| Without students, a school is nothing but four walls | | | | Special-needs students classified as having severe |
| and teachers with nothing to do. Students give the | | | | cognitive impairments or severe multiple impairments |
| school purpose, and funding to pay those teachers, | | | | get an extended school year equaling about 230 days |
| administrators and janitors. This funding also pays the | | | | of instruction, as opposed to "traditional students" |
| electric and water bills, and buys supplies from pencils | | | | who receive 180 days of instruction. Cutting back on |
| and chalk to paper towels and copy paper. The lack | | | | this extended school year would have debilitating |
| of students kills a school, plain and simple. It's ugly, | | | | effects on these students. These kids need the |
| but it's a logical conclusion. In the last decade, one | | | | extra time, which not only consists of academic |
| district serving Michigan Public Schools has lost more | | | | learning, but physical, speech, and occupational |
| than 60,000 students. While much of this loss has | | | | therapies, among others. In addition, the routine of |
| been due to that city's steadily declining population | | | | going to school each day is extremely important to |
| and shrinking birthrates, a lot of it is also attributable | | | | these very special Michigan Schools students, and is |
| to poaching from charter schools and neighboring | | | | indeed vital to their success. Perhaps previously |
| public school systems. The declining student | | | | unconsidered is the effect of declining student |
| enrollment in these Michigan Schools is forcing leaders | | | | enrollment on the workforce. Michigan Schools |
| to face the likelihood of cuts in per pupil funding. The | | | | employees in this city face layoffs if the enrollment |
| shrinking of the enrollment in these Michigan Schools | | | | continues to decline. Losing their jobs will inspire many |
| can significantly weaken their academic programs. | | | | of these workers to leave this city for work |
| These particular Michigan Schools offer a variety of | | | | elsewhere. Any children they have would naturally |
| quality academic programs that no other school | | | | leave these particular Michigan Schools, and the cycle |
| district or charter school in the state does. The | | | | begins all over again with even more declining |
| shrinking of these Michigan Schools could potentially | | | | enrollment. If the Michigan Schools that are in |
| kill some of these programs. In fact, the programs | | | | existence in the city of Detroit are to continue and |
| offered are an attempt to actually draw students | | | | to grow, the state has a very big job cut out for |
| and their families back to this Michigan Schools district. | | | | itself. Hopefully, it will rise to the challenge. |
| Loss of per-pupil funding will not only cut the above | | | | Patricia Hawke is a staff writer for Schools K-12, |
| mentioned programs, but it will also effect the | | | | providing free, in-depth reports on all U.S. public and |
| necessary education that the special-needs children | | | | private K-12 schools. |
| attending Michigan Schools so desperately need. | | | | |