KALAMAZOO (WKZO-AM) — The Governor’s School Reform Office released a report of the school districts in the bottom five percent, while rumors swirled about whether or not they intended to forcibly close those schools.
There are about a dozen schools from west Michigan on the list, and one school, Decatur High School that has been taken off the list.
On the list are two elementary schools in Kalamazoo, the Washington Writer’s Academy and the Woodward School for Technology and Research. Also on the list, Battle Creek’s Dudley Elementary, five schools in Benton Harbor and four in Grand Rapids.
Kalamazoo Supt. Michael Rice says the list is largely comprised of schools from the poorest neighborhoods in Michigan and solving the problem could be as simple as providing adequate funding.
He says the rankings are based on test results that state officials promised they would not use to judge schools.
The Governor and other officials have been walking back statements made by the Director of the office about the possibility of closures, calling them a last resort.
About half the districts on the list are from the Detroit Area.
Talk of closing local schools is not something elected officials want to talk about before the fall elections, and not something that educators say will do much to address the problem.
It is a bigger problem in Kalamazoo, where the two schools listed are archetechtual jewels, one that is brand new.
