Some people who live in the elite Grosse Pointe school district are expressing misgivings about Gov. Rick Snyder's proposal to require all districts to open their schools to nonresidents.
The district encompasses the five affluent Detroit suburbs of Grosse Pointe, Grosse Pointe Park, Grosse Pointe Farms, Grosse Pointe Woods and Grosse Pointe Shores, as well as part of neighboring Harper Woods.
It borders Detroit, where schools have suffered years of declining enrollment and low scores. A state manager now runs Detroit's schools.
Snyder told legislators April 27 he wants to require all districts to enroll outside children when space permits.
"Resident students in every district should have first choice to enroll, but no longer should school districts be allowed to opt out from accepting out-of-district students," the governor said.
About 200 people attended a July forum at Brownell Middle School in Grosse Pointe Farms to hear how open enrollment might affect them.
Grosse Pointe Woods resident Becky Zerilli said she was concerned about an influx of low-achieving students from the Detroit Public Schools.
"I wouldn't want to happen here what has happened there," Zerilli told the Detroit Free Press after the forum. "No one wants to see what they've held dear and protected harmed. I don't think the governor has done enough to instill confidence in his plan."
Grosse Pointe school board member Brendan Walsh told the meeting that no one on the board backs the change but said the district should get ready for the change because "in Gov. Snyder's tenure, he's pretty much gotten what he's wanted."
Then the schools will have to "Dumb Down" their tests so minorities can get good grades too, then you have another failing school with idiots graduating, then becoming politicians, maybe even president!
ReplyDelete