Without students, a school is nothing but four walls and teachers with nothing to do. Students give the school purpose, and funding to pay those teachers, administrators and janitors. This funding also pays the electric and water bills, and buys supplies from pencils and chalk to paper towels and copy paper. The lack of students kills a school, plain and simple. It’s ugly, but it’s a logical conclusion.
In the last decade, one district serving Michigan Public Schools has lost more than 60,000 students. While much of this loss has been due to that city’s steadily declining population and shrinking birthrates, a lot of it is also attributable to poaching from charter schools and neighboring public school systems. The declining student enrollment in these Michigan Schools is forcing leaders to face the likelihood of cuts in per pupil funding.
The shrinking of the enrollment in these Michigan Schools can significantly weaken their academic programs. These particular Michigan Schools offer a variety of quality academic programs that no other school district or charter school in the state does. The shrinking of these Michigan Schools could potentially kill some of these programs. In fact, the programs offered are an attempt to actually draw students and their families back to this Michigan Schools district.
Loss of per-pupil funding will not only cut the above mentioned programs, but it will also effect the necessary education that the special-needs children attending Michigan Schools so desperately need. Special-needs students classified as having severe cognitive impairments or severe multiple impairments get an extended school year equaling about 230 days of instruction, as opposed to “traditional students” who receive 180 days of instruction. Cutting back on this extended school year would have debilitating effects on these students. These kids need the extra time, which not only consists of academic learning, but physical, speech, and occupational therapies, among others. In addition, the routine of going to school each day is extremely important to these very special Michigan Schools students, and is indeed vital to their success.
Perhaps previously unconsidered is the effect of declining student enrollment on the workforce. Michigan Schools employees in this city face layoffs if the enrollment continues to decline. Losing their jobs will inspire many of these workers to leave this city for work elsewhere. Any children they have would naturally leave these particular Michigan Schools, and the cycle begins all over again with even more declining enrollment.
If the Michigan Schools that are in existence in the city of Detroit are to continue and to grow, the state has a very big job cut out for itself. Hopefully, it will rise to the challenge.