Michigan will receive School Improvement Funds

At least 57 of the state's lowest-performing schools could see federal funds to assist in its rebuilding under an announcement Thursday by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. Mr. Duncan announced during interviews with Michigan media that the state would see up to $115 million in federal school improvement grants provided under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The grants provide up to $2 million per school for the lowest 5 percent of schools in a state.

The funds are provided to the state Department of Education and the schools then have to apply for those funds, said Marty Ackley, spokesperson for the state department. Before any schools can apply, the state needs to craft a list of eligible schools, which will take some time. A preliminary list showed a substantial number of Detroit Public School buildings in the bottom 5 percent.

Superintendent of Public Instruction Mike Flanagan has said this week that he hopes to have that list of the bottom 5 percent of schools completed before the September 1 deadline set in new state school reform laws, but he has also said he needs funds to hire staff to accomplish the list by the deadline, much less earlier.