LANSING, Mich., Nov. 6., 2023 —The Michigan House passed funding allocations for initiatives throughout the state, including forgiving $18 million of debt for Pontiac School District (PSD). In reaction to this welcome news, state Rep. Brenda Carter (D-Pontiac) issued the following statement:
“I ran for the Legislature based on the needs of the Pontiac School District and schools across the state. At one point in time, PSD had a $51 million deficit — the largest per-pupil deficit in the history of the state of Michigan. The consent agreement devastated our schools, stripping resources down to the bare minimum. Since I’ve been in Lansing, I’ve made it my mission to put PSD back on track to academic and financial excellence. Eradicating this debt is the final step in making our schools, once again, a world-class education system. Now the district can better use resources to uplift the learning environment for all students. This is the fresh start the community needs to create a world class learning environment for our children.”
The PSD Board of Education worked with the state to craft a plan that eventually lifted PSD out of receivership. Pontiac Schools is one of five school districts that received money from the state to forgive their debt. The other districts are Benton Harbor, Inkster, Ypsilanti and Muskegon Heights. The five districts will receive $114 million in debt relief from the School Aid Fund.
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