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House approves $50M in emergency cash for Detroit Public Schools

The former Carstens Elementary School building, on Detroit's east side, is one of many, many schools that have been shuttered in Detroit.
Sarah Hulett
/
Michigan Radio
Detroit Public Schools is offering 45 schools to charter companies.

A $50 million emergency spending bill to keep Detroit Public Schools open through the rest of this school year has cleared the state House.

The district’s emergency manager says without an immediate infusion of cash, DPS probably won’t be able to pay teachers and staff after April 8th.

The bill now goes to the state Senate, where Republican Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof says he intends  to hold a vote on this $50 million bill, or a larger DPS bailout, sometime next week.

Governor Snyder released a statement thanking the House on Thursday:  "While a long-term legislative fix is urgently needed to address the challenges that are holding Detroit students back, this $50 million supplemental is a key first step."

The House bill taps millions from the state’s Tobacco settlement fund.

Kate Wells is a Peabody Award-winning journalist currently covering public health. She was a 2023 Pulitzer Prize finalist for her abortion coverage.
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