INNER CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS BEING CLOSED ACROSS THE LAND

DIANE BUKOWSKI, NNPA - From Detroit to San Francisco, Chicago to
Baltimore, a tidal wave of school closings, usually in large, poor urban
districts, has washed over the country. In many cases, the closings have
wreaked havoc and met with little resistance, but other communities are
fighting back, in some cases calling for complete moratoriums on school
closings and demanding additional "equivalent" funding for poor
districts.

- Chicago: Mayor Richard Daley's "Renaissance 2010" campaign has called
for closing 100 schools by 2010. A 2006 article in the Chicago Sun Times
said closings which have taken place so far have resulted in an increase
in violent incidents at the schools which are left as those from the
closed schools flood in. A 1996 study showed that students who have been
moved from other schools also have lower student achievement scores than
their stable counterparts.

The Chicago teachers union and community organizations have slowed the
closings through persistent mass protests. Additionally, Black and
Latino state legislators there have drafted legislation providing a way
for voters to keep their schools open, and additionally threatened to
withhold construction funding for the district.

Chicago Alderman Michael Chandler has campaigned for a city ordinance
that would halt school closings entirely until a study is conducted on
how children displaced by closings are doing in their new schools. . .

- New York City: In 2001, a New York court ruled that the state was
violating its own constitution which guarantees every child the right to
a "sound basic education," by failing to provide "equivalent funding"
for New York City's children, 62 percent of whom live in poverty. In
2002, a higher court ordered the state to come up with $5.6 billion in
additional funding for NYC schools. Republican Governor George Pataki
appealed, a hearing was held in November, and results are still pending.
. .

Additionally, New Yorkers for Smaller Class Size are petitioned for a
ballot referendum requiring immediate reductions in class size. New York
City Mayor Michael Bloomberg blocked the referendum in court, and that
appeal is also pending.

- Baltimore: The Baltimore Education Advocates, a coalition of groups,
is campaigning for a moratorium on school closings. . .

- Seattle: Strong public opposition forced Seattle Superintendent Raj
Manhas to drop plans to close schools in 2004, but he came back with a
proposal to close ten schools in 2006, aided by a 14-member advisory
committee of executives from the business, finance, communication and
education arena. He talked the board into supporting the closures. . .

- San Francisco: A school board decision to close or merge 14 schools in
2006 resulted in rallies in front of the central office, petitions by
families to start their own district, and a one-day attendance boycott
at one of the

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