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