Detroit schools to sue state to stop closures of 25 schools

State wants to shut down 25 underperforming schools in Detroit

DETROIT – State officials want to shut down more than a dozen underperforming schools throughout Detroit, but the new DPSCD board is ready to battle in court to stop the closures.

The school board held a special meeting Wednesday at the Fisher Building to address the concerns involving 16 DPSCD schools. They left with a clear option to explore legal action against the closures.

Parents are gearing up for a meeting on Thursday.

The planned closures across Detroit have left many parents in disbelief.

"What are we heading toward?" Mary Winfield said. "I'm very concerned about my children."

Winfield has three children attending two schools, and both, including Mason Elementary School, are on the chopping block because of low performance.

"I'm scrambling looking towards the fall," Winfield said.

"The answer is not to close the school," Scott Benson, a 3rd District council member, said.

Benson pointed to what was Grant Elementary School as an example. Since it closed in 2008, the building has turned into nothing more than an eyesore.

"When they say you can put a nonprofit in an empty school or do a housing development, that's not going to happen," Benson said. "What you will have is a dangerous and blighted eyesore in our neighborhood."

Of the 25 Detroit and EAA schools slated to shut down in the city, seven of them sit right in Benson's district, so he's holding a town forum Thursday to discuss taking action.

"We are disproportionately impacted by the proposed school closure, which is why we are taking the fight back to the state, telling them enough is enough," Benson said.

On Wednesday night, the school board opted to sue the state to stop the slated closures.

NCAAP Detroit President Rev. Wendell Anthony said while the district is back under local control, the schools failed under the state.

"The chickens have come home to roost, and the rooster is sitting on top of the people of Detroit. No, he should be on top of the folks in Lansing," Anthony said. "They created the mess. They should fix the mess."

The town hall meeting on Detroit school closures is scheduled to be from 6-8 p.m. Thursday at Pershing High School -- 18875 Ryan Road.

You can see the full list of schools involved here.

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About the Authors:

Derick is the Lead Digital Editor for ClickOnDetroit and has been with Local 4 News since April 2013. Derick specializes in breaking news, crime and local sports.