Legislation to overhaul Detroit's troubled school district has finally been introduced, more than eight months after Gov. Rick Snyder first proposed the restructuring.
The main bill unveiled Thursday includes $250 million to launch a new district, but the question of paying off $500 million in operating debt for the old district remains unsettled. Lawmakers have balked, especially if it means using money that other K-12 districts would receive.
The legislation does not include Snyder's proposal to create a commission that could close or reconfigure low-performing schools, including independent charters.
The new district would initially be overseen by a board of five gubernatorial appointees and four mayoral appointees until voters elect a board in November. But a commission now overseeing the city post-bankruptcy would hire the superintendent.
