The State of Michigan has posted to its website a tentative joint action plan to deal with issues at the Benton Harbor schools. This comes after a plan was announced earlier to close Benton Harbor High School due to poor learning outcomes and significant debt the district has accrued.
Here are some of the points in the joint plan:
-Beginning July 1, 2019 the locally-elected Benton Harbor Area Schools regains the full authority of a traditional school board.
-State Treasurer will enter into a financial recovery agreement with BHAS.
-For the 2019-2020 school year, the Board will have an opportunity to implement its plan, which has included significant community feedback.
-The local board, current BHAS teachers and staff, members of the community, and philanthropic leaders are planning to come together in midJuly for a “Day of Learning” to hear from national experts from nonprofit organizations who have a proven track record of turning around struggling districts.
-If the local district decides to engage with one or more of these organizations, we will work together to find support to engage those experts.
-If BHAS meets all the benchmarks that were outlined in the agreement during the 2019-2020 school year, the district will remain intact.
-If BHAS does not meet the Year 1 benchmarks outlined in the agreement, the Board agrees to suspend operations of the high school. The district would partner with surrounding districts to serve students in grades 9-12. The Board would revise its strategic plan to solely focus on improving outcomes for students in K-8 and stabilize the finances of the district.
-Expect to have a final agreement signed by the end of July.
To read the whole plan, click here:
https://www.michigan.gov/documents/treasury/Benton_Harbor_Plan_Slide_Deck_659633_7.pdf
