Detroit: Detroit Schools still struggling as Bobb leaves

By Corey Williams Associated Press DETROIT (AP) -- Detroit public schools emergency financial manager Robert Bobb walked Messiah-like through the city's neighborhoods, knocking on doors and preaching the good news about changes coming to the poor-performing district. That was about two years ago. Today, the district continues to lose students and money. "Detroit has been a very heavy lift," said Bobb, who told The Associated Press he would give himself a "B" or "B-plus" for his work in Detroit. "The toughest part was getting my mind fully around all the issues as quickly as possible, not just financial, but operational. "We still have significant issues ... that have to be addressed -- the total restructuring of the school district and elimination, over a period of time, of its legacy deficit without crippling how we educate children." He's entering what could be his last week on the job with his task of fixing the district's disastrous finances incomplete. The $200 million deficit he inherited now is at least $327 million. The graduation rate, though better, still lags behind the national average. Enrollment has dropped from 104,000 in 2007 to 74,000 this year and is projected to bottom out at 56,000. Bobb's twice-extended contract officially expires in June. Republican Gov. Rick Snyder introduced his replacement last week. Roy Roberts, a 72-year-old former General Motors Corp. executive and private equity firm director, said Saturday will be his first day. He faces the same economic challenges Bobb did -- state funding cuts, millions in lost per pupil revenues and staggering annual pension and health care payouts. But Roberts has a tool Bobb didn't -- a new Michigan law that allows state-appointed financial managers to restructure contracts and take away the power of elected officials who might get in the way. Bobb spent hours fighting the elected school board in court over control of the district's academics. "It would have been easier if we had the current legislation," Bobb said. "We wouldn't have taken as many lawsuits as we took." Roberts said he has no immediate plans for change, other than hiring a good financial person and a good academic person. But he made it clear when his appointment was announced that he would take advantage of his position's enhanced powers. "I don't have to respond to a school board," he said last week. "That means we can move faster." He also won't have to dig as deeply to discover the true scope of the district's woes. Bobb took care of that, conducting more than 220 audits that uncovered theft by administrators, other employees and outsiders. U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan once called Detroit "ground zero" for education. Over the past decade, some studies have put the graduate rate as low as 42 percent. The state placed it at 58 percent for the 2007-2008 school year. The district says that has since gone up to 62 percent, while the dropout rate dipped from 21 percent to 19 percent. Bobb has taken strong action to improve the schools. Nearly 60 schools have been closed, and 30 more face the same fate this year. Some principals at failing schools didn't have their contacts renewed. Every teacher received a layoff notice this spring, and Bobb said only about 80 percent will return for the fall semester. He has been praised for pushing a $500.5 million bond issue that is allowing the district to tear down crumbling, obsolete buildings, while building newer schools with state-of-the-art classrooms and amenities. But he also was criticized earlier this year for a deficit elimination plan delivered that called for the closing of half the district's 141 schools and bumping up some high school classes to 60 students or more. Bobb says the plan would have wiped out the massive deficit in a few short years, but it was too severe. He has since changed course and moved forward with turning some struggling and failing schools over to charter operators to help cut costs by up to $99 million. The turnaround will take a "few more years," he said. "We will require additional initiatives, school closings, reviewing prospective charter operations to create a system of schools," Bobb said. "What we have to do is give parents more options and choices of where they want to send their children. "One thing we've proven is you can cut, cut, cut, but there comes a point when services have to be provided and students have to be educated." As part of his overhaul, he's put in place a revamped curriculum and academic plan that calls for 98 percent of students to graduate by the 2014-15 school year and all to pass state standardized tests. Felicia Harvey listened to Bobb's sales pitch on her front porch during one of his 2009 walks. She didn't bite and kept her two children, ages 10 and 8, in charter schools within the city. She doesn't blame Bobb for not turning things around. Parents, teachers and the school board should have given more help, she said. "I feel sorry for him. I think it was tough for him as one man standing alone," Harvey said. "I have seen him try. How much have we done to make it better?" Published: Wed, May 11, 2011