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Detroit's School Board Has Power For First Time In 7 Years

DETROIT (AP) - A Detroit school board with the power to direct Michigan's largest school system has been seated for the first time in seven years.

The seven Detroit Public Schools Community board members were collectively sworn in by Michigan Court of Appeals and Court of Claims Judge Cynthia Diane Stephens before about 300 people who erupted in applause.

After the ceremony, the board approved temporary bylaws, set a meeting schedule and elected officers.

New board president Iris Taylor said the board has begun efforts to determine what its priorities should be.

The 46,000-student district was created by the state Legislature as part of a bailout of the Detroit Public Schools. In June, with the district on the brink of financial collapse, the Legislature passed a $617 million financial rescue package.

Several governor-appointed emergency managers began controlling the district in 2009.
(Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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