Crumbling schools hope for save

Chastity Pratt Dawsey

Oct. 26, 2009 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- A wall is caving in and sloping the floor at King High School on Detroit's east side. That's because the school was built over an old creek.

Masking tape holds together some windows, rainwater puddles inside others and ceiling tiles fall from the weight of moisture.

The school that houses some of the district's premier, application-only academic programs is not as old as most but could stand to be replaced, staff, parents and students said Friday.

"It's falling apart," said Pamela Swift, an active King parent. "It's more or less a safety concern at this point."

In order to build up Detroit's public schools, a lot will have to be torn down, according to Robert Bobb, the district's emergency financial manager.

And that process could begin with Proposal S, the $500.5-million school construction bond measure that is to appear on the ballot Nov. 3. The measure would provide funding to build a new King High and seven other schools, renovate 10 and demolish 29 vacant ones. Schools district-wide would get security and technology upgrades.

Ultimately, the proposal is part of a larger plan to make DPS a newer, smaller district to fit its declining population. The district has about half the students enrolled a decade ago. Regardless of the bond, about 60 schools may have to close during the next two years because of declining enrollment.

With the help of the bond measure, Bobb is planning a district for about 90,000 children, with current enrollment estimated at 84,000.

Under the proposal, construction must be completed in three years and cost taxpayers less because about half of it will be interest-free.

But opponents are wary of more waste in a district with a reputation for poor financial management and no long-term plan.

"I'm tired of the Enron accounting practices," said Ty Charles, a school volunteer.

Another issue for voters to consider -- DPS is in deficit and can't pay for the fixes alone.

"There is no fund balance that you can pull from to make these major repairs," Bobb said.

Robert Bobb and other Detroit Public Schools officials started crisscrossing the city last month, heading to about three dozen public meetings on Proposal S -- the $500.5-million school construction bond measure that will appear on the ballot Nov. 3.

The federal government allows DPS to issue bonds under the stimulus act.

Residents have grilled Bobb, the DPS emergency financial manager, on whether the city can afford the debt as questions linger about past bond spending and the long-term leadership of the district.

Bobb said time is of the essence for aging schools and ones that need new technology for classrooms.

"It's not going to get better," he told the Free Press.

No increase, no decrease

If Proposal S passes, the tax rate won't increase, but it won't start to go down next year as scheduled, either.

The construction must be completed in three years and would create 11,000 jobs, Bobb said.

Though DPS says Proposal S will not increase taxes, debt repayment is not that simple. The proposal adds debt for city property taxpayers.

"It's kind of like making a fixed monthly payment on a credit card," said Jeff Guilfoyle, president of the Citizens Research Council of Michigan, which conducted an analysis of Proposal S. "If you charge something else, it just takes you that much longer to pay off the balance."

If Detroiters don't pay enough in property taxes to cover the debt payments for the bond, the district can borrow from the state School Loan Revolving Fund, said Terry Stanton, spokesman for the Michigan Department of Treasury.

Bad memories linger

At public hearings, residents questioned Bobb about his spending on consultants as well as alleged overspending and shoddy work on some projects under the last bond.

In 1994, voters approved a $1.5-billion bond measure. With that money, DPS built three new high schools; renovated two others; built 16 other new school buildings, and provided more than $600 million in improvements to about 175 schools, including upgrades to lavatories, kitchens, lighting, electrical, athletic facilities and wiring for the Internet.

Most of the money was spent during the 1999-2005 state takeover of the district.

Last week, Bobb held an investigative hearing on some of the deals from that bond. School officials testified that DPS overpaid for some buildings and land, as well as for new offices in the Fisher Building. Two more hearings are scheduled for this week.

"The last bond is still in the hearts and minds of people for good ... reasons," Bobb told the Free Press. "Could the funds have been spent more efficiently? Absolutely."

Detroit City Councilman Kwame Kenyatta said Bobb's plans to partner with the NAACP and create an oversight committee to prevent waste and fraud could gain the confidence of taxpayers. "There will be several layers of monitoring that will take place that did not exist in the $1.5-million bond," Kenyatta said.

Supporters on both sides

DPS touts a long list of supporters for the proposal, including the Council of Baptist Pastors of Detroit and Vicinity, Mayor Dave Bing, the Detroit Federation of Teachers and the Detroit City Council.

Those opposed include the school board -- it's in a court battle with Bobb over who has power over academics and hiring -- and grassroots activist groups such as By Any Means Necessary (BAMN).

Parent Chris White, with Coalition to Restore Hope to DPS, gave a counterpoint to Bobb's presentation on Proposal S at a town hall meeting Oct. 15. He said Bobb's spending patterns are reason to vote against the bond.

The district's 2009 budget allocated $12 million for outside consultants -- only $8.5 million of that was spent -- while Bobb budgeted $93 million for outside consultants this fiscal year.

"He had a pattern of using no-bid contracts to take care of his friends," White said. "If he's already ignoring Detroit-based business, what will he do with another $500 million?"

School board member Otis Mathis said voters need to educate themselves before the election.

"They use the word stimulus like it's free money."

Thomas Wilson, a gym teacher at Ludington Middle School, predicts voters will approve the bond, but it's going to come down to one issue.

"The hard sell," Wilson said, "whether Bobb actually reaches the people."

Contact CHASTITY PRATT DAWSEY: 313-223-4537 or cpratt@freepress.com. Free Press education writer Peggy Walsh-Sarnecki contributed.

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