Detroit Public Schools closed 94 of its 97 schools on Monday, citing the Detroit teachers union’s call for a districtwide sickout amid concerns about the weakening finances of Michigan’s largest school district. Union leaders reacted harshly over the weekend after DPS Emergency Manager Steven Rhodes informed them the district won’t be able to make payroll after $48.7 million in emergency state aid runs out on June 30.
Rhodes acknowledged in an email to The Detroit News the school district will run out of money then. “This is the final straw,” said Ivy Bailey, president of the 2,600-member Detroit Federation of Teachers. “No person should be asked to work without pay.” The district closed the following schools as of 7 a.m. Monday: FULL REPORT
