The Detroit Board of Education averted a possible shutdown in its operations by voting 9-2 shortly after 7:30 tonight to approve a two-year budget that includes nearly $522 million in spending cuts intended to get the district out of deficit.
But many specifics of how the savings would be realized — particularly $70 million in union concessions and an undetermined number of school closings — still must be addressed by Detroit Public Schools officials.
Under the plan, DPS would lay off about 818 teachers and 900 other workers, in addition to eliminating 142 vacant administrative jobs and cutting $81 million in non salary spending.
Recommendations to privatize social workers and psychologists were abandoned, but 30 of the 257 social workers will be laid off and 4 of 101 psychologists, according to a budget summary. That recommendation had set off a hail storm of complaints from the ranks and some parents who do not want to see a reduction in services to the special education and troubled students.
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