LANSING — State Rep. Sylvia Santana (D-Detroit) expressed her concern and disappointment with the School Reform Office’s (SRO) recent plan to put three schools from her district on notice to be potentially closed. On Friday, the SRO sent a notice to the parents of students attending Ann Arbor Trail Magnet School, Detroit Institute of Technology at Cody and Henderson Academy, that within 30 days, the SRO would make the decision whether or not to put the three schools on track for closure by June of 2017.
“When will it end?” inquired Santana. “We know the state of Michigan is underfunding our schools by $1,200 per student. Schools — including Ann Arbor Trail Magnet School, Detroit Institute of Technology at Cody and Henderson Academy in my district — can succeed if we support our teachers and students with the funding and classroom resources they require to deliver a first-class education.”
In an effort to find answers for her community, Santana has arranged for meetings with the principals of each school as well as with School Reform Officer Natasha Baker.
“I will do everything in my power to defend our community from this ill-conceived policy. School closings should be the absolute last step we take,” Santana said. “School closings have an impact on not only students and parents, but also the stability of entire neighborhoods. As a mother of three children, I am deeply concerned that the School Reform Office would choose to threaten our schools with closure instead of investing in them.”