School Board, State Discuss Plan For High School

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Members of the Benton Harbor Area Schools Board of Education have met with the administration of Governor Gretchen Whitmer again in Lansing and discussed a tentative deal that could keep the district’s high school open.

Coming out of Wednesday’s meeting, the governor’s office says the state has identified national experts who have experience turning around struggling school districts and it would like to engage in a day of learning alongside the school board and community partners.

Board Vice President Joseph Taylor tells us there’s “no deal yet,” but says it was a productive meeting. He says at the gathering were board members and the interim superintendent, and that a lot more will be revealed at a school board meeting next Tuesday.

The Detroit News reports the Whitmer administration’s tentative deal would avoid closure of the high school. It says the agreement would need the approval of the local school board.

The Whitmer administration says it’s working on a “joint plan that requires the district to meet attainable benchmarks and goals to show improvement in academic outcomes among Benton Harbor Area students while stabilizing the finances of the district.” That’s after the administration proposed last month closing the high school to relieve the district’s debt.

The discussions between the state and the school board will continue.