that, because we feel our students need that and deserve that and we want that because it's going to help our city come back," Bailey said.
Detroit School Board President LaMar Lemmons is also following developments closely. A former state legislator, Lemmons wants control of the schools to be returned to the elected school board. State Emergency Managers have run the schools since 2009, when Jennifer Granholm was governor.
"Right now they're deciding if they're going to allow that to happen or they're going to come up with some other new configuration of governance, which we would oppose," Lemmons said.
The full House is expected to take up and pass the supplemental aid bill on Thursday.
