Highland Park Schools Requests Hearing As State Takeover Looms
HIGHLAND PARK (WWJ) - Another Metro Detroit school district is getting an emergency manager.
Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has told Highland Park School officials that he has determined that the district faces "monumental" financial problems and an emergency manager is needed. However, school district officials have requested a hearing on the matter, which is allowed under Public Act 4 -- the state's new emergency manager law.
The hearing is scheduled for next Tuesday before the State School Superintendent.
The Governor's decision comes 6 days after a review panel recommended an emergency manager for the district, citing a deficit of more than $11 million for the fiscal year that ended last June.
As enacted, a new state law allows the governor to take over a local government or school district by appointing an emergency manager to assume the authority and responsibility of locally elected officials. It includes the power to terminate collective bargaining agreements and even dissolve a unit of government. Some have called the new law unconstitutional.
