Highland Park Board Member Says Private Investors Want To Bail Out Schools

In the wake of a judge removing the Highland Park Schools' emergency financial manager while an Open Meetings Act violation is sorted out, board member Robert Davis called into Charlie Langton's Talk Radio 1270 show with an astonishing claim.

Banks want to bail out the district, he says.

"My plan is very simple," Davis told Langton. "I've contacted a number of financial institutions who are willing to help the district so that we can meet payroll."

"Private investors?" Langton asked incredulously.

"If the district is willing to accept," Davis responded, later adding about Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, "The reason why (they would help) is they see these strong-arm tactics from this Republican idiot."

Langton hosted a debate between Highland Park Board of Education member Davis and Ingrid Jacques, an editorial writer at the Detroit News who blamed Highland Park for their dire situation. Snyder appointed an emergency manager there, over the objections of many in the district, to find ways to keep the district solvent.

Supporters of Highland Park officials sued over the emergency manager appointment and won a reprieve on the open meetings issue. Meanwhile, the governor has stopped floating Highland Park advance payments from the state's fund for public schools.

Davis accused the governor of "acting in a childish behavior."

Langton asked: "Do you believe the district is being punished for the lawsuit?"

"Absolutely," Davis replied.

Jacques defended the governor, saying, "He's trying to fix what he sees as a very serious problem, one of the worst his team has come across since becoming governor...He's already helped give several advance payments to the district."

"I think he's just trying to solve a difficult situation," Jacques added.

She pointed out that Highland Park receives nearly $20,000 per pupil in state and federal aid, and still doesn't have enough money to meet payroll.

"The great wisdom that this very ambitious, conservative governor did, the first thing he did, was cut funding," Davis said. "That assisted and aided in the deficit."

He went on to say the loss of property values, and a for-profit school pushed Highland Park into the hole.

"All districts received the same cuts that you're talking about," Jacques said. "Most of the districts have made the cuts they needed to stay afloat."

Hear the entire interview below.